The Answer

[kisc]

Pretty commonly, folks ask questions like "how can you believe in a god that would allow X to happen?" I've stumbled across this answer a few times, but pretty commonly forget. I'm not clear why I forget every other year or so

Comments

[ruthanolis]

Maybe I'm an arsehole [except not so much on the maybe I think], but my favourite answer was always, 'If there is no God, how can you let X happen?'

It usually comes down to either, 'I didn't know' which is a cop out, or 'I didn't make them', which is another cop out, but brings up the issue of free agency. The question is usually meant in a mean manner, so all you have to do is throw it back on them, and make them respond to their own question.

Of course, if you want to be a real arsehole, the answer becomes, 'Whether or not God exists, how can you let X continue to occur?'

All that aside, I'm pretty sure most people realise the actual answer, they are just wanting to be arseholes. >_>

[masinkie]

You're right, of course, the reason I let cancer happen is because I'm a total raving asshole.

Or it could be that I don't have the power to stop cancer, HIV, Genocide, mass layoffs.

Of course, if I were an omnipotent creator of the universe with the ability to end cancer/hiv/genocide/mass layoffs/american idol with a snap of my fingers, my unwillingness to would make me quite the asshole.

If your spouse/parent/child made you suffer (say, by infecting you with HIV, killing your dog, burning down your house) and then stand there saying "I made you suffer because it means more if you love me after I purposely harm you." would you then say "you are a kind and loving spouse/parent/child"? or "You monster, how could you do that as some kind of bullshit TEST?"

If you want to make up some kind of beautiful lie about why we can still be petty, cruel, and shallow, then at least make one that's beautiful, and doesn't attribute mental illness to god.

[ruthanolis]

Wow ... I'm not sure what to say. You've taken one statement, the last one, totally out of context, and then ignored everything else that was said.

I can do that as well.

"I'm a total raving asshole."
That totally aside, here was my point

[lonelocust]

If it was easy, then anyone could do it, so it has to be hard. And yet, more people believe than disbelieve