The "problem" of evil

Quote: FrGamble

It is strange, no matter what faith or absence of faith someone had back in the day nobody seemed to smile in any picture. Its weird and since Evenbob is as usual totally wrong about the reason I wish I knew why.

Oh, I'm absolutely NOT wrong. My brother
owned a camera store, I was really into
it in the 90's. In a book I read they went
into great detail of why Christians rarely
smiled in photos. Until about the end of
the 19th century, grim and sober was
how you presented yourself in Church and
in public. Smiling Christians were frivolous
Christians, and you would not be taken
seriously. You went to church, sat upright
on rock hard pews, sang the same hymns
every week, listened to a grim sermon of
going to hell, and spent the week interacting
with other people from church is a grim and
sober manner. If you wanted to be taken
seriously, that is. Getting a photo taken of
you smiling like a loon would be the kiss
of death for you in the community if it
ever got out. They even taught the children
to not smile, look at them.

Quote: FrGamble

It is not tyranny because what you most want to do and what brings you the most true joy and happiness is what God's will is for you.

As the ancients used to say "poppycock!" You're trying to set up a tautology and it's not working

Quote:

It is what He created you for and nothing will make you more joyful and fulfilled. God's will and what brings us the greatest peace are the same.

So it's all predetermined and I may as well not bother?

Quote:

You can certainly look at it this way if you view God as an enemy

Your god is not the enemy any more than the horde of a billion purple spotted unicorns are a source of food and transportation.

You are the enemy. You and the rest who rate this nonsense so highly, you constantly seek to enact it into law.

Have you ever considered the Amish? Personally I think their beliefs and way of life are horrible and 100% wrong. But I don't wish them ill, I wouldn't do anything to hurt them, and I even admire their resolution a little. Why? Because wrong as they are, they live their lives by themselves and leave the rest of alone. If they were trying to impose an Amish life on everyone, I'd be at their throats, too.

Quote: Nareed

Your god is not the enemy..
You are the enemy.

God doesn't exist, how can he be the
enemy. People say atheists hate god.
How can you hate something that
isn't there.

Quote: Evenbob

God doesn't exist, how can he be the
enemy. People say atheists hate god.
How can you hate something that
isn't there.

Which god? The one that lives in FrGamble's head, or the one on the pages of the Bible.

The one in FrGamble's head is sort of an idealized god who is generally well-meaning.

He's not much like the one in the pages of the Bible who is a quirky bastard.

I pay more attention to the Bible one, since no one is throwing out that book yet and keep referring to it.

Quote: rxwine

Which god? The one that lives in FrGamble's head, or the one on the pages of the Bible.

The one in FrGamble's head is sort of an idealized god who is generally well-meaning.

This understanding of God does not live in my head, but in the Catholic Church.

Quote: Nareed

You are the enemy. You and the rest who rate this nonsense so highly, you constantly seek to enact it into law.

I do not constantly seek to enact my faith into law.

Quote: FrGamble

I do not constantly seek to enact my faith into law.

Oh? Then you favor on-demand unrestricted access to abortion in the first trimester?

Quote: Nareed

Oh? Then you favor on-demand unrestricted access to abortion in the first trimester?

Of course not! That would not be reasonable at all. To terminate a developing unique and unrepeatable human person for the convenience of another is the definition of an unjust law.

Quote: FrGamble

Of course not! That would not be reasonable at all. To terminate a developing unique and unrepeatable human person for the convenience of another is the definition of an unjust law.

So you do want to impose your faith on others.

But maybe you favor over the counter contraceptives? Marriage equality? Legalized prostitution? Legalized drugs? No-fault divorce? Divorce of any kind?

Quote: Nareed

So you do want to impose your faith on others.

It seems like it is you who want to impose your unreasonable and false agenda on others and the sad fact is you are very successful in doing so.