Facebook Follies of Friends and Families

[Admiral Yi]

That's definitely not putting the best possible spin on it.

[The Minsky Moment]

That's definitely not putting the best possible spin on it.

The ball is yours if you want to take a shot.

[Maladict]

It sounds very mobsterish to me, I'll "take care" of Mom and Dad.  Saying that someone is in a better place is different from having people in heaven worry about those who aren't and Jesus saying that the parent's problems will be rectified.

Context matters!

Did you really think that in that mawkish drivel that Jesus was saying he'd go murder the child's parents so they could also be in Heaven?

Then they would be in a better place too. Why would Jesus leave them to suffer their loss?

[crazy canuck]

It sounds very mobsterish to me, I'll "take care" of Mom and Dad.  Saying that someone is in a better place is different from having people in heaven worry about those who aren't and Jesus saying that the parent's problems will be rectified.

Context matters!

Did you really think that in that mawkish drivel that Jesus was saying he'd go murder the child's parents so they could also be in Heaven?

Then they would be in a better place too. Why would Jesus leave them to suffer their loss?

the other point to make is that, in context, why the fuck should those children believe a god who says he will take care of their parents when he just let them die?

[Berkut]

It sounds very mobsterish to me, I'll "take care" of Mom and Dad.  Saying that someone is in a better place is different from having people in heaven worry about those who aren't and Jesus saying that the parent's problems will be rectified.

Context matters!

Did you really think that in that mawkish drivel that Jesus was saying he'd go murder the child's parents so they could also be in Heaven?

Then they would be in a better place too. Why would Jesus leave them to suffer their loss?

the other point to make is that, in context, why the fuck should those children believe a god who says he will take care of their parents when he just let them die?

This kind of religion is just so fucked up. You really have to not look at it closely at all for it to look anything less then utterly horrific.

You might as well just worship Cthulu.

[PDH]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

[Barrister]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

[HVC]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

Forget what flavour of Christian you are, but does it follow predestination?

*edit* used wrong term.

[Syt]

[Barrister]

I have to agree with this one - student debt forgiveness is both terrible politics and a terrible policy.

If done as part of an overall reform of higher education with an eye to reducing costs, sure, but just a naked debt forgiveness by itself just encourages schools to keep increasing tuition.

[PDH]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

I guess WAD.

Still makes it a dick move.

[The Minsky Moment]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

And what happens when the killer's free will comes up against the free will of children who prefer to live rather than be murdered? 

There is no canned philosophical response that does not collapse into incoherence or contradiction.

[crazy canuck]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

The Fundy Christians like to have it both ways.  An all powerful god who loves you but lets bad things happen to good (and in this case innocent) people.  The Fundys always explain it away in one of two ways - First, their god's plan is a mystery that no one can understand, you just gotta have faith god knows what he is doing.  Second, and completely contrary to the first is some form of free will argument.

To add to the hypocrisy Fundy Christians pray to their god to make things happen in their lives, thank their god for the good things that happen to them, pray to their god that bad things don't happen etc - ie they seem to think their god does intervene in the world in answer to their prayers.


Bart Ehrman's God's Problem, which he wrote a while back, examines all the possible New Testament justifications for why the Christian God lets bad things happen to good people and concludes there isn't a satisfactory answer.  It is the point in his academic career when he stopped being a fundy Christian.

[Berkut]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

That doesn't answer. 

"Free will" does not explain why god chose to let a bunch of children get murdered. You might a well say "chicken salad is a bitch, man".

[Barrister]

So the all powerful god couldn't save the children or stop the killer, even though god knew what would happen?  Sounds like a dick move.

Free will is a bitch, man.

That doesn't answer.

"Free will" does not explain why god chose to let a bunch of children get murdered. You might a well say "chicken salad is a bitch, man".

"Why does God allow suffering" just as one phrasing gets 89 million hits on google.  It's been a topic that has been dealt with over the centuries by philosophers, theologians, and drunks in bars.  I'm afraid I can't give you an answer you'll be satisfied with in a Languish post.