The folly of Watchtower's theodicy. Or, why would an all-powerful and all-wise God need to justify his sovereignty through suffering?

by Island Man 23 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

  • William Penwell
    William Penwell

    Why would an all-powerful and all-wise God need to justify his sovereignty through suffering?

    This didn't make sense to me as a five year old child and still doesn't make sense to me.

  • getanewplanstan
    getanewplanstan
    The fact that all the writings of these "Holy Books", while claiming divine inspiration, are really products completely trapped in the prejudices and experience of their time. Looking back from our time of technology and real medical care, we can have nothing but compassion for everyone who lived in ancient times where crippling illness, suffering, injustice and death were their daily experience, just like a real god would have felt watching people live in ignorance and dysfunction, instead of raging at them. A real miracle would have been revealing the bacterial cause of disease. THAT would have been a truly loving act, relieving the suffering of billions of innocents in the intervening time. It would seem a divine author would have a real difficulty letting something like that not slip. Furthermore, considering the heinous events throughout history where the "gods" could have stepped in to defend "their name" or rescue countless numbers of people experiencing immense suffering, BUT DID ABSOLUTELY NOTHING shows that they do not exist. Any time spent parsing it is like being obsessed with something in a garbage landfill.
  • FinallyMe
    FinallyMe

    Island Man, i can't thank you enough for succinctly and intelligently posting these points about the ridiculous reasons the jws put forth to explain why god permits suffering. After 46 years "in" I am finally free, and this is one of two primary issues that made it impossible for me to stay. I could NOT teach my children that the issue of universal sovereignty was reason for one more child to be raped or starved or neglected or tortured or enslaved. No one's reputation or good name is worth a moment of suffering,let alone the centuries of atrocities that god is supposed to have witnessed. Anyone who can help someone but doesn't is not a good person! Let alone is he worthy of my time, energy, reverence and respect. Yes Island Man,he could have handled challenges to his sovereignty in many kinder more effective ways.

    If it's true at all, that is! I'm so glad not to care any more!

  • Diogenesister
    Diogenesister
    I cannot believe that a world without children could ever be paradise - nevermind the sex that produces them ( unless of course you are a JW 'great crowd'married couple who survives the big A, in which case you can bonk away to your hearts content (with a load of reserected peeping toms at your window).
  • Diogenesister
    Diogenesister

    Islandman 👍❤ your post, as always

    Finallyme ❤ fantastic 👏(aplause)

  • tresdecu
    tresdecu

    why would an all-powerful and all-wise God need to justify his sovereignty through suffering?


    I love this....simple powerful question to ask JWs.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    Island Man - "Why would an all-powerful and all-wise God need to justify his sovereignty through suffering?"

    Nice.

    I also like, "if you were God, could you allow the suffering and death of countless millions just to prove you were right?"

  • Muddy Waters
    Muddy Waters
    Bravo, Island man. I love logical thinking. Can't get enough of it now!
  • Bonsai
    Bonsai

    Love this thread so much that I am bumping it up for lurkers.

  • Vidiot
    Vidiot

    William Penwell - "This didn't make sense to me as a five-year-old child..."

    Makes you wonder just how the f**k a grown-up ever thought it up. :smirk:


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