Philosophy Discussion Forums

Hi Scott

The first sentence I disagree with is: Logic tells us that if there is an all-loving god, then there would be no evil. Hughes, Eckhart Aurelius. In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All (p. 139). OnlineBookClub.org. Kindle Edition.

I'm a Christian and I believe in God and the Bible. The Bible tells us there is evil. Atheists and other non-Christians thinks it's logical that an all-loving God would not abide evil. If God made little robots who always did His will without any choice in the matter, they would be right.

This sentence applies to the same thoughts: But the perception of literal evil is a manifestation of discontent, meaning a lack of inner peace, a lack of reality acceptance, a lack of unconditional love. Hughes, Eckhart Aurelius. In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All (p. 139). OnlineBookClub.org. Kindle Edition.

I'm not discontent with the manifestation of evil. It is what it is. I'm at peace in a world where not all people are good or do good all the time. I forgive them and move on. Not forgiving them will make me miserable, they wouldn't care and probably not even know. God loves everyone, even if they do evil things. The Bible teaches us to love everyone unconditionally, the same as God does. Whatever has happened, has happened, there is no point in not accepting it. Learn from it and move on. It is the part where this is attributed to the universe or God that I don't agree with. Everyone must take responsibility for their own actions. If they choose to murder, rape, steal etc. it is their choice, not the choice of God or the universe. Saying something shouldn't have happened, is not negating reality. It is accepting the imperfection of man and loving everyone anyway.

Alida Spies wrote: ↑April 24th, 2024, 3:39 am Hi Scott

The first sentence I disagree with is: Logic tells us that if there is an all-loving god, then there would be no evil. Hughes, Eckhart Aurelius. In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All (p. 139). OnlineBookClub.org. Kindle Edition.

I'm a Christian and I believe in God and the Bible. The Bible tells us there is evil. [...]

Saying something shouldn't have happened, is not negating reality. It is accepting the imperfection of man and loving everyone anyway.

Hi, Alida Spies,

Thank you for your reply!

Since you believe should-not-have-ness (a.k.a. "evil") exists, please do post a reply in the following topic making sure to answer all six of the numbered questions:

Six Questions for People Who Believe Should-Not-Have-Ness Exists (i.e. for people who believe in 'shoulds' and 'oughts')


I also suggest you read the following topic of mine:

To believe in an all-powerful God and think 'should-not-have-ness' exists is to therefore believe that God did a bad job


With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott

I firmly believe that every book has a peculiar message to communicate. They are products of the author's thoughts, experience, and passion. Unless a book was written to make money, of which I am convinced "In It Together" is not such a book, the author's beliefs are sacrosanct. The ideas contained in the book are not only relative but universal. I sincerely don't object to anything; we are in it together. Our lives make more sense if we learn to live for others. It is a beautiful book, I must say.

I do not believe in everything q00 percent. However. The author has a good argument for what was stated and I really love the book. I give it a 4 put of 5.

Gerrard Mark wrote: ↑May 2nd, 2024, 9:56 am I do not believe in everything q00 percent

Hi, Gerrard Mark,

You didn't answer the question.

If you don't agree with everything in the book, then please post a verbatim quote of the very first sentence in book with which you disagree.

I do not agree with everything. But it's normal for people to have different opinion. But it's a great book .

Dickson Bricks wrote: ↑May 3rd, 2024, 9:13 am I do not agree with everything. But it's normal for people to have different opinion. But it's a great book .

You did not answer the question.

Please post a verbatim quote of the very first sentence from the book with which you disagree.

Hi Scott,

I have already posted what I don't agree with, and you responded. I do not wish to continue with that discussion. I believe in the Bible, and therefore not in your beliefs that contradict the Bible.

Kind regards
Alida

P. 128 There is no evil.
Yes, there is evil. In “The Grapes of Wrath” the former preacher says, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff that people do.” I disagreed with that, too, because it’s the same thing.

I believe in God, and I believe there is a devil, or Satan. One is good, the other is evil. I believe I have a brain, even if you can't see it.

I've already posted what I don't agree with. Why does this keep on coming up??

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 15th, 2024, 3:59 pm P. 128 There is no evil.
Yes, there is evil. In “The Grapes of Wrath” the former preacher says, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff that people do.” I disagreed with that, too, because it’s the same thing.

I believe in God, and I believe there is a devil, or Satan. One is good, the other is evil. I believe I have a brain, even if you can't see it.

Hi, Juanita Phelps,

Are you absolutely sure that is the very first sentence with which you disagree?

If so, then that means you believe god is not all-loving, correct?

That's because it's earlier said that, if the is a god, that god cannot be both all-loving and all-powerful if that god creates a world that should not be the way it is.

Alida Spies wrote: ↑May 16th, 2024, 4:05 am I've already posted what I don't agree with. Why does this keep on coming up??

Hi, Alida Spies,

Since you believe should-not-have-ness (a.k.a. "evil") exists, please do post a reply in the following topic making sure to answer all ten of the numbered questions:

Ten Questions for People Who Believe Should-Not-Have-Ness Exists (i.e. for people who believe in 'shoulds' and 'oughts')


I also suggest you read the following topic of mine:

To believe in an all-powerful God and think 'should-not-have-ness' exists is to therefore believe that God did a bad job


With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott

Eckhart Aurelius Hughes wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 2:46 pm

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 15th, 2024, 3:59 pm P. 128 There is no evil.
Yes, there is evil. In “The Grapes of Wrath” the former preacher says, “There ain’t no sin and there ain’t no virtue. There’s just stuff that people do.” I disagreed with that, too, because it’s the same thing.

I believe in God, and I believe there is a devil, or Satan. One is good, the other is evil. I believe I have a brain, even if you can't see it.

Hi, Juanita Phelps,

Are you absolutely sure that is the very first sentence with which you disagree?

If so, then that means you believe god is not all-loving, correct?

That's because it's earlier said that, if the is a god, that god cannot be both all-loving and all-powerful if that god creates a world that should not be the way it is.

Hey,
I have had to read that line several times to get what it means. That one flew over my head. Let me try again.

When God created the world, it was perfect. It became the way it is when humans, using the freewill God bestowed, messed it all up.

In other statements, you seem to say that the world should be the way that it is, since there is neither good nor bad. Therefore, if there is a God, that god can be all-loving and all-powerful ... having created a world that can be any way at all. So, I can believe in an all-loving, all-powerful God. And, I do.

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 3:51 pm In other statements, you seem to say that the world should be the way that it is, since there is neither good nor bad.

I don't recall saying that.

Please provide a verbatim quote of the very first sentence with which you disagree.

If you don't understand some of the sentence or they go "over your head" or such, then please instead quote the very first sentence that you don''t understand in the following topic:

Did you understand every sentence in the book, "In It Together"? If not, what part did you first not understand?

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 3:51 pm I believe in God, and I believe there is a devil, or Satan.

Okay, but is the God all-powerful and all-knowing?

Did he intentionally create Satan knowing what Satan would do?

If he is unable to stop Satan, then he is not all-powerful?

If a world with a Satan shouldn't exist but does, then god did a bad job.

If a world without a Satan would be objectively better than the one that actually exists (or at least better in the opinion of God), then god did a bad job.

In any case, you, Juanita, must agree with the following statements since they come before the one you said is the very first sentence with which you disagree:

1. The perception of literal evil is a manifestation of discontent, meaning a lack of inner peace, a lack of reality acceptance, a lack of unconditional love.

2. Logic tells us that if there is an all-loving god, then there would be no evil.


You must agree with the above two statements, since they come before the one you listed as the first with which you disagree. Right?



With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott

Eckhart Aurelius Hughes wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 5:45 pm

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 3:51 pm In other statements, you seem to say that the world should be the way that it is, since there is neither good nor bad.

I don't recall saying that.

Please provide a verbatim quote of the very first sentence with which you disagree.

If you don't understand some of the sentence or they go "over your head" or such, then please instead quote the very first sentence that you don''t understand in the following topic:

Did you understand every sentence in the book, "In It Together"? If not, what part did you first not understand?

Juanita Phelps wrote: ↑May 20th, 2024, 3:51 pm I believe in God, and I believe there is a devil, or Satan.

Okay, but is the God all-powerful and all-knowing?

Did he intentionally create Satan knowing what Satan would do?

If he is unable to stop Satan, then he is not all-powerful?

If a world with a Satan shouldn't exist but does, then god did a bad job.

If a world without a Satan would be objectively better than the one that actually exists (or at least better in the opinion of God), then god did a bad job.

In any case, you, Juanita, must agree with the following statements since they come before the one you said is the very first sentence with which you disagree:

1. The perception of literal evil is a manifestation of discontent, meaning a lack of inner peace, a lack of reality acceptance, a lack of unconditional love.

2. Logic tells us that if there is an all-loving god, then there would be no evil.


You must agree with the above two statements, since they come before the one you listed as the first with which you disagree. Right?



With love,
Eckhart Aurelius Hughes
a.k.a. Scott

Hi again,
I copied/pasted from another thread:
Accordingly, I don't believe anything happens that '"shouldn't" happen. I don't ever look at some aspect of unchangeable reality, and resentfully think, "It shouldn't be the way it unchangably is!"

In other words, I believe the would-be concept of 'should-ness' and 'should-not-ness' do not exist.

Thus, I don't believe there is anything you 'should' do. Likewise, I don't believe there is anything you 'should' not do.

This is the basis for my comment: In other statements, you seem to say that the world should be the way that it is, since there is neither good nor bad. I guess using the word “should” is off-base. My bad. I concede the point on a technicality.
I would rather discuss the God/Satan points.

1. God is, indeed, omnipotent and omniscient. He created Lucifer, an archangel. I have been taught that Lucifer rebelled and was evicted from Heaven. Omniscience should mean that God knew beforehand what would happen. I do not understand His reasons for allowing evil to exist.

2. God is omnipotent. He can stop Satan. He will do so. That’s what the end time, Battle of Armageddon, whatever you choose to call it is all about.

3. God didn’t do a bad job. God did what He wanted to do. Humans do not understand everything God does and we aren’t expected to do so.
Isaiah 55:2, says, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD.

Regarding which sentence was the very first with which I disagreed, let me confess that I didn’t mark anything. The sentence I chose is the one that just popped into my mind when reading the question. I went back to the book and looked for it. I apologize for, as my mother always said to me, “putting the cart before the horse.”

Thank you for thought-provoking discourse. I love it.
Juanita