Why Call Him God?

[naomi24]

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?





So why call him God?



(Note to the pedantic: The last two lines have been added to the original written by Greek philosopher, Epicurus).

[Octavius]

Because the name Wayne was taken by someone else.

[daisya]

god knows Naomi.... (good question though because it's true IMO)

[jim360]

Is this necessarily an exhaustive list of the options? For example, is he unable because to defeat evil in the world would be to deny humans a choice?

Anyway, that's the common argument, I think -- that evil is a necessary consequence of free will; that is, that humans just naturally choose to be evil sometimes.

On the other hand, how does heaven work if we're in it?

[daisya]

Jim, I'm of the persuasion that this planet is hell rather than heaven...evil seems to outweigh good when you look at what goes on. Just my opinion folks..

[LazyGun]

Octavius should get best answer for bringing the name Wayne into a question about god :)

And jim - your scenario would fall into the "able but unwilling" category.Seems pretty malevolent to me to sit back and let humans be evil to each other, simply because your children choose to act that way.We are often told that god is a kind of benevolent parent, overseeing the fate of humanity - well that parent gives the children plenty of evidence that they exist, and continual reminders of the parents powers, dont they?

Since god elects to absolve himself from any such demonstration, logically that infers malevolence, no?

[jim360]

Very probably it does. I'm just trying again to play God's advocate though!

[bazwillrun]

As god a figment of peoples imagination then it can be anything

[ludwig]

Ok, so he gave people the free will to commit evil. That's harsh on the victims of the evil though. He didn't give them a choice.

[daisya]

Well said LG and yes...that would be my take on it.

REF: "Since god elects to absolve himself from any such demonstration, logically that infers malevolence, no?"

[jim360]

Well, I'm not going to fight too hard to try to defeat an argument that in essentials I agree with. At one level though I find it hard to accept that it's so simple. That or far too many people I know and love are dullards.

[goodlife]

Act 17:22-31- Men of Athens, I behold that in all things you seem to be more given to the fear of the deities than others are. For instance, while passing along and carefully observing your objects of devotion I also found an altar on which had been inscribed ‘To an Unknown God’. Therefore what you are unknowingly giving godly devotion to, this I am publishing to you. The God that made the world and all the things in it, being, as this One is, Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in handmade temples, neither is he attended to by human hands as if he needed anything, because he himself gives to all persons life and breath and all things. And he made out of one man every nation of men, to dwell upon the entire surface of the earth, and he decreed the appointed seasons and the set limits of the dwelling of men, for them to seek God, if they might grope for him and really find him, although, in fact, he is not far off from each one of us.

You can see from here one reason.

[Octavius]

Not sure I do see it, with all that groping going on.

[naomi24]

Goodlife, I can't see an answer there. Any chance of you readng the question and trying again - without biblical verses?

[Old_Geezer]

Why not call "him" God regardless ?

The logic first depends on certain assumptions. That there is something called evil, which is probably a human concept anyway. That the definition of evil implied is correct, and since we are all merely mortal that seems suspect. That inaction is not the best course of action, which one can not know, but merely claim it's malevolence.

[LazyGun]

@O_G If you accept that evil is a human concept, then god most certainly is a human concept too.

@Naomi - Do you have a link to a translation minus the last 2 lines? I had a bit of a poke around on google etc, but could not easily find one...

[doctordb]

Call it what you want. God is just a grown ups version of a comfort blanket.

[goodlife]

I have said it be for, all people are inclined to worship someone or something, even if it is to worship one’s own self. The person who says, “I do not worship anybody or anything!” is really a worshiper of himself. He makes himself a human god, but due to his egotism he is unaware of that fact, so it be could said the word god is a title because God has a name. (Mic. 4:5)

[Sharingan]

My immediate thought is why the hell would God care what any of us think? He has to have a name and it's God, so what? It could be Wayne as Octavius mentioned or anything else, what he's called is irrelevant.
Are you worried what the ants in your garden call you or think of you? If not you have your answer about why he neither interferes nor cares very much. It's our own arrogance that makes us think we are important enough to be the very centres of some omnipotent being's attention, in what could be the blink of an eye of his existence.
there is no answer to these sorts of questions, there's only to and fro from people like Jim and I playing God's advocate and people like Naomi.
I should point out I don't actually believe in this God, but hypothetically I don't see why he would give a stuff if he did exist.

[pdust]

*and by choosing to continually display your adopted religion, which you do, you are voluntarily exposing it to scrutiny and, therefore, you cannot expect other contributors to agree with it, to respect it, or to conceal their disdain for archaic philosophies that promote lies as fact*

taken from my witchcraft post..... as that is your opinion (and we all know it is) about religion then why ask questions such as this? you just said yourself you have no respect for and cant conceal your disdain for people who are religious so therefore i can only assume you ask questions like this just to seek out targets where you can then unleash your lack of respect and disdain....

[leahbee]

Just read this thread. Octavius, you must surely take the prize for the funniest answer of the week. I really did lol.