Religion

Let me preface this by saying I don't believe in any particular religion, I just happened to think of what I would say in counter to bamber's quote. (assuming I was religous)

First lets assume there is a God and eternal heavem. (This is the part I don't believe, but is nesseccary in this disscussion given its already assumed true by the quote)

This quote assumes one major thing and that is there is evil in this world, is there? For the sake of argument good is the oposite of evil just like heaven is the oposite of hell. And now lets define evil as acts that get you sent to hell and good the oposite thereof. Next considering we only spend a limited time on Earth and an infinite amount of time in heaven (it is eternal right?). So by comparisson to heaven our time on Earth is nothing but a split second test to decide whether we go to heaven or hell. So in turn that means the only evil thing that can happen is being forced to go to hell. (Final assumption: god is forgiving and thus gives people a chance to repent.) But since everyone is given the chance to repent, no one is in fact forced to go to hell, thus there is no evil. Or, there is evil (that being going to hell) but since god gives people a choice he thus is preventing it.

@Sodium what does it make someone if they prevent evil? Add this 4th criteria to your list; God prevents evil, and then you just proved god is both indifferent (or mavolent) and good. Mavolent and good can describe just about any aware thing, which would help support the idea of god creating people in his image.

 

Instead of trying to figure out why god lets bad things happen, you can simply take a minute to imagine that there is no god. Suddenly everything makes sense. Why do evil things happen to innocent people? Because there is no all-powerful being to stop it. Why does god heal cancer-stricken and other terminally ill people, yet grant no miracle to a single amputee? Because there is no god to perform miracles; ill patients simply 'beat the odds' and get better, and of course amputees don't grow back limbs because it's impossible. When you figure out that god doesn't exist, you no longer have to make up excuses to justify his existence ("Well, it must be part of His divine plan" - ever hear that one before?).

 

@ LordKerwyn: I see what you are saying, and I agree. If God prevents evil, and preventing evil is good, then God was malevolent (or whatever evil-creating entities are) in creating evil, and good in later preventing it. It is similar to someone committing a crime, then apologizing for it and working to prevent anyone else from committing the same crime: they are still guilty of the original offense.

In general:
Part of the problem with using logic to discuss good and evil is that the two terms are not strictly defined. Some people consider one thing evil, while others may consider it perfectly acceptable. Evil is usually defined to be any act which is contrary to an act that is good.
If the definition of good is based on the teachings and actions of a god, then anything that god does should be good. This means that the problem of evil is a problem of human perception. If the definition of good comes from that which has the greatest benefit to humanity in general, any deity can perform acts considered evil or be responsible for evil.
Generally, the problem of evil relies on the second definition of good and evil, where any acts from the god or the acts of those under the power of that god are evil.

 

Hmm, ultimatly if religion cannot be accepted from a logical point of view, it comes down to being mearly a concept. which begs the question: why if i should spout that i can grow blue tac out of my ass every tuesday, or that there is a higher intelligence to rocks is it that i would be laughed at, but if people say there is a man in the sky who is omnipotent etc they are a 'christian' and their 'religion' should be respected? Where would my respect be?

Such is the folly of concepts with no proof to back up their claims and do not work logically, christianity/catholicism is no different, it just happened to be one of the popular choices of the masses over history, which in my opinion does not warrant the time spent on my weekend to go to a place to 'worship' such concepts.

But yes, that is MY weekend, and MY choice, and im not trying to convert anyone to athiest here, im just presenting the facts, and flaws to which a large majority of people are devoting their lives to.. You wouldnt wanna devote yourself to the wrong thing now would you?...