by jimwalton » Mon Nov 06, 2023 5:56 pm
Sure, we can discuss this. First of all, it seems as if you are assuming that it is we Christians who have presented God as good and who insist that He must be such. In reality, though, God has revealed Himself as good and only good; anyone who believe the Bible and believes in God, then, accepts this self-revelation of God as the truth.
Second, it makes a difference what you mean by "good." A "good" God could still allow pain, for instance, because pain has certain valuable qualities, such as letting us know there is an injury to our body or letting us know there is a psychological issue that needs attention, among other things. The existence of pain/suffering don't necessarily mean God is not good.
As far as "what stops him from doing evil?", any god that is as capable of evil as good is inconsistent, unreliable, unpredictable, and, frankly, just evil. If he were capable of evil, even his goodness could be called into question. A god who can do evil is not a god at all but a malevolent force.
> Would then pain be considered good ?
Pain certainly has its benefits. It could be considered good in certain circumstances, though I doubt anyone would say pain is good in all circumstances. An examination of the problem of evil, however, lands in a place where God has justifiable reasons for allowing pain to exist as long as good outweighs evil and suffering in the universe as a whole, which is a theological position of Christianity.
> The praying mantis
I haven't studied the species, but I'm confident at this point that this characteristic serves various biological and evolutionary purposes, since the species continues to propagate. Such natural events don't fall under moral categories of good and bad, just as we would not label a tornado as "immoral." It's an evolutionary trait that serves its purposes.
> Is this behaviour considered good by God as he created all animals good
This is a questionable assertion, and it depends what you mean by it. In Genesis 1.25 when God "sees" that the animal "creation" is "good," the text means that it's a functional and orderly system. It is not a moral comment.
Hopefully these are enough answers to generate more discussion. I'll look forward to continuing the conversation with you.
Sure, we can discuss this. First of all, it seems as if you are assuming that it is we Christians who have presented God as good and who insist that He must be such. In reality, though, God has revealed Himself as good and only good; anyone who believe the Bible and believes in God, then, accepts this self-revelation of God as the truth.
Second, it makes a difference what you mean by "good." A "good" God could still allow pain, for instance, because pain has certain valuable qualities, such as letting us know there is an injury to our body or letting us know there is a psychological issue that needs attention, among other things. The existence of pain/suffering don't necessarily mean God is not good.
As far as "what stops him from doing evil?", any god that is as capable of evil as good is inconsistent, unreliable, unpredictable, and, frankly, just evil. If he were capable of evil, even his goodness could be called into question. A god who can do evil is not a god at all but a malevolent force.
> Would then pain be considered good ?
Pain certainly has its benefits. It could be considered good in certain circumstances, though I doubt anyone would say pain is good in all circumstances. An examination of the problem of evil, however, lands in a place where God has justifiable reasons for allowing pain to exist as long as good outweighs evil and suffering in the universe as a whole, which is a theological position of Christianity.
> The praying mantis
I haven't studied the species, but I'm confident at this point that this characteristic serves various biological and evolutionary purposes, since the species continues to propagate. Such natural events don't fall under moral categories of good and bad, just as we would not label a tornado as "immoral." It's an evolutionary trait that serves its purposes.
> Is this behaviour considered good by God as he created all animals good
This is a questionable assertion, and it depends what you mean by it. In Genesis 1.25 when God "sees" that the animal "creation" is "good," the text means that it's a functional and orderly system. It is not a moral comment.
Hopefully these are enough answers to generate more discussion. I'll look forward to continuing the conversation with you.