God is dead.....and we have killed Him

by logansrun 51 Replies latest watchtower bible

• 

  Double Edge

  Nietzsche is dead.

  He sure is. The original "God is dead" guy. Been gone since 1900, but if he were alive today and on this board, he'd just be another poster.
• 

  Satanus

  Kenn

  Nietzsche is dead.

  Can you prove that? For all we know, his spirit could be on the other side, in the same realm that god is supposed to be. They could both be nonexistant, or existant, and we can't find out for sure. Maybe they are working out their differences over a spiritual beer.

  SS
• 

  Kenneson

  "What kind of a God would allow a child to get blown to sanguinary pieces after running over a land-mine in a field where she was playing?"

  And what kind of humans make land mines and what kind of military men place them in fields for children to run over them?

  "Suffering. Misery. Bloodshed. Pain. Poverty. Repugnant living conditions. What kind of God would create such a world."

  Well, since some of you don't believe there is a God. You tell me why there is a world with suffering, misery, bloodshed, pain, poverty and repugnant living conditions? Some of it I think is attributable to our own human making. But what of the rest: earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes,viruses, disease, death, etc.? Is the universe any more benevolent without a God?
• 

  Narkissos

  Kenneson: without a God the universe doesn't NEED to be benevolent.

  I would like to address the question from a different angle. I do agree with most of Bradley's argument: to me the idea of a God, such as has appeared around the 6th century BC and has influenced but a minority of humans since then, is not credible anymore. That doesn't mean I am through with that part of human experience we call religion, or spirituality, or mystics. In fact I tend to think that the idea of an imaginary Supreme Being is not essential to it -- perhaps more of a hindrance. Ever thought of it in a similar way?
• 

  Double Edge

  That doesn't mean I am through with that part of human experience we call religion, or spirituality, or mystics.

  How does that make sense? What is religion and spirituality without God? And what do you need mystics for if everything is very linear and is of a "physical" nature and not mystical?
• 

  logansrun

  First off, Martin Luther was actually the person who coined the "God is dead" phrase. Nietzsche simply popularized it. And since Nietzsche did not believe in an afterlife saying he is dead is simply a statement of fact the man would approve of.

  Edge....notice you've done nothing but the standardized, "wait and see" reason why God allows (and designs, remember parasites) sufferring. Gee, kinda reminds me of another line of reasoning a nasty little cult uses to soothe the cognitive dissonance in it's members. I believe the phrase is, "wait on Jehovah."

  Please. Your "answers" are non-answers. Theists, but most especially Christians and Muslims, love to have it both ways. They think of God as being some all-loving, syrupy sweet sky-daddy who answers our prayers and provides for us, but at the same time say that we cannot hold him accountable to human standards. Sorry, you can't "bake your cake and eat it too." Either God is like a nice human father or he is way, way, way beyond that.

  And that link? Typical Christian apologetic nonsensical merry-go-round-the-problem but never solve it.

  Bradley
• 

  logansrun

  Kenneson,

  Is the universe any more benevolent without a God?

  I never said I was offering some nice "warm fuzzy" view of human existence. Who said the whole of the universe needs to cater to humans complete with a ribbon attached?

  Bradley
• 

  Kenneson

  Narkissos,
• 

  Narkissos

  Double Edge: There was "religion" in a polytheistic context before anybody had the idea of a God with a big G. There was and is "religion" despite and beyond the gods outside the monotheistic realm -- such as Buddhism and Taoism. The link monotheism creates between religion/spirituality/mystics and belief in the existence of God is one of our big problems. Most people think that, if they can't believe in a God anymore, they have to be "materialistic" in the most trivial sense. I don't think so.
• 

  Kenneson

  Narkissos,

  Since, according to you, the universe has no need to be benevolent without a God, then isn't everything as it should be? So why complain about pain, suffering and misery? And why blame a God you don't believe exists?