Purpose and design (Evolution)

by dhw, Friday, April 28, 2017, 17:51 (2764 days ago) @ David Turell

DAVID: I have never said God does not think like us. All I have said is He is very different from us. it is the emotional side of His thoughts that I question.

I find it difficult to draw a clear line here between thought and emotion. If God thought to himself, “I’m interested” or “I’m bored”, I really can’t see why one is acceptable to you and the other not.

Dhw […] can you see anything in the history of life that contradicts the relief-of-boredom hypothesis?
DAVID: Back to humanizing Him. IMHO a purposeful God is never bored.

Having a purpose is a good way of alleviating boredom. You suggested relief of loneliness as a possible purpose, and I’m quite happy to see that as an alternative motive if you prefer it.

dhw: As for your idea of a conscious relationship, that ran into difficulties when you insisted that your God remained hidden and we must not “humanize” him. Not much of a relationship if the partner isn’t contactable and we have nothing in common.
DAVID: How do you know He is not contactable? He may listen to prayer and respond in ways we do not recognize at first. I feel He has guided my life. I can't tell you why.

I do not “know” anything. If you think that instead of hiding himself he guides you and may respond to your prayers, you must think him “human” enough to understand your needs and care about you as an individual. No problem if that’s what you believe. But it makes a mockery of your dismissal of any alternative view of your God because we can’t “know” (which is why we both speculate) or because it is a “humanization” that differs from your own humanization.

dhw: Thank you for agreeing that relief of boredom and loneliness is a possible purpose underlying the creation of life on Earth.
DAVID: Where did I agree? I admit it is a possibility, but I don't agree with it.

Please read what I wrote. Agreeing that something is “a possible purpose”, means agreeing that it is a possibility.

TONY: Only this... IF it was only to cure his own boredom, why would he put up with the crap from us after allegedly coming so darn close to wiping us off the face of the earth. Why go through all the headache and heartache of it all when he could have just wiped us out if the only reason we mattered was to alleviate his boredom.

Because the crap, just like the sweet scent of love, empathy, charity, could all be part of the show. The very fact that he does NOT wipe us out suggests that he is not fed up with it. I offer this merely as one hypothesis. But if you think he’s sick of all the crap, perhaps he’s simply turned his attention elsewhere. I’m only looking for logical explanations of life’s history from a theistic perspective. Your Bible will no doubt offer other alternatives.