Hi guys, it's been a while since I posted. From now on I want to post on every Sunday. Alot of dumb stuff happened and I'd love to go over it with everyone. I really enjoy my philosophy class, but there are times when people ruin it. The topic was "philosophy of religion:why does god allow suffering". The professor, let's call him Jimbo, decided to go over the atheist perspective first and then we went over the theist response. I won't go over anything, but I will just paraphrase a few main points.
Atheist Johnson gives an example of "bad" arguments:
J: "The idea that we should operate independently from god and work to help ourselves is a bad arguement. Mainly because god should help the areas that do not have access to fire departments, police, etc."
Theist Hick:
H: "Two types of evil which are moral evil and non moral evil.
God cannot prevent moral evil because humans have free will.
It is hard to tell which evil is moral evil and moral evil because they interact a lot. If god would stop all non moral evil (falling to death, fires, SIDs, accidents, etc.) then there would be no such thing as good. People would not have to work since no harm could come from not working. People would not have to eat since no harm comes from not eating. There would be no good acts since no one suffers from starvation, being poor, etc. This would be a world of perfect good and is the worst possible existence. Suffering allows us to soul build."
Jimbo comments by saying: "I agree with some of these points but why does their have to be so much suffering. Why couldn't Hitler have killed only 300 people. Also (student says this) is all suffering really soul building for example a baby deer that gets eaten alive while no one watches."
What do you guys think about this? I'll comment after I get a few responses.
Side topic kinda interesting:
Also one funny thing happened in class. (funny because it was stupid) Someone mentioned that god is responsible for most of the problems in the bible. He used the example of Cain and Abel and said that god caused Abel's murder. I won't comment to much on this, but I'm going to start working on a new series of notes I'll call it"reexamining bible stories".
I suggest reading hebrews 11 and genesis 4. God did not want Cain to murder Abel and even talks to Cain to build him up. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Anyway what do you guys think about this? I think it's pretty dumb and some other things I cannot say right now.
Atheist Johnson gives an example of "bad" arguments:
J: "The idea that we should operate independently from god and work to help ourselves is a bad arguement. Mainly because god should help the areas that do not have access to fire departments, police, etc."
Theist Hick:
H: "Two types of evil which are moral evil and non moral evil.
God cannot prevent moral evil because humans have free will.
It is hard to tell which evil is moral evil and moral evil because they interact a lot. If god would stop all non moral evil (falling to death, fires, SIDs, accidents, etc.) then there would be no such thing as good. People would not have to work since no harm could come from not working. People would not have to eat since no harm comes from not eating. There would be no good acts since no one suffers from starvation, being poor, etc. This would be a world of perfect good and is the worst possible existence. Suffering allows us to soul build."
Jimbo comments by saying: "I agree with some of these points but why does their have to be so much suffering. Why couldn't Hitler have killed only 300 people. Also (student says this) is all suffering really soul building for example a baby deer that gets eaten alive while no one watches."
What do you guys think about this? I'll comment after I get a few responses.
Side topic kinda interesting:
Also one funny thing happened in class. (funny because it was stupid) Someone mentioned that god is responsible for most of the problems in the bible. He used the example of Cain and Abel and said that god caused Abel's murder. I won't comment to much on this, but I'm going to start working on a new series of notes I'll call it"reexamining bible stories".
I suggest reading hebrews 11 and genesis 4. God did not want Cain to murder Abel and even talks to Cain to build him up. The Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry, and why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is lurking at the door; its desire is for you, but you must master it.” Anyway what do you guys think about this? I think it's pretty dumb and some other things I cannot say right now.