Tuesday, August 25, 2009

What God is This?

I wished that I’d kept track of how often I’ve heard it. It’s at least a dozen or more times now that I’ve heard atheists who say,

“If God turns out to be real, I’m sure that He’s a forgiving and loving God, so all will be well.”

Does that make you smile? It does me - In a “What’s up with that?” kind of way. I mean, where do they get this idea of God from? I know atheists flip back and forth between "God wants to torture me," and "I'm sure God will forgive me," oh, and the old stand-by "God doesn't exist," but this saving God is a little silly.

Just what God are they thinking about when they say stuff like this? Is there any evidence for such a Deity? In any religion in the world, besides those new agey goofy kind of religions, is there any evidence for such a Deity? I know from experience that certain drugs can make a person feel like such a Being must exist, but, you know, that’s not exactly something that can be called reality. So do atheists think that just because this is who they WANT God to be, this is how He WILL be?

Of course, the God of Christianity is loving AND forgiving. He’s slow to anger and full of grace and mercy. However, He’s also infinitely Just. Sin will be punished wherever it’s found. No one gets off free of charge. God has clearly and concisely laid out the criteria for forgiveness and He isn’t about to just chuck it because some atheist dreams that He will. This forgiveness cost Jesus not only His life in a manner as vile as any that humans have devised. Jesus, for us, bore the full wrath of God against our sins. This is something so horrific that none of us can imagine or comprehend what it would be like.

Of course this shouldn’t surprise. That atheists live in a dreamworld I mean. They do the same with naturalism and the origins of the universe. Not just in the absence of evidence but in the face of counter evidence for a natural cause, atheists paste on their intelligent look and say, “It could happen.”

I shouldn’t smile. It’s actually kind of sad.

13 comments:

J Curtis said...

Right.

God judgeth the righteous, and God is angry with the wicked every day. Psalm 7:11

Flute said...

"He’s slow to anger"
and
"God is angry with the wicked every day
"

Heh.

and the old stand-by "God doesn't exist,"

There's no proof gods exist. (And for some reason you seem to believe proof destroys free will. )

Christians live in a dreamworld I mean. They do the same with super naturalism and creationism. Not just in the absence of evidence but in the face of counter evidence for the supernatural, Christians paste on their reverent look and say, “This book says it's true so it MUST be!”

I shouldn’t smile. It’s actually kind of sad.

Thesauros said...

Sorry Flute, regarding origins? The science is on our side.

Flute said...

The science is on our side.

I sincerely doubt that science is "on the side" of the supernatural so why not prove it.
And by prove it, I don't mean make a philosophical argument that breaks down to "Something you or I don't understand MUST have happened therefore it's supernatural."

Thesauros said...

We both have the same evidence. It's just that my explanation for what we observe makes more sense than does your explanation.

Atheism of the gaps is just not a good way to go. I understand that you have to do that because you take a whole class of evidence and refuse to examine it, but as you know, that's not very scientific.

Flute said...

We both have the same evidence. It's just that my explanation for what we observe makes more sense than does your explanation.

God of the gaps is just not a good way to go. I understand that you have to do that because you take a whole class of evidence and refuse to examine it, but as you know, that's not very scientific.

Glen20 said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Thesauros said...

What evidence is that, that I ignore?

Glen20 said...

The amount of evidence that must be ignored to believe the Bible is so numerous that I don't know where to begin. Geology, archeology, biology, physics, chemistry, and (depending how literally you believe the Bible) astronomy - do not square with the Biblical account.

Thesauros said...

And, you think that I ignore this?

Glen20 said...

"And, you think that I ignore this?"

Let's see.... YES.
You posted a comment in support of Noah's ark! I mean, come on!
And you think science "is on your side" about the supernatural! Really? How credulous do you want to be?

J Curtis said...

You posted a comment in support of Noah's ark! I mean, come on!

Glen, we've gone through this before.

"Today 60% of Americans accept as truth the Biblical account of the Great Flood, and most cultures record a world-destroying flood in their oral or written histories."...the detailed nature of the widely spread statements has common elements to the Bible. In fact, even people who live far from the sea or in mountainous areas have flood traditions which are similar to the Genesis account." Link

Such a belief would appear to be quite common.

Glen20 said...

"Such a belief would appear to be quite common."

And?