Hi William,
Thank you for posting your essay. Reading it certainly helps me understand your point of view.
I'm not sure what kind of comments you are looking for but I'll give you my impressions. Your essay is packed with declarative sentences written in a context which seems to assume that the reader is to agree with them without question. I, personally, question them all and wonder what your basis is for accepting them. I think I can guess: the Bible tells you so. If that is the case, I have one question for you: What makes you think the Bible is trustworthy?
Here are some of your declarative sentences which I challenge you to defend:
1. God is a Utilitarian
2. God has set the world so that in the end the the greatest number of people will receive the greatest good.
3. God is Omniscient: God knows all.
4. God is Omnipotent: God has unlimited power and freedom.
5. God is Omnibenevolent: God's will is free and desires the best for creation.
6. The Free Will of Man, is the cause of evil; all evil.
7. The HIV is a naturally occurring and necessary virus in a certain African snail.
8. Things will be fine if you have faith in God and obey the rules.
9. Man doesn't tend to do the right thing even if he thinks he knows what the right thing is to do.
10. God knew what Man was going to do with his free will.
11. God also knew what a mess we were going to make of things.
12. Those that believe, live, those that don't believe are already dead, they just dont know it.
Sorry if I sounded too harsh, William, but you were bound to find out sooner or later that I don't buy into any "religious mythology", as you call it.
In spite of our different beliefs, I hope we can still converse. I am really interested in your answer to my question about the trustworthiness of the Bible.
Warm regards,
Paul |