|
Hi Scott,
I have also read the book "Letters from a Skeptic" and the skeptical side of me was disappointed that the author's father didn't ask for more evidence. I guess that I was hoping for a finale when the author would pull out the "big guns" and convince the readers with some spectacular evidence that would leave little room for doubt but it didn't happen.
You wrote: "Shouldn't you have prayed several times and then seen whether or not it was chance or divine intervention."
Actually the answer to this prayer was spectacular but I actually have thought about talking to God again and maybe I'll get another spectacular answer. My skeptical side keeps whispering in my ear to repeat a similar prayer while my spiritual side says "don't treat God like genie."
"Sting also said, "Every move you make, every breath you take, I'll be watching you".
Sounds like a classic case of stalkers syndrome."
I loved this one. It really made me laugh.
"Then why doesn't God cut out the middleman, and save us already!! Is God a fan of soap opera's? Do you think God sits back with a cold one and watches the human drama play out before is holy eyes. I don't know, but it all seems too much like an after school special."
This one made me laugh too but it brings up a serious point.
Well, there are only a small number of options on resolving on the question of why evil exists in the world.
1. God doesn't exist.
2. God exists but God is indifferent or impersonal, or sort of like the "force" in Star Wars with a good side and a dark side.
3. God exists and is absolutely good but God has finite power and therefore cannot stop all of the evil in the world. I think this idea is espoused by the book "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People".
4. God exists, is absolutely good, and has infinite power but evil exists because it is a logical necessity for whatever reason.
I believe in option number 4. I think that evil is logically necessary in our world for whatever reason. In other words a logical contradiction would be created if God tried to stop all of the evil right now. I believe that all possible histories/parallel universes are actualized in God's mind. So there are some worlds where evil doesn't exist, some worlds such as ours which has a mixture of good and evil, and some worlds where evil dominates. I believe God will guide the worlds where evil exists to a point where evil will cease to exist at some point in the future. From God's transcendent point of view, evil already doesn't exist but from his immanent point of view, evil does exist and will be eliminated in time.
Regards,
Chuck
|
