The Horrors of Evolution (Evolution)

by David Turell , Friday, August 08, 2008, 16:26 (5749 days ago) @ dhw
edited by unknown, Friday, August 08, 2008, 16:32

[/i] If God is impersonal (and therefore not beneficent), there will be no afterlife, no compensation for the suffering, no explanation. What we have now is all we'll ever have. And so if you do not believe in a God with attributes, not only does the problem of suffering go away, but ALL problems go away except for those of our daily lives. God's relevance to our condition is then no greater than that of a crossword puzzle. - I disagree. What most of us on this website have is a good life, a wonderful gift by itself. Most of our daily problems are minor, and if major, they test our strength of character. Do you want afterlife as a reward? Isn't living up to our ethical standards successfully enough reward in self-satisfaction at a job well done. And how do you know that a somewhat impersonal God then dictates that there can be no afterlife? You are again using religious definitions and thoughts to cloud your thinking. God may have provided for an afterlife and there is much evidence for that possibility, and still God may be rather impersonal. What we know about God is what religions tell us. How do they know? - My advice is start your thinking with the assumption that none of us know anything about God. There is much evidence for a 'greater power' that originated all we see. After that you are on your own in how you wish to relate to that greater power. And I think each of us has the strength of intellect to find a comfortable relationship, without relying on religious teachings or expectations.