Zone1 Is God a sadist?

[Mindful]

Or maybe an abolitionist?

Is God A Sadist?

A client and I were chatting the other day. And he said he's got a theory that God is a bit of a sadist. I've heard that from other clients too. In fact, a part of me can buy into the story too. I mean isn't that what Murphy's Law is all about, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."? So...

www.theworkasmeditation.com

 

[occupied]

Or maybe an abolitionist?

Is God A Sadist?

A client and I were chatting the other day. And he said he's got a theory that God is a bit of a sadist. I've heard that from other clients too. In fact, a part of me can buy into the story too. I mean isn't that what Murphy's Law is all about, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."? So...

www.theworkasmeditation.com

God is indifferent to the suffering of man. Not sure why people want to worship an entity that acts exactly like he doesn't exist.

 

[Auld Phart]

I like ther way the writers put in Oh God part 2:

"God: [answering Tracy's question about why there is so much suffering in the world] I know this sounds like a cop-out, Tracy, but there's nothing I can do about pain and suffering. It's built into the system.

Tracy Richards: Which You invented.

God: Right. But my problem was I could never figure out how to build anything with just one side to it.

Tracy Richards: One side?

God: You ever see a front without a back?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: A top without a bottom?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: An up without a down?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: OK. Then there can't be good without bad, life without death, pleasure without pain. That's the way it is. If I take sad away, happy has to go with it."

 

[occupied]

I like ther way the writers put in Oh God part 2:

"God: [answering Tracy's question about why there is so much suffering in the world] I know this sounds like a cop-out, Tracy, but there's nothing I can do about pain and suffering. It's built into the system.

Tracy Richards: Which You invented.

God: Right. But my problem was I could never figure out how to build anything with just one side to it.

Tracy Richards: One side?

God: You ever see a front without a back?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: A top without a bottom?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: An up without a down?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: OK. Then there can't be good without bad, life without death, pleasure without pain. That's the way it is. If I take sad away, happy has to go with it."

Had God just put his thumb on the scale just a little so that evil is not so rewarding or that only bad people get cancer there would be no problem. In a world where justice is scarce and there is scant benefit to being virtuous it is difficult for grown up adults to believe God is good.

 

[expat_panama]

God is indifferent to the suffering of man. Not sure why people want to worship an entity that acts exactly like he doesn't exist.

You might want to consider the fact that nobody believes in the God that you don't believe in, and that some may see you as simply attacking by ridicule the beliefs of others. At the same time what you're saying makes perfect sense, and ur (quite rightly) moving to an obvious question namely, why does God allow human suffering?

There are a lot of good answers to that but an important question that has to come first is whether you care about any possible understandings of reality beyond what you already espouse. For now my guess is that here and now u do in fact care about this stuff. This is good.

What my thinking has gotten to is that we're dealing w/ a paradox, and we'd most probably be better off just saying we're dealing w/ Reality and we shouldn't worry about God. The reason I us a capital "R" is that my thinking is of a reality that goes beyond the bounds of the cosmos, a reality that's good.

Please share ur thoughts or tell me if what I posted makes any sense to u.

 

[Dekster]

As harsh as life can be at times, living can feel a lot more Old Testament for people than others allow for.

 

[expat_panama]

Or maybe an abolitionist?

Is God A Sadist?

A client and I were chatting the other day. And he said he's got a theory that God is a bit of a sadist. I've heard that from other clients too. In fact, a part of me can buy into the story too. I mean isn't that what Murphy's Law is all about, "Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."? So...

www.theworkasmeditation.com

Interesting, the article seems to be written by a psychologist working w/ folks who are failing to cope w/ reality.

 

[cnm]

I like ther way the writers put in Oh God part 2:

"God: [answering Tracy's question about why there is so much suffering in the world] I know this sounds like a cop-out, Tracy, but there's nothing I can do about pain and suffering. It's built into the system.

Tracy Richards: Which You invented.

God: Right. But my problem was I could never figure out how to build anything with just one side to it.

Tracy Richards: One side?

God: You ever see a front without a back?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: A top without a bottom?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: An up without a down?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: OK. Then there can't be good without bad, life without death, pleasure without pain. That's the way it is. If I take sad away, happy has to go with it."

Gawd knew nothing about globes. Or Mobius strips.

 

[Mindful]

Interesting, the article seems to be written by a psychologist working w/ folks who are failing to cope w/ reality.

Well, I really don’t want to attack the messenger.

There are plenty of other theses I could have chosen.

But maybe God is neutral; CS Lewis referred to Him as indifferent, yet benign.

So maybe it’s our own emotional interpretations that decide the matter.

 

[occupied]

You might want to consider the fact that nobody believes in the God that you don't believe in, and that some may see you as simply attacking by ridicule the beliefs of others. At the same time what you're saying makes perfect sense, and ur (quite rightly) moving to an obvious question namely, why does God allow human suffering?

There are a lot of good answers to that but an important question that has to come first is whether you care about any possible understandings of reality beyond what you already espouse. For now my guess is that here and now u do in fact care about this stuff. This is good.

What my thinking has gotten to is that we're dealing w/ a paradox, and we'd most probably be better off just saying we're dealing w/ Reality and we shouldn't worry about God. The reason I us a capital "R" is that my thinking is of a reality that goes beyond the bounds of the cosmos, a reality that's good.

Please share ur thoughts or tell me if what I posted makes any sense to u.

The only universal reality is that entropy rules all and everything ends up dead, broken, burned out or depleted. If a God invented this universe his intentions are clear. He means for his creation to eventually be a cold, dead, lifeless void without structure or meaning.

 

[Meriweather]

The only universal reality is that entropy rules all and everything ends up dead, broken, burned out or depleted.

And then, it appears, life begins anew.

 

[expat_panama]

I like ther way the writers put in Oh God part 2:

"God: [answering Tracy's question about why there is so much suffering in the world] I know this sounds like a cop-out, Tracy, but there's nothing I can do about pain and suffering. It's built into the system.

Tracy Richards: Which You invented.

God: Right. But my problem was I could never figure out how to build anything with just one side to it.

Tracy Richards: One side?

God: You ever see a front without a back?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: A top without a bottom?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: An up without a down?

Tracy Richards: No.

God: OK. Then there can't be good without bad, life without death, pleasure without pain. That's the way it is. If I take sad away, happy has to go with it."

That works for some, but it may be a bit simplistic.

Another take is that evil simply does not exist and what we see as evil is simply the absence of good. To me it makes a lot of sense. Take poverty for example. A wealthy person can say "I'm going to share my wealth and give it away to everyone here." A poor person can't "give away" his poverty, it doesn't exist.

 

[Mindful]

The two words good and evil are abstract concepts. Maybe the Bible gives out the clearest definitions.

 

[occupied]

And then, it appears, life begins anew.

Even if that were true all our struggles are ultimately pointless.

 

[Mindful]

Even if that were true all our struggles are ultimately pointless.

Well they are, aren’t they?

 

[occupied]

Well they are, aren’t they?

Yes. That's why it easier to believe there is no God than to walk around wanting to punch him for creating such a cruel place to spend our all too short existence.

 

[rightwinger]

God tortured Job for the fun of it

 

[Mindful]

Yes. That's why it easier to believe there is no God than to walk around wanting to punch him for creating such a cruel place to spend our all too short existence.

So he is a sadist? In your view?

 

[Mindful]

God tortured Job for the fun of it

He was tempted by Satan. And succumbed to it. Get it right.

And what was the message from that salutary tale?

 

[expat_panama]

The only universal reality is that entropy rules all and everything ends up dead, broken, burned out or depleted. If a God invented this universe his intentions are clear. He means for his creation to eventually be a cold, dead, lifeless void without structure or meaning.

How about I follow your thinking and you look at what we can both see together.

It's true that in this universe entropy currently increases That's currently, remember that It fell a lot w/ the big bang. There's still a bit of controversy over how it'll end --whether it's a big rip or a cold death-- but that won't be for what, trillions of years from now? In the here and now you and I exist and we're pondering reality. My take is that reality is good and it's our attitudes that can make it seem bad.

If someone wants to be happy they can be happy --and perfectly in tune w/ reality. If someone wants to be miserable that's their choice. We don't want to try and limit other people's choices.