rtris (04/04/83)
pur-ee!ecn-pa:scott writes:
I realized that God's smarter than I am. In other words, just
because I don't currently understand something doesn't mean that
it can't be true.
That's an interesting thought. Let's continue with it for a while --
* Many good people suffer in this world, and many bad prosper.
* God must have some purpose in that, which we do not understand.
* This then is the RIGHT way for things to be, again, for reasons we
just don't understand.
* There is no reason to assume that our understanding of what is right
in 'the next world' is the same as god's.
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Yigal Arens
UC Berkeley
I'd like to comment on the last two points I've quoted. RIGHT is a vague word.
Although I agree with it in some senses, there are many conclusions one could
draw from such a statement which I emphatically disagree with. I do not
believe, for instance, that God INTENDED the world to be this way. But now that
man has messed things up, God is working his purposes through that, at great
cost to himself. This still does not necessarily imply (and in my opinion
doesn't) that God LIKES things the way they are in every way. I would contend
that he finds it necessary to maintain this situation, now that we have
gotten ourselves into it, because there is, to Him, no better alternative,
at this point. (Sorry for the long convoluted sentence).
Second, there IS reason to assume that our understanding of right is the same
as Gods. The Bible claims (I didn't say it was a "provable" reason) to be
God's revealed truth, and a revelation of God's character through Christ.
Using this one can know God, and thus what he thinks is right and wrong.
Ralph.arens@UCBKIM (04/06/83)
From: arens@UCBKIM (Yigal Arens) Received: from UCBKIM.ARPA by UCBVAX.ARPA (3.332/3.20) id AA10348; 6 Apr 83 01:07:09 PST (Wed) To: net-religion@BERKELEY watmath!rtris and pur-ee!ecn-pa:scott should argue among themselves about whether things are the way their god(s?) want(s) them to be or not. That should be fun. I like the way these fellows decide whether something is their god's desire according to what is most convenient at the moment, or what they believe in anyway. So what else is new? Haven't you noticed that religious people of all the various kind always seem to believe that their god tells them to do what they chose to do anyway? I do not believe, for instance, that God INTENDED the world to be this way. But now that man has messed things up, God is working his purposes through that, at great cost to himself. (Says watmath!rtris) Pretty weak god, eh? Anyway, my point is valid even so. Who's to guarantee that man won't mess up in the next world? Many pure souls will be languishing in hell while god is working to make things right again. Wanna guess how long that might be? He does have all eternity to do it, so there's no need to hurry. Boy, will they be disappointed. Yigal Arens UC Berkeley