God (or whatever name you choose) is the loving Source of all. He/She is all good. All loving.

Humans are working towards that God consciousness. Most of us just have a long way to go. We have plenty of way-showers in our world. Jesus is the Christian example. Imagine a world where people were more like those amazingly awake individuals.

We are expressions of God on earth. When we choose to act in opposition to that true nature, bad things happen. Just my opinion after many years of study. And yes, I am a Unity person. All paths are equally valid. All fingers point to the same moon

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

This is contradictory.

If god could do good but doesn't, isn't that the same as having a role in the bad? I mean if a person stood by while a toddler drowned in a shallow river, what would you think of that person? Do you think someone like that has good morals or bad morals? If such a person is despicable to you, why do you worship a god who behaves the same way?

On the other hand, if god didn't do it because he can't, is he still god?

So if you propose a omnipotent god who can only do good, that means there can be no bad in the world because he cannot let any bad happen.

As a parent of adult children do they make their own choices? Suffer their own consequences for those choices? If God interfered with all that happens on earth don't we loose our freedom to chose?

Yea, but parents of adult children don't claim to be omnipotent or that they can only do good. And we are not talking about "suffer their own consequences" type of scenarios here. Good people die horrible senseless deaths every day. Earthquakes, tsunamis, "acts of god" type disasters have killed millions. These are consequences for choices?

Most original forms of god were considered a power for destructiveness - the cause of bad weather and geological phenomenons - droughts, famines, floods, earthquakes, fires, etc. And rituals, offerings, prayers, etc to try and get on that god's "good" side.

I don't believe in god, but I think the overall human switch from believing in a destructive-god to good-god is fascinating. To me it's a lot like living in an abusive relationship.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

This is contradictory.

If god could do good but doesn't, isn't that the same as having a role in the bad? I mean if a person stood by while a toddler drowned in a shallow river, what would you think of that person? Do you think someone like that has good morals or bad morals? If such a person is despicable to you, why do you worship a god who behaves the same way?

On the other hand, if god didn't do it because he can't, is he still god?

So if you propose a omnipotent god who can only do good, that means there can be no bad in the world because he cannot let any bad happen.

As a parent of adult children do they make their own choices? Suffer their own consequences for those choices? If God interfered with all that happens on earth don't we loose our freedom to chose?

First of all, this "freedom to choose" isn't really free, as Christians believe there are negative consequences to making the wrong decision. Let's say I'm an atheist who accidentally kills a child in a car accident. While I don't "ask" for forgiveness from God, I feel terrible about the situation and do all I can to somehow address it. Still, I'm going to hell. So yes, I can choose, but there's only ONE way.

Furthermore, what choice does the baby born with cancer have? S/he doesn't even have a "choice" to grow up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

This is contradictory.

If god could do good but doesn't, isn't that the same as having a role in the bad? I mean if a person stood by while a toddler drowned in a shallow river, what would you think of that person? Do you think someone like that has good morals or bad morals? If such a person is despicable to you, why do you worship a god who behaves the same way?

On the other hand, if god didn't do it because he can't, is he still god?

So if you propose a omnipotent god who can only do good, that means there can be no bad in the world because he cannot let any bad happen.

As a parent of adult children do they make their own choices? Suffer their own consequences for those choices? If God interfered with all that happens on earth don't we loose our freedom to chose?

I totally get this. But do you believe in "the power of prayer"?

Interesting question.

This really calls for a question about what is "good" and therefore what is "bad." If there was no bad, there would necessarily be no "good." In other words, not having cancer is only good if there is the option of having cancer. In this way, it is "good" that cancer exists and therefore "good" on a global level they "god gives people cancer."

The only conflict comes from believing that "god answers prayer" of curing cancer. That is where you lose me on religion.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

This is contradictory.

If god could do good but doesn't, isn't that the same as having a role in the bad? I mean if a person stood by while a toddler drowned in a shallow river, what would you think of that person? Do you think someone like that has good morals or bad morals? If such a person is despicable to you, why do you worship a god who behaves the same way?

On the other hand, if god didn't do it because he can't, is he still god?

So if you propose a omnipotent god who can only do good, that means there can be no bad in the world because he cannot let any bad happen.

As a parent of adult children do they make their own choices? Suffer their own consequences for those choices? If God interfered with all that happens on earth don't we loose our freedom to chose?

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

This is contradictory.

If god could do good but doesn't, isn't that the same as having a role in the bad? I mean if a person stood by while a toddler drowned in a shallow river, what would you think of that person? Do you think someone like that has good morals or bad morals? If such a person is despicable to you, why do you worship a god who behaves the same way?

On the other hand, if god didn't do it because he can't, is he still god?

So if you propose a omnipotent god who can only do good, that means there can be no bad in the world because he cannot let any bad happen.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The deserved consequences is what bothers me most about that religious view. I don't see how anyone deserves cancer, having a child die etc. it's an awful thing to believe.

I guess that is kind of my question. I see comments like, "God is so good!!" when a family member makes a positive recovery from an illness or injury, but were that injury to worsen, you'd never hear "God is so bad."

People are angry with God all the time. They do say "God is so bad", but they express it differently.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The deserved consequences is what bothers me most about that religious view. I don't see how anyone deserves cancer, having a child die etc. it's an awful thing to believe.

I guess that is kind of my question. I see comments like, "God is so good!!" when a family member makes a positive recovery from an illness or injury, but were that injury to worsen, you'd never hear "God is so bad."

Not in those words.

Anonymous wrote:The deserved consequences is what bothers me most about that religious view. I don't see how anyone deserves cancer, having a child die etc. it's an awful thing to believe.

I guess that is kind of my question. I see comments like, "God is so good!!" when a family member makes a positive recovery from an illness or injury, but were that injury to worsen, you'd never hear "God is so bad."

The deserved consequences is what bothers me most about that religious view. I don't see how anyone deserves cancer, having a child die etc. it's an awful thing to believe.

Anonymous wrote:Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.

James 1:13-18

13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

16 Don’t be deceived, my dear brothers and sisters. 17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. 18 He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of firstfruits of all he created.

For a Judeo-Christian POV, I think the Bible is quite clear that God can be involved in what appear to be "bad" to humans. Now the question is if God's judgement is better than ours, and so maybe they aren't really bad works so much as deserved consequences, but I don't think that's what you were asking.

Or does he also play a role in the bad? I am just curious, and not trying to be snarky, either.