Why did god create...

[Phlegmak]

Why did god create these (by god, I mean whatever god you believe in):

cancer
hatred
smallpox
AIDS
jealousy
sadism
homosexuality
greed
animals that cause horrible suffering to each other
dwarfism
hemophilia
retardation


Note to sissies: I included homosexuality in that list not because I think it's negative, but because it's something that religious people might think is negative.

 

[MobBoss]

How do you know God created these and not the sin of mankind?

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

(by god, I mean whatever god you believe in).

Do you really mean that? I have seen plenty of cases where someone will mention that once and then refuse to accept an answer that depends on God not being omnipotent - apparently, God either can do anything at all, or doesn't exist.

 

[downtown]

^The New Testment makes it pretty clear that people get sick, even if they havent sinned.

 

[holy king]

How do you know God created these and not the sin of mankind?

because cancer was here before mankind...

 

[Ziggy Stardust]

Mysterious ways.

Maybe to test us. Or SinCancer, like taxes.

 

[Phlegmak]

How do you know God created these and not the sin of mankind?

According to Christians, only god can create; therefore, god created those things. "Sin" is incapable of any kind of creation, espcially since "sin" is an abstract concept.

Do you really mean that? I have seen plenty of cases where someone will mention that once and then refuse to accept an answer that depends on God not being omnipotent - apparently, God either can do anything at all, or doesn't exist.

Eran of Arcadia, I gave up trying to get logic from the religious after my thread about the effectiveness of prayer. This thread isn't about trying to find logical reasons for stuff, but instead, I'm curious as to the reasons that religious people can come up with. I don't intend to argue with the religious about what they believe, but instead, I just want to read people's opinions.

 

[Keshik]

"Why did God..." doesn't really matter to me. It's called faith.

 

[AluminumKnight]

"Why did God..." doesn't really matter to me. It's called faith.

Exactly.

The thing is, people try to apply logic to God, and right there, everything falls apart. If God truly is omnipotent and transcends anything we could know, how can you possibly apply human logic to Him? Doesn't make sense. I'm definitely no staunch religion supporter, I just don't see how logic can deny God's existence

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

This thread isn't about trying to find logical reasons for stuff, but instead, I'm curious as to the reasons that religious people can come up with. I don't intend to argue with the religious about what they believe, but instead, I just want to read people's opinions.

Well, if that is what you say, then my answer is this: God is all-powerful, but He is not omnipotent. He can do everything that can be done, but there are still fundamental underlying rules of existence that He cannot violate. That doesn't mean that He could not eliminate all suffering and evil that exists in the world - He could - but that He could not do so without eliminating the experiences of which those are the result. He cannot overrule the fact that we need both free will and exposure to adversity to grow, and all the things you mentioned are the consequences of those.

 

[Shaihulud]

Well, i can't speak for God, but considering myself in the position, i would say, he does it to spice up his creation.

 

[JollyRoger]

How do you know God created these and not the sin of mankind?

When God rested on the 7th day, he probably had his illegal immigrant gardener create the things on that list. Outsourcing the fruit picking has consequences.

 

[Den Valdron]

Well, if that is what you say, then my answer is this: God is all-powerful, but He is not omnipotent. He can do everything that can be done, but there are still fundamental underlying rules of existence that He cannot violate. That doesn't mean that He could not eliminate all suffering and evil that exists in the world - He could - but that He could not do so without eliminating the experiences of which those are the result. He cannot overrule the fact that we need both free will and exposure to adversity to grow, and all the things you mentioned are the consequences of those.

That's so beautiful. I wish you could have been there when we were all sitting around the hospital bed watching my mother die of cancer, a horrible painful, agonizing death as her bodies cells ran riot. Even when she was unconscious, the disease was progressing, and her body would writhe from the pain. I'm sure if you could have explained how this was helping her to grow she would have felt much better. Just one question - how does exposure to adversity helping her to grow square with her death in agony?

 

[Swedishguy]

Exactly.

The thing is, people try to apply logic to God, and right there, everything falls apart. If God truly is omnipotent and transcends anything we could know, how can you possibly apply human logic to Him? Doesn't make sense. I'm definitely no staunch religion supporter, I just don't see how logic can deny God's existence

Illogical things tend to... not exist. No matter what scale they're on.

 

[Den Valdron]

How do you know God created these and not the sin of mankind?

I suppose one could argue that the sin of mankind ties in with hatred, jealousy, sadism, homosexuality, greed. These are all arguably side effects of free will and the exercise of that capacity for 'sin.'

On the other hand: cancer, smallpox, AIDS, animals that cause horrible suffering to each other, dwarfism, hemophilia and retardation. That's just God being a sadistic prick.

 

[Sidhe]

For shits and giggles, free will, arm wavey philosophical reasons.

Any of the above, delete as appropriate.

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

That's so beautiful. I wish you could have been there when we were all sitting around the hospital bed watching my mother die of cancer, a horrible painful, agonizing death as her bodies cells ran riot. Even when she was unconscious, the disease was progressing, and her body would writhe from the pain. I'm sure if you could have explained how this was helping her to grow she would have felt much better. Just one question - how does exposure to adversity helping her to grow square with her death in agony?

Wow, she suffered? I am so sorry.

If I had known that people actually suffer, I wouldn't have said that.

 

[Quildavyr]

I dont know why.But...

Why should god invent/discover the homosexuality?Was the god gay?

 

[Fifty]

Because he's either not all knowing, not all powerful, not all good, or a logical contradiction!

(most people who aren't convinced by the problem of evil have a methodologically incoherent way of distinguishing good from bad, so that's how they get out of the problem)

 

[Sidhe]

This question is asked so often it amazes me there aren't stickies on parts of forums that deal with religion.

Suffice to say type why do we suffer religion into google and then enjoy the 293074398273927³²²³² hits.