<p>Why does God have to take a humanoid shape? Like I said, let's leave it as God = a ****load of energy.</p>
<p>^Because humans are obviously the epitome of all that's in existence. Also, God likes having back problems.</p>
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A question I've been meaning to ask someone religious about: If God is omnipotent, all knowing, and all good, as it states in the bible numerous times, then why is there cruelty? This is called the paradox of cruelty and is a common proof against the existence of God. If God is omnipotent then he should have the power to stop cruelty. If he is all knowing, then he should have known in creating the world he would be creating cruelty. The only other explanation for cruelty is that god is not all good, and does not care to stop cruelty.
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<p>I'm going to answer this from what I believe...I'm not implying that this is fact, I'm saying that this is what I believe.</p>
<p>God doesn't look at a village in Africa and say, "Let's give that village AIDS. Let's make that kid homeless." In the same way, he does not look at the US and say, "Let's make that nation rich and most of its citizens affluent."</p>
<p>God created us as beings with free will. He knew the choices we were going to make, and he thought so far in advance that upon the creation of Adam and Eve, he already knew that he would send his Son to die on the cross for us. And yet he was willing to make the sacrifice...he loves us that much.</p>
<p>Saying that God doesn't exist because there is cruelty in the world is ridiculous. It's like saying guns are responsible for murder. God doesn't kill people; people kill people. There is a really good analogy about this that I read once...a woman was in a hair salon, and her stylist asked her about God. The stylist insisted this exact same thing...that since so many bad things happened, God must not exist. They went back and forth on the issue for a while. Finally, the woman looked outside and noticed a homeless woman. Her hair was unkempt and dirty. The woman said to the stylist, "I don't believe hair stylists exist...there are too many people whose hair is a mess." The hair stylist said, "What are you talking about? I'm a hair stylist, and I'm sitting right in front of you! I can't help it if those people don't come to me to let me fix their hair." The woman smiled and said, "You just explained God."</p>
<p>As for why he doesn't step in and stop acts of cruelty...how can you expect to recognize the good without the bad to measure it against? Every bad thing that you have gone through in your life (and every good thing, for that matter) has helped to shape you into the person you are today. From a Christian standpoint, we believe (or at least my church believes) that trials and suffering bring us closer to God because we have to "lean on the Lord and not on our own understanding" (paraphrased from the book of Romans).</p>
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Why does God have to take a humanoid shape? Like I said, let's leave it as God = a ****load of energy.
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<p>At least in Christianity, we view God as a human form because Jesus had a human form, and because in Genesis God states, "let us make man in our image."</p>
<p>Tsunamis and hurricanes are people too..</p>
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If god is infallible, omnipetent, omnipresent, and omnivorous
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<p>Hahahaha, did someone actually say this or did you just edit his quote?</p>
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At least in Christianity, we view God as a human form because Jesus had a human form, and because in Genesis God states, "let us make man in our image."
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<p>This is how much I care about Christianity, or any of the major religions for that matter:</p>
<p>...</p>
<p>Ok I'm done. Seriously, what was the point in responding with that?</p>
<p>^Maybe you shouldn't ask questions like that if you don't want them answered.</p>
<p>More like I'd rather not have my questions evoke dead-end answers.</p>
<p>So you'd rather I tell you what you want to hear?</p>
<p>Sorry, I prefer to give answers that I actually believe.</p>
<p>Your answer didn't contribute at all to anything, which is why it failed. </p>
<p>Anyway, it's 2:30 AM so I'll head back to the good ol' PS3, which no "good Christian" could/would make in his lifetime....</p>
<p>My answer contributed to trying to resolve your question...the fact that it disagreed with what you believe is what irks you so.</p>
<p>And what, pray tell, does religion have to do with inventions and/or abilities?</p>
<p>You know, most Christians, if you just spent some time with them, you wouldn't be able to tell a difference between them and "normal" people.</p>
<p>My pastor and several of the boys at my church all play Halo on a regular basis...the men at church have UFC nights every time one is on TV...you swear like Christians live so differently from you. We don't. We just go to church on Sundays (I go on Mondays, but that's my personal preference) and we live by SLIGHTLY different standards. The crazy uptight "I don't do anything that isn't in the Bible" Christians are called Fundamentalists, and make up only a small portion of Christians.</p>
<p>This is why I rather dislike the media...they make us all out to be that guy standing on the street corner with a bullhorn screaming at others to accept Jesus or they're going to hell. Maybe get to know some actual Christians before you try and judge the whole group by what you see on the 6 o'clock news, mmkay?</p>
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Hahahaha, did someone actually say this or did you just edit his quote?
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The woman said to the stylist, "I don't believe hair stylists exist...there are too many people whose hair is a mess." The hair stylist said, "What are you talking about? I'm a hair stylist, and I'm sitting right in front of you! I can't help it if those people don't come to me to let me fix their hair." The woman smiled and said, "You just explained God."
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<p>What ?</p>
<p>Personally, I think that Christians should support/tolerate the pursuit of science, or even pursue science themselves, because if the religion is true than it should be able to withstand science. Someone who knows science and all the theories and reconciled it with religion or made an educated decision is to be respected above one who only takes the literal religious account and refuses to give it further thought.</p>
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Quote:
The woman said to the stylist, "I don't believe hair stylists exist...there are too many people whose hair is a mess." The hair stylist said, "What are you talking about? I'm a hair stylist, and I'm sitting right in front of you! I can't help it if those people don't come to me to let me fix their hair." The woman smiled and said, "You just explained God." </p>
<p>What ?
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<p>Basically, if you get cancer, it's your own damn fault for not going to God about it.</p>
<p>Yes, that's really what it means. </p>
<p>No one is trying to say that no bad things happen to Christians. If anything, more bad things happen, because we're persecuted every day for living as Christians. What that story means is that if you go to God, he helps you be able to cope with your problems.</p>
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If anything, more bad things happen, because we're persecuted every day for living as Christians.
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<p>A bold position to take, considering Christians have/are currently spearheading the persecutions of Jews, Muslims, Homosexuals, Native Hawaiians, Native Americans, and pretty much everyone who's not a Christian.</p>
<p>But Christians being persecuted? Do you define arguing on CC as being persecuted? Everywhere in the US I've been, Christians are the status quo, "regular people", like you said.</p>
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What that story means is that if you go to God, he helps you be able to cope with your problems.
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<p>Do you mean by praying? I can buy a "get better soon" card and get the same effect.</p>
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The woman said to the stylist, "I don't believe hair stylists exist...there are too many people whose hair is a mess." The hair stylist said, "What are you talking about? I'm a hair stylist, and I'm sitting right in front of you! I can't help it if those people don't come to me to let me fix their hair." The woman smiled and said, "You just explained God."
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<p>Good analogy, except hair stylists actually exist. I haven't seen God "sitting right in front" of me.</p>
<p>skatj-people have actually told me I'm to "churchy" for them to hang out with. I have been told several times what I'm "supposed to be like" because I'm a Christian, and people are always surprised that I'm so nice because I'm a Christian.</p>
<p>As for us "spearheading the persecutions of everyone who's not a Christian"...I don't know who you've been talking to, but those people are not real Christians. People who actually live by the faith know that we are supposed to love everyone the same, and most of us do. It's more that the only Christians who get attention are the ones who are doing things the wrong way.</p>
<p>As for not being able to see God...I've never seen the wind. Does that mean it doesn't exist? Love can't be seen, but we believe it exists.</p>
<p>skatj- in any communist country christians are persecuted, during the french revolution, too.</p>
<p>yes, the omnivorous was a joke.</p>
<p>I was trying to show my agnostic beliefs, not a theist or atheist standpoint, and pseudoreal you sound like more of an agnostic than an atheist.</p>
<p>Evolution doesn't equal to the absence of intelligent design. It's just a method, common guys.</p>
<p>You guys are really making the Flying Purple Spaghetti Monster angry....</p>