emotional

For me the answer is that God isn't there in any way - neither in the good, nor in the bad. I accept what Richard Dawkins says about the "universe of blind pitiless indifference". The only reason I keep God is that I want the ending - death - not to be so bleak as the whole of life itself. As far as evidence goes, I'd be an atheist, but I have to have God for the sake of the afterlife.



I didn't dare to look at it.



Yes, those are some of the reasons why I left Orthodox Judaism.

I prefer to ignore such things. Yes, I know the horrors of nature are there, but I prefer to think about them as least as possible. It grieves me to see mutilated foetus photos (I presume that's what it is) paraded like that. The workings of nature may be pitiless and horrendous, but I don't want to think about that all the time. It's unhealthy.

Daggah

Puh-lease. You yourself have admitted as much as I have accused you of many times, in this thread and in others. {deleted-Aqua}

emotional

If I have admitted, then why do you need to accuse? Oh, I get it. Because you like it. {deleted-Aqua}

{deleted-Aqua}Consistency would do you wonders!

{deleted-Aqua}

Viti

Emotional, you have stated flat out that you more or less made up your own version of God in reaction to your death phobia. Why are you so shocked that people don't understand or respect that here of all places?

Harlequin Fetus babies are actually born...they don't live long (only a few days) because their skin is hard like armor and they have cracks where folds would be in normal skin.

Most of us think it's unhealthy to dwell on death and be so terrified of it that you have to resort to convincing yourself that a deity exists without really believing in that deity.

Rhaedas

I realize you didn't look at it, but mutilated is incorrect. That implies some sort of alteration from normal. No, these are just like normal babies, yet something internally in development went horribly wrong. That's all. Unless you have god involved, and then suddenly you have to wonder why he did this. What purpose does such a thing serve? Indeed what does any type of miscarriage or disability, regardless of how far along they are, serve as, if a normal baby is a good thing of god's?

Given your beliefs, emotional, it doesn't really affect you, since your god is hands off. I agree that you are atheist in nature as long as the afterlife isn't discussed. That's your security blanket, and that's fine with me. One of us is right, and really, it doesn't matter which one.

emotional

I was just pointing to the atheistic pastime of parading as many horrible pictures as possible whenever someone makes theistic arguments. It strikes me as morbid.



It's not my choice whether to dwell on death and be terrified of it or not. It's just part of me. As for the deity, I now truly believe He exists, it's just that there's no evidence, but that's not going to stop me believing.

(And yes, I've been treated for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, and I'm on meds, but it doesn't help)

It doesn't do my beliefs any good. As I told LadyShea, my God may not be actively doing such things, but He allows them, which is not much better. I only hope He manages things better for people when they have died than during their earthly lives.

Viti

In all fairness, those of us that use the Problem of Suffering only resort to it when the theistic argument consists of "Look at the rainbow, and the sunset and the fluffy bunny...that's God". It is useful as a rebuttal to God is Love and Beauty arguments only, not just any old theistic statement.

emotional

OK, I understand. I did so too when I was an atheist. But it didn't have a good effect on me when I did it, hence I am where I am now.

My father is a doctor. I couldn't possibly be; I faint at the first sight of blood. All study of nature makes me feel uneasy, insecure and fearful. Change and decay in all around I see...

Godless Dave

Love can exist without God.

Doctor X

emotional:

It is not a "pastime," it is a true part of life. We all have to deal with it.

It leads us to one of Five Choi[Stop it!--Ed.]

Yes . . . right . . . well, as for Whisper's response, one should grant the very emotional reaction to such things. It is all well and wonderful to be "aloof" and "logical" when discussing these matters; however, reality of such evokes very strong emotions. People need time to deal with them.

--J.D.