Hilarious Friends
My friend Josh, who is a philosophy major here, is extremely hilarious. He also happens to be a founder of the Socratic Club here (we discuss philosophy of religion). During meetings, he always brings up really random analogies. Here are two examples of his insaneness:
A:
Context: Problem of Evil - how can evil exist in the world if there is a loving God?
Josh's Analogical Refutation: Because I had such a huge head when I was little, it hurt me every time my mom tried to put a sweater on me. But my mom obviously knew what was best for me. If I hadn't endured the pain, I would have been running around naked.
Translation: We, as mortals, do not understand God's ultimate plan. It is possible that we have to endure certain types of suffering for something that will ultimately be good for us, which we just don't yet understand.
B:
Context: Problem of Evil - a homeless person may still believe in God because he thinks being in Heaven for an eternity after death outweighs his finite suffering now.
Josh's Analogical Refutation: If I stepped on a child's foot everyday and the only consolation I provided was that I promised him candy at some later point in time, it still sucks for the kid. And it doesn't make the foot-stepping any less painful.
Translation: It is wrong to justify suffering simply with the fact that Heaven is the reward for it. Getting a reward, even if eternal, still doesn't make finite suffering right.
A:
Context: Problem of Evil - how can evil exist in the world if there is a loving God?
Josh's Analogical Refutation: Because I had such a huge head when I was little, it hurt me every time my mom tried to put a sweater on me. But my mom obviously knew what was best for me. If I hadn't endured the pain, I would have been running around naked.
Translation: We, as mortals, do not understand God's ultimate plan. It is possible that we have to endure certain types of suffering for something that will ultimately be good for us, which we just don't yet understand.
B:
Context: Problem of Evil - a homeless person may still believe in God because he thinks being in Heaven for an eternity after death outweighs his finite suffering now.
Josh's Analogical Refutation: If I stepped on a child's foot everyday and the only consolation I provided was that I promised him candy at some later point in time, it still sucks for the kid. And it doesn't make the foot-stepping any less painful.
Translation: It is wrong to justify suffering simply with the fact that Heaven is the reward for it. Getting a reward, even if eternal, still doesn't make finite suffering right.