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There are two ways to end small talk:
1. Stop mid-sentence, flap your arms, and scream like a Nazgul.
2. Mention that Christianity is the only existing worldview with a satisfying answer to the mystery of why we suffer.
No wonder Christians are always going out trying to recruit other people, they don't want to suffer and be in pain by themselves, I guess they want everybody else to suffer along with them. Well as far as I'm concerned, their welcome to it....
No wonder Christians are always going out trying to recruit other people, they don't want to suffer and be in pain by themselves, I guess they want everybody else to suffer along with them. Well as far as I'm concerned, their welcome to it....
There are two ways to end small talk:
1. Stop mid-sentence, flap your arms, and scream like a Nazgul.
2. Mention that Christianity is the only existing worldview with a satisfying answer to the mystery of why we suffer.
"To the non-Christian, God is being an ass. To the Christian, these words are the hope of the world."
Thought - provoking, and giving a reasonably coherent explanation of why suffering is good for us all...it's all part of this complicated plan imposed on us by God -while saying that it was all our fault for acting as we were made to do (with the Thatcherist kind of delegation - you are to blame for what I do to you) for making us into the sort of people God wants with Him in heaven. As though God couldn't have just taken what the best of us would become and make that the prototype.
It just doesn't make sense and the argument that it makes sense to God if not to us, just sounds like more Theist PR bamboozlement.
That said, the article, though thoughtful, is wrong, and fallacious, specifically the old fallacy of bifurcation - suffering is either meaningless or has a divine - plan meaning. It usefully points out that suffering is because we long for the 'good'. Which is balls because often what we suffer through not getting is often not that good for us in the end.
So the writer fails to see that the argument misses the point - that suffering makes more sense as an evolved emotion than as a God - given one. That we can add it to add to competition for resources and mates, distrust of foreign tribes and a genetic desire for their females, reverence for the 'breeding pair and their authority - figures, a love of exploration, mischief and curiosity, the rebellion of the young - all make sense in terms of evolved drives rather than God - given mores and our sinful rebellion against it. And our sadness at not getting what we want and long for is just another.
The rub is this: If God be real then what is, is what is regrardless. Might suck, but it is the only game in town. The creator created and here we are. Does He not have the right to set the rules?
The rub is this: If God be real then what is, is what is regrardless. Might suck, but it is the only game in town. The creator created and here we are. Does He not have the right to set the rules?
Don't like it? You have the right.
Choice is yours.
Including the choice to NOT BELIEVE, I'm supposing.
Following is one of the best and most cogent comments from this site:
"I don't think it is that difficult for an atheist to provide a decent explanation for suffering in the natural world. After all, evolution (anthropomorphically conceived) designed us for survival, not necessarily for happiness or joy. Suffering exists (roughly) because it aids survival. Animals without suffering would have less motivation to avoid harmful things, and would thus be more likely to die off."
Exactly. Only the religious assume there's some "higher purpose" for us, whereas in fact our species' purpose is simply to reproduce and propagate the species and all it's accumulating improvements via mutation, trial and error testing and, finally, improved or diversified speciation through adaptation and producing the best eco-fit.
Amazing, huh? Simple, logical, proven and, not to mention.... all of it millions of years ago, and totally absent God, The Invisible Super Shy Creator Guy!
Simple, uhh? No Godz required nor requested.
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