I had a really deep conversation today about the existence of God – in a dope house with a bunch of junkies. Good conversations happen in the strangest of places. We concluded that there probably isn’t any God, at least not one as described by religion. God cannot be all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. Not when there is such evil in existence.
Some often argue that “it’s not God’s fault how we think as humans… it’s not God’s fault that people want to do bad things.” Oh, but I say it sure is God’s fault. If this God created humans, then he did so with full knowledge of what we would “think as humans.” The only way to reconcile this discrepancy between the three alleged attributes of God – All powerful, All knowing, and All loving – is to jettison reason, logic, and common sense.
There’s really not much, as far as argument, to be had about this. It just doesn’t add up. In comes “faith,” i.e., the ability to resist the pull of reality and facts. The stronger the faith, the stronger the resistance.
I once went to a talk by Bishop Shelby Spong. He said something similar..If there is an all powerful god then how come he allows all the miseries and horrors to happen? and if he isn’t all powerful how come you want to believe in him? Good post Chuck and you know obviously that people of and on the street have some wisdom the rest of us can never have..hard won but real and true. thanks mate!
It was interesting having this conversation with people this far down. Really honest and open conversation. Hard to get that these days…
Yes I agree…most of it’s “blah blah” as my partner says..nothing real. This guy looks in a pretty bad way though. kudos to you for giving people a voice Chuck.
I was raised Catholic, then spent 30+ years as an evangelical. I spent the entire time seeing facts and evidence that contradicted my faith; and talking myself year-after-year into clinging to my beliefs. I was too scared to confront a world without the certainties that my faith provided. About 3 years ago the pull became to great and I walked away from my faith. To be honest, it was like a death. Looking back, it amazes me how the human mind has the ability to delude itself. I regret that I wasted so much time in that futility. But I’m glad I had the courage to turn away from it.