Freethought & Rationalism Archive

Frisch · 12-08-2002, 12:19 AM

If you had the means, motive, and opportunity to stop a violent injustice from happening and simply did nothing about it wouldn't that be considered cowardly? Why do we see God as anything but such a wretch? Any man who watched watched people die while he had the power to stop it would be spit at and called a coward. Any man who watched millions suffer and die and had the power to stop it would be charged with crimes against humanity. Any being who sits on his throne while billions of organisms under go such vile conditions is none other then a monster. Any thoughts?

Zentraedi · 12-08-2002, 01:42 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Frisch:
<strong>If you had the means, motive, and opportunity to stop a violent injustice from happening and simply did nothing about it wouldn't that be considered cowardly? Why do we see God as anything but such a wretch? Any man who watched watched people die while he had the power to stop it would be spit at and called a coward. Any man who watched millions suffer and die and had the power to stop it would be charged with crimes against humanity. Any being who sits on his throne while billions of organisms under go such vile conditions is none other then a monster. Any thoughts?</strong>

Its all on the way you look at life. Is it terrible to be ripped apart by a lion for food? For you it is, for the lion it is not. Crimes are only commited by those who think they are crimes. Have you ever gone out of your way to stop an ant from getting stepped on? The fact that you get to be pissed off that god is an asshole, instead of never being born may just be good enough. If your tired of the experience of life, nothing is holding you from ending it.

What is life like in heaven? Sounds like a boring place. Ever wonder what keeps your interest in life? Why do so many people play games? Challenges are what we are here for. Without them we are bored. If you had access to a perfect world, you'd lose interest fast. Immortality loses its perks eventually and you'd actually be begging to die one day. Ever wanted something really bad and after you got it you eventually wonder why you wanted it in the first place, or want something even better. The human race is reaching for perfection and some day will obtain it, but what will we do after it is all for the taking. We will realize that the whole point to it all was the challenge and perfection is boring.

Being god is boring.

Answerer · 12-08-2002, 02:36 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Zentraedi:
<strong>

Being god is boring.</strong>

Yeah, thats the reason why He create humans in the first place(in regards to His needs).

Jobar · 12-08-2002, 10:07 AM

Cowardice implies fear- of physical harm or death, or disgrace. Since God is defined as being all-poweful and hence indestructible, I can't see how God could or would ever experience fear. (Another of the properties God cannot have, it would seem.) So cowardice is not a property God can have.

In several of his novels, Robert Heinlein discussed the creative power of holy boredom, and the Hindus make it plain that it is the cause of the cycle of kalpas. Brahma is nothing, until he gets bored, and then becomes something.

Dargo · 12-09-2002, 06:09 AM

Since "god" is hiding from us, he certainly sounds like a coward to me. Also he no longer is willing to defend himself. His followers have to do it for him.

Harumi · 12-09-2002, 11:01 AM

Not cowardly.

Just nonexistent.

Defiant Heretic · 12-09-2002, 05:05 PM

Actually, in order to be a coward he would need to be putting himself at risk (or think he was) if he tried to stop something from happening.

If he can just clap his hands and make everything better, but doesn�t, he�s not a coward. He�s a sadist.

Answerer · 12-09-2002, 06:30 PM

Conclusion: A bored sadist

B. H. Manners · 12-09-2002, 08:02 PM

If God is all powerful how can he know first hand how to fear? If he does not know what it is like to fear as we do then how can he be omni-potent?

Darkblade · 12-11-2002, 02:36 AM

God would have to be one of or some combination of the following: apathetic, sadistic, or masochistic (likes making himself hate himself for not helping others)

However, an apathetic god would not care enough to create anything in the first place. A sadistic god should wish to inflict as much pain as possible as quickly as possible (for the most pleasure). Why wait until someone's dead to send them to hell. Do it now. A masochistic god also would have no real reason to create anything. It would just force pain upon itself unendingly. In order to circumvent these problems, god would have to be omniwarped as well as the preposterous omnipotent. That would beg the question why the universe is not also omniwarped, or at least infinitely less stable and uniform.

In any case, god is an omniabsurd concept.

12-08-2002, 12:19 AM	#1
Frisch Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Sacramento Posts: 6	Would God fit the make of a coward? If you had the means, motive, and opportunity to stop a violent injustice from happening and simply did nothing about it wouldn't that be considered cowardly? Why do we see God as anything but such a wretch? Any man who watched watched people die while he had the power to stop it would be spit at and called a coward. Any man who watched millions suffer and die and had the power to stop it would be charged with crimes against humanity. Any being who sits on his throne while billions of organisms under go such vile conditions is none other then a monster. Any thoughts?

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12-08-2002, 10:07 AM	#4
Jobar Veteran Member Join Date: Jun 2001 Location: secularcafe.org Posts: 9,525	Cowardice implies fear- of physical harm or death, or disgrace. Since God is defined as being all-poweful and hence indestructible, I can't see how God could or would ever experience fear. (Another of the properties God cannot have, it would seem.) So cowardice is not a property God can have. In several of his novels, Robert Heinlein discussed the creative power of holy boredom, and the Hindus make it plain that it is the cause of the cycle of kalpas. Brahma is nothing, until he gets bored, and then becomes something.

12-09-2002, 06:09 AM	#5
Dargo Senior Member Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: Texas Posts: 713	Since "god" is hiding from us, he certainly sounds like a coward to me. Also he no longer is willing to defend himself. His followers have to do it for him.

12-09-2002, 11:01 AM	#6
Harumi Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: N/A Posts: 3,184	Not cowardly. Just nonexistent.

12-09-2002, 05:05 PM	#7
Defiant Heretic Veteran Member Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 1,288	Actually, in order to be a coward he would need to be putting himself at risk (or think he was) if he tried to stop something from happening. If he can just clap his hands and make everything better, but doesn�t, he�s not a coward. He�s a sadist.

12-09-2002, 06:30 PM	#8
Answerer Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 3,956	Conclusion: A bored sadist

12-09-2002, 08:02 PM	#9
B. H. Manners Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Texas Posts: 1,213	If God is all powerful how can he know first hand how to fear? If he does not know what it is like to fear as we do then how can he be omni-potent?

12-11-2002, 02:36 AM	#10
Darkblade Regular Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: I am both omnipresent AND ubiquitous. Posts: 130	God would have to be one of or some combination of the following: apathetic, sadistic, or masochistic (likes making himself hate himself for not helping others) However, an apathetic god would not care enough to create anything in the first place. A sadistic god should wish to inflict as much pain as possible as quickly as possible (for the most pleasure). Why wait until someone's dead to send them to hell. Do it now. A masochistic god also would have no real reason to create anything. It would just force pain upon itself unendingly. In order to circumvent these problems, god would have to be omniwarped as well as the preposterous omnipotent. That would beg the question why the universe is not also omniwarped, or at least infinitely less stable and uniform. In any case, god is an omniabsurd concept.

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