post tenebras lux

Hi WD.

I assume that when this church was dedicated/consecrated, prayers and praise were offered up to the god in question.

Prayers that would have thanked him for the church as well as asking him to protect the church's flock.

In your view: what's the point of those prayers and praise?

Luxie

reddhedd

Holy Disconnect, Batman!:Cheeky:

You mean to say that God is good (i.e.; does not do mean/bad things)
but isn't always nice (i.e.: does mean/bad things)?

It sounds like your god is akin to a genie or leprechaun. Gives you what you ask for, not what you want.

Supplicant: "Oh, godjinn, I don't want to grow old"
godjinn: <sends lightning bolt to kill supplicant>: "Your wish is my command! Bwwhhaaaaa! "

Seriously, Where did you get those tales? I'd like to read them myself; they sound mighty entertaining!
Redd

jim_w

So, David: if you were God, would you make sure none of your Churches ever fell down?

David B

I don't generally answer such unlikely hypothetical questions, but seeing that I'm in a good mood as my hangover is wearing off (I was a little drunk last night - could you tell?) just this time, I will.

If I were god who had created this world, and created people, I would be more concerned about people being good to each other, and looking after each other, the ecology, the world, than I would be about people building churches in which they can tell me how great I am, and ask for stuff.

I'd also make sure that people knew this by some sort of clear, unequivocal message.

If I were god, there'd be no churches.

David B (is wondering whether to send a reply to what is, let's face it, a VERY hypothetical question)

WishboneDawn

Holy Drama Theatre boy!

When I refuse to drive my daughter to her grandmother's until she buckles up, it's a good thing but not a nice thing.

The too aren't interchangeable.

For the record I think your godjinn is neither nice nor good.


Luxie - I'll be thinking on that one.

jim_w

:-)

I guess I was a little facecous in my phrasing, but the point was serious: I hadn't noticed the time-stamp on your post, and thought it was meant to be a serious dig at religion/God!

David B

Oh it was! And remains so. I'm generally more moderate with my language when sober, though.

The point remains - if we have a loving, omnipotent, omniscient god who intervenes in the world, then those people were killed in a church either by an act of omission or commission by a loving god.

A god I don't believe exists, of course

David B

jim_w

But we can't make a special case of church-accidents, for obvious reasons. If God's going to save *every church*, you'd say "why didn't God save that Preist who got run over"; if he protected every Christian, you'd say "what about the virtous pagans?" and so on. As for the question of why God allowed suffering in the world, I struggle to imagine what a world without suffering would be like; I honestly think that it's beyond our conception.


p.s. I'd hate to think what my posts would look like if I went online at 1am!

post tenebras lux

Hi Jim,

I hope you don't mind if I ask you the same question I asked WD:

I assume that when this church was dedicated/consecrated, prayers and praise were offered up to the god in question.

Prayers that would have thanked him for the church as well as asking him to protect the church's flock.

In your view: what's the point of those prayers and praise?

Luxie

Worldtraveller

Well, 27 people were killed, 86 (according to the article) were injured, but survived. I imagine that there were a fair number that managed to escape unharmed.

So the question I pose is this: Did the people who escaped thank god for not killing them? Does he get praise for being merciful while they overlook the 27 dead? Those who were injured just got off with a stern warning?

It just doesn't make any kind of sense except in terms of a real physcial world operating by the laws of physics....

Cheers,
Lane