Tornadoes and Tapeworms
Why are there tornadoes, earthquakes and tsunamis? Would they be considered "very good" as offered to us in Genesis? At the fall, did God suddenly decide to create them to kill and maim us as punishment? Is God not capable of creating a safe, stable planet?
Why are there tapeworms? Did God design these things knowing they would inflict the poor and their children? I think I'd rather endure various types of torture, like having my fingers chopped off, than have that thing growing inside me. That's something out of Aliens. That's the product of a sick, twisted mind (or evolution). If that is the punishment of God (thought up, designed and implemented), then, quite frankly, I don't want anything to do with that sicko. There are also wood tics, maggots, leeches, mosquitoes, locusts, etc. Is God not capable of creating an eco system free of these little nasties?
So now Jesus came and somehow bridged the gap between sinful man and holy God. We now have access to God, our sins are no longer an issue. So why does all this crap still exist? The most momentous moment in the history of humanity supposedly occured, yet everything remains unchanged. Some inward barrier to God is apparently bridged but all the tangible crap in this world will have to wait to be fixed at Jesus' second coming....rigghht!
Since my mind was freed from the delusion of Christianity, it has become so totally, completely and utterly obvious that Christianity is a bunch of hooey. It frustrates me to see so many people still putting their trust in something that is purely imagined.
Why are there tapeworms? Did God design these things knowing they would inflict the poor and their children? I think I'd rather endure various types of torture, like having my fingers chopped off, than have that thing growing inside me. That's something out of Aliens. That's the product of a sick, twisted mind (or evolution). If that is the punishment of God (thought up, designed and implemented), then, quite frankly, I don't want anything to do with that sicko. There are also wood tics, maggots, leeches, mosquitoes, locusts, etc. Is God not capable of creating an eco system free of these little nasties?
So now Jesus came and somehow bridged the gap between sinful man and holy God. We now have access to God, our sins are no longer an issue. So why does all this crap still exist? The most momentous moment in the history of humanity supposedly occured, yet everything remains unchanged. Some inward barrier to God is apparently bridged but all the tangible crap in this world will have to wait to be fixed at Jesus' second coming....rigghht!
Since my mind was freed from the delusion of Christianity, it has become so totally, completely and utterly obvious that Christianity is a bunch of hooey. It frustrates me to see so many people still putting their trust in something that is purely imagined.
posted by R.K. at 3:57 PM
2 Comments:
In a previous comment, you suggested that the person who makes a positive truth claim is the one who has to "back it up". I'm curious as to how you'd back up saying:
"It frustrates me to see so many people still putting their trust in something that is purely imagined".
That's a pretty broad statement dude.
Also, I can see your problems with the existence of natural and moral evil in the world. That is often a difficult problem that gets much attention.
The answers aren't anything new though:
1. The world was made perfect.
2. Sin brought death and suffering to a perfect world, which is now corrupted.
3. God has a plan for all creation that includes the temporary allowance of suffering and death for all, but will ultimately result in everlasting pleasure and life for some.
I have a question for you though. I hear many an atheist talking about how they cannot believe that God is responsible for all the BAD (natural and moral evil) that occurs in creation.
I'm wondering though if you thank God for all the GOOD (natural and moral) that occurs in creation?
It seems to me that many who 'cry wolf' against a sovereign God who allows death and suffering are totally inconsistent and reveals a horrible hypocrisy.
Now if it IS true that if God is totally and utterly sovereign and sustaining of creation, then he is currently allowing for evil and suffering. More than that, he is ultimately the one who ordained that evil and suffering be, since nothing happens outside his sovereignty.
So:
Every baby that dies, dies because he allows it.
Every rape that occurs, occurs because he allows it.
Every flood that occurs, occurs because me allows it.
I will definitely concede those points, as hard to swallow as they are.
BUT,
If God is sovereign over and sustaining of all creation, then every good thing that happens ALSO happens because he ordains that it happens.
So:
Every beat of every heart happens because he commands that heart to beat.
Every birth of every infant occurs because he wills it.
Every good feeling, every laugh, every hug, all music, poetry, literature, love and joy all is ALSO due to his providence.
You may 'cry wolf' at every death and every injustice, but I would suggest that if you gave God glory for every heartbeat, every breath and every letter in every letter of this post (language too would only exist because God willed that it would be), your ratio of "wolf" to "worship" would be a few million to one.
Why then do you only complain about the bad and not thank for the good?
Armchair,
I would have responded a little earlier but I've been a bit busy lately.
So in response to your question of how I can back up calling God imaginary, I would think I'm backing it up every time I post, including this one. But ultimately you are still the one making the claim (a creator God exists), I'm just responding to it.
Your 3 point answer to the existence of natural and moral evil really doesn't answer too much either. It's simply a smoke screen, its the typical xian response but it still doesn't give any detailed answer to the question of why there are tapeworms, earthquakes, and tsunamis. At the fall did God suddenly decide to bring instability to the earth, resulting in random death and destruction through earthquakes and tsunamis? Why would God do this? What does this have to do with man's sin? Is Satan the cause of the earth's instability? Is Satan literally under the earth shifting tectonic plates causing each earthquake and tsunami? What about tapeworms? Did God design and create them? Did Satan? What about tornadoes? How and why did these things come into existence? If you could elaborate on point #2 (Sin brought death and suffering to a perfect world, which is now corrupted) and explain exactly how it solves these problems I'd be amazed.
You ask, "I'm wondering though if you thank God for all the GOOD (natural and moral) that occurs in creation?"
I don't want to be too sarcastic, but how can I thank God for something if I don't believe he exists. For someone who lacks belief, all the crap in this world is simply a tangible proof against God. However, your jumping over this proof, and assuming God exists anyway, and then thinking up a justification for it. Your belief in God is impenetrable! Where's my kryptonite damn it?
I also have a major problem with your justification. What I hear you saying is that since God is responsible for so much good, he’s then justified in allowing a little bad since its a ratio of a few million to one. I hope you can see the absurdity in this. If a man lived a righteous life and commits a murder in his retirement, is he justified because of all the good he did? I’m not sure how you can even bring up this argument. It seems your unrelenting belief in God has blinded you to the obvious. Does it REALLY seem plausible to believe in a God who provides so much good, yet still allows such crap as conjoined twins being born attached at the head, no matter how rare the condition is? It’s time for us to see the evidence for what it is and discard this faith we inherited from our ancestors.
You also talk of me 'crying wolf' by complaining about the bad things in life, as if I'm a hardened atheist who deep down believes God exists and I'm just thinking up petty excuses to reject him (I'm taking a shot in the dark here but I have been in your shoes). But I can tell you that I’m not hardened, and I honestly have zero belief in God.
I know all xians have doubts, but don’t think of them as something bad. They’re warning signs telling you something is wrong. Listen to them. Don’t think of them as your enemy but rather your friend. Give in to them and let them free your mind and release you from all the sin and guilt that the burden of religion carries.
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