Philosophy Discussion Forums

I agree with your perspective. God did a perfect job. So, should-ness and should-not-have-ness have no real significance.

I am a Christian who believes in God and I also do not ascribe to "shoulds" and "should nots". I think generally speaking that "should" and "should not" create a very limiting and fixed mindset view of the world, rather than a growth mindset. If someone does something just because they believe they should, it may not be a very worthwhile endeavor. With the exception of actions that are harmful to oneself or another person, believing that you should not do something can hold someone back from accomplishing a feat that they may very well be capable of, if they are able to let go of the idea that they "should not" do that thing.

In the realm of philosophy and whether God "should" or "should not" allow events to happen I believe that human beings have been given the gift of free will because God desires us to be free to choose our actions including being free to choose whether or not to respond to His love and His desire for relationship with us. Bad things happen because we do not always choose the good, but if God did not allow bad things to happen then He would be infringing on our free will.

I don't agree with you though. God always make decisions as he sees fit. He allows everything to happen for different reasons. He works in mysterious ways that we humans can't even imagine.

When discussing the perception of the world as a perfect creation, it's important to recognize that the idea of perfection is subjective and varies greatly among different cultures, philosophies, and individuals. While some may find comfort in envisioning a world where everything is precisely ordered, it's also valuable to consider the dynamic nature of creation itself.

I believe and I love the way you judge the existence of a powerful and loving God by using the fact that the creation is perfect and there is no should-not-have-ness. I will say I do believe in should-not-have-ness and yet I believe and know there is a perfect and loving God. From Christianity perspective, as I'm a Christian, God did everything perfectly, including human beings and give us free will. With this free will, human can decide to create what can be called should-not-have-ness. For example, a person can decide to harm or kill a fellow human for monetary gains that is not meant for them. You can only say should-not-have-ness does not exist if and only if no human has ever decided evil on harm their fellow human without being offended before. However, this form of evil exist. So, should we say God did bad by creating evil human beings? We now need to considered the picture you added to your post. In the Bible and christianity, the picture depict a time in the garden of Eden when Satan came in form of serpent to lie to Eve and tell her that God is bad for telling them not to eat of the tree of life. Eve was convinced by the serpent and eventually ate of the tree. According to the Bible, first humans know nothing like evil and it does not exist. But since the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, human manufactures evil every now and then majorly for their selfish interest. What we need to assume our first human state like in the Garden of Eden is to identify the plan God has laid down for us to reconcile us back to himself and regain the idyllic lifestyle and sinless state or state of no evil or a state where there is no should-not-have-ness. The Holy Bible has the answer, regarding this.

For me, as a Christian, I believe that God did everything perfectly, yet there is still should-not-have-ness in this life. To analyse this, Biblical knowledge is one way to get answers. From the begining of the world Satan has always been competing with God.

I find it interesting that different religions will have different portrayals of their “God” figure, be it in a literal or figurative sense. Would it be hard to argue we are masters of our own creation and so “god” of ourself in some sense?

God actually did a great job with the earth and every single thing in it. The only thing that should or should not have happened are the crimes committed by people.

I personally, aside from the Buddhist concept of God that different from the Abrahamic religions, argue that God should act as observer who does not intervene in human affairs. He created the karma system and should let humans interact with it.

Surely there's a greater mastermind to all of lifestyle creations there has to be!

While some may advocate for acceptance of the unchangeable aspects of our world, others might seek to challenge the status quo in pursuit of progress or justice. Engaging in open dialogue can foster a deeper appreciation for the myriad perspectives that shape our understanding of the world, ultimately contributing to a more inclusive and interconnected global community

I hold the conviction that an omnipotent God exists, and the concept of 'should-not-have-ness' is nonexistent. My belief stems from the understanding that God operates distinctly, and anything that appears adverse will ultimately unfold for the better, provided we possess the patience to endure. Therefore, I agree with your viewpoint that those who affirm the existence of an all-powerful God and also acknowledge the concept of "should-not-have-ness" essentially suggest that God did a bad job.

While your view offers a refreshing take on perfection and a loving creator, some might argue that subjectivity, suffering, free will's role in imperfection, and the ever-changing nature of the world itself challenge the idea of a static, universally perfect creation.

Others posit that what may seem imperfect to humans is part of a grander divine plan beyond human comprehension. The debate revolves around reconciling the omnipotence of God with the existence of what may be perceived as "should-not-have-ness." Different religious traditions offer diverse perspectives on this intricate relationship between God's power and the perceived imperfections in the world.

I have come to realize that , anything that has to do with God, I will reserve my comment. I feel God is not a subject that we as mortal .