Thoughts on God and religion
I think a lot about God and religion. And as I get older I become more convinced that God doesn't exist. Usually the opposite happens, people start to "believe" more as they get older. Just visit a church or a mosque. I don't know if that happens because they don't work anymore and as pensioners have more free time or because they get closer to death and are afraid of what's next.
The problem of evil
Why a powerful god allows all this suffering in the world. It's a question that people have asked for centuries and philosophers call it the Problem of Evil.
Why children die of hunger, get raped or killed? Why God allows all these wars in his name and doesn't intervene. Why he doesn't appear only once so billions can see him and change the world?P Peopleattribute positive things to god and negatoves to luck, humans, satan or whatever.
When the tsunami in 2004 happened, 230.000 died, half of them children. Why God didn't save them? What were the sins of these children? And that's a just a small example. I don't even want to start talking about the Holocaust in World War II, mass killings of Communist regimes or other genocides in Human history. Where was God then? Millions and millions died, often a slow and painful death.
All gods were powerful and immortal yet they die and disappear? Because there is a killer of gods out there. That killer is Time. After some years, centuries or millennia all gods die. And people start believing new gods. An endless cycle in human history.
No god ever wrote a book. People wrote them. Even the so called sons or prophets of gods didn't write anything. Their followers did, usually decades and centuries after their death.
Why gods who supposedly created the Universe need sacrifices? Whether it's the son of a god or a goat. Why God need to cut the skin from the penis? Or mutilate a women's vagina? Isn't Human body the perfect creation? Isn't a blasphemy and hubris to mutilate and change that creation?
I chose to live my life not hurting anyone and do good whenever possible. I do this because I want to, not because I am afraid of some god. It's how my parents raised me and they too didn't believe in any gods or tried to make me believe one or impose their own beliefs.
I realized that the reason people follow a particular religion or believe in a God because others told them to do so. If you are born in a Muslim country you will be a Muslim. Yet if you were born in another you would be a Christian or whatever.
Organized religion is all about power and wealth. Organized religions don't care about you or your soul.
I could write for days about this subject, but I will do you the favour and stop now. Let me know what you think. I hope you will be able to express your thoughts freely and not thinking what others may think. Social pressure in all matters but especially religion is powerful and a lot of people hesitate to talk about it.
Image source: LogicandLight.org
Crosspost from my Uptrennd profile:
https://www.uptrennd.com/post-detail/thoughts-on-god-and-religion~NTc0OTY3
I have always considered myself opportuned whenever I see articles of this kind to speak the truth to Agnostics/ Atheist who are in quest of answers to probings as contained in this post!
Epicurus , as asked and concluded in his quivocation above did such within the bounds of his understanding of the concept of "GOD, GOOD and EVIL"!!
Until these concepts are well applied, as deployed by God, the concept of God can't be appreciated . Exactly , why the author and Epicurean are averse to Godism!!
Because Humanity is naturally egocentric and Selfish; he often deploy his SUBJECT standard to adjudicate the aforementioned terms!
How wrong he is therefore!!
God is the Creator or the SOURCE of ALL, material, physical, spiritual , biological etc!!
The purpose for which these are created by God alone can appropriately define "Evil and Good" ,not as desired by the created human being like Epicureans.
A Chicken farmer and the Chicken relationship will drive home the position of God vis avis humanity better!
The farmer keeps Chickens to satisfy Himself, not the Chicken.
Similarly God created all Epicureans etc for His own pleasure, not humans!!
Whatever avails pleasure to God, by humans is "GOOD" and what does not is "EVIL"
Similarly, what does not cause DISPLEASURE to God can't be called "Evil" , even if it causes displeasure to man!!
Thus , Mr Epicuru can't justify his atheism base on human notion of "Good and Evil"!
I hope I have done a little to douse your misgivings about God, Evil and Good as subscribed by most Atheists and Epicureans!
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What matters is that Jesus lived, performed miracles, died on a cross and rose from the dead. As the Apostle Paul said,
(1 Corinthians 15:3-8 NIV) For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance : that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, {4} that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, {5} and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. {6} After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. {7} Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, {8} and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born.
You commit the fallacy often committed by atheists - God can only exist if he does things my way.
There are a number of excellent resources for skeptics with an open mind.
Such as bibleevidences.com
And "Evidence That Demands A Verdict" by Josh McDowell. You can get it for $6.49 for the Kindle.
The Bible speaks about those who refuse to believe.
(Romans 1:18-20 NIV) The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, {19} since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. {20} For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities--his eternal power and divine nature--have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.
and
(John 3:19-21 NIV) This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. {20} Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. {21} But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
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