Good God Vs. Evil God Thought Exercise

Discussion in 'Agnosticism and Atheism' started by TheSamantha, May 26, 2016.

  1. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    I thought it might be interesting to do the following thought exercise: think of a quality the 3O God has and flip it so that the world could very well be ruled by an evil God.

    Example:

    Good God: wants you to suffer so that heaven is amazing by comparison. With pain there can be no joy. You will remember.

    Evil God: wants you to be happy so that hell is torment by comparison. Without joy there can be no pain. You will remember.

    Example:

    Good God: wants you to have free will so that you can genuinely choose to do good and follow his righteous plan.

    Evil God: wants you to have free will so that you can genuinely choose to do evil and follow his diabolical plan.

    Neutral/Evil God: doesn't allow you to have free will.
     
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  2. Perfect Disorder

    Perfect Disorder Paradoxically Spontaneous

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    What is the purpose of this exercise?
     
  3. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    Good question.

    It helps negate the concept of the 3O God, which might help those believers who wish to exit their faith but have fear. It's also creative and brain food.
     
  4. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    so then according to the parameters you set forth, this thought experiment deals solely with the Jewish, Christian and Islamic conception of God.

    do you realize how tainted a lot of your thoughts along these lines are.

    all your threads concerning ethics, morality, etc. are so "colored" by Judeao-Christian ideas/teaching that I wonder if you are even aware of it.

    how about a God that is responsible for both suffering and pleasure considering that suffering and pleasure are human concepts and most likely have little meaning or import in the grand scheme, if there is one.


    I propose a thought experiment, examine one's self to discern the how's, why's and wherefore's of one's ideas and opinions.
    playing the "why game" helps.
    You ask yourself a question, than when you get an answer, ask "Why?" concerning that answer. If approached honestly, it can be very telling of one's motivations and intentions.
     
  5. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    please elucidate on how this experiment negates anything?

    have you ever taken a class in scientific research, like how to word an operational definition, construct and define parameters and conduct an experiment?

    I ask because your thought experiment will not result in the negation of an omniscient, omnipresent, omnipotent God.
    just flipping "temperaments" doesn't have darn thing to do with the 3o qualities of God, nor will it result in much meaningful data.
    all you are doing is saying, "let's pretend black is white and white is black" you still get the same net results, just opposite.
     
  6. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    It'll make you agnostic at least.
     
  7. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    how?
    why?
     
  8. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    Because you'll see that God/theology can be flipped around and still be plausible in terms of explaining life.
     
  9. Perfect Disorder

    Perfect Disorder Paradoxically Spontaneous

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    I must agree with noxious about this thought process. Not to denounce your attempt but perhaps it would be more logical to consider not what the positives and negatives are but the reconciliation between them
     
  10. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    that is only if the person accepts the concept of there being two distinct entities involved, correct?

    as I said, most of your ideas are very entrenched in Judaeo-Christian ideas/ethics

    and explaining life??????

    how the fuck did you get to that from what you proposed in the OP?

    seriously, you need to re-evaluate your ideas before posting. the thread title often says one thing, the first post something different and then in the body of the post yet something else entirely different.

    I'm not trying to be a total dickhead, just trying to prompt you to be more discerning and concise.
     
  11. Perfect Disorder

    Perfect Disorder Paradoxically Spontaneous

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    An idea if you will Samantha. To keep to the concept of your thread and also be potentially constructive. List attributes of a good god then ask for consideration on what makes those attributes seem good. Then do the same for an evil god
     
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  12. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    I didn't mean it "explained life." I meant it shows that the theology is vapid because it can be flipped around.

    We know what good and evil is.
     
  13. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    yes, we have our very limited and human ideas of "good" and "evil", but when considering something such as
    God, shouldn't we take a step out of myopic vantage point?
    remember "good" and "evil" are entirely human constructs and DO NOT exist outside of human thought.
    if you think otherwise, please illustrate with something from the natural world that is inherently "evil" or "good" outside of human quantification.

    nor does the concept of mirrored attributes negate anything or prove theology to be "vapid".
    Have you never heard of the concept of yin&yang?
     
  14. MeAgain

    MeAgain Dazed & Confused Lifetime Supporter Super Moderator

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    I had to look up what a 3O God was.

    Why can't an evil god be omniscient, omnipotent, and omnipresent?
     
  15. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    The third O is omnibenevolent.

    I guess he could be omnimalevolent. That makes about as much sense if you bs enough.
     
  16. TheSamantha

    TheSamantha Member

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    If our concepts of good and evil are limited, within xtianity, what does it mean to be a sinner? On what grounds must we repent? How is God "good?" How does he deliver us from "evil?" What evil?
     
  17. Perfect Disorder

    Perfect Disorder Paradoxically Spontaneous

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    If you mean to reduce human morality to commonly accepted Christian values only then the answers are relatively simple. The Christian concept of the sinner and the redemption of the aforementioned is a well established one.
     
  18. Snakes are evil
     
  19. Perfect Disorder

    Perfect Disorder Paradoxically Spontaneous

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    Is this an attempt at humor?
     
  20. NoxiousGas

    NoxiousGas Old Fart

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    not according to every definition of "3O God" I've seen.
    if you are going to start making stuff up, what's the point.
     

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