Why is it good that God exists?

[Haight]

My mom likes to say that, "If G-d had not made himself known to us, it would be necessary to invent him."

Of course, I always agreed with the second part of that statement.

 

[ajblaise]

From perspective of pure logic, does that mean that is totally logical to work on moving it away from people?

Depends on what your rationality is for doing so.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

Empathy from an all knowing Being would do away with personal isolation. Justice as the foundation of all things would result in consistent accountability for violating other living things. Without god, justice, compassion, and understanding are inconsistent, fleeting ideas. Justice is a different concept when applied randomly or sporadically. When one living thing is violated and destroyed without accountability from the perpetrator for that act (sometimes not even witnessed), the entire universe is unjust from that vantage point. All the other moments of justice and accountability are meaningless for that one at that moment. For me letting go of god is letting go of a deeper concept of goodness because it is no longer a foundation for how things work, but something occasionally tacked onto the side. I wish there were a "perfect" god, but I don't have the ability to see things that way any longer.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Depends on what your rationality is for doing so.

Planet can't take much more of this, is the first thing that I can think of.

 

[Virtual ghost]

Empathy from an all knowing Being would do away with personal isolation. Justice as the foundation of all things would result in consistent accountability for violating other living things. Without god, justice, compassion, and understanding are inconsistent, fleeting ideas. Justice is a different concept when applied randomly or sporadically. When one living thing is violated and destroyed without accountability from the perpetrator for that act (sometimes not even witnessed), the entire universe is unjust from that vantage point. All the other moments of justice and accountability are meaningless for that one at that moment. For me letting go of god is letting go of a deeper concept of goodness because it is no longer a foundation for how things work, but something occasionally tacked onto the side. I wish there were a "perfect" god, but I don't have the ability to see things that way any longer.

All of this sounds very nice. But how there can be justice if you are in hell forever just because you were thief or a liar.
Even for category (murder) this is a way to much as punishment.


In the case that hell is not forever you can create as many sins you want because you will get out of hell with time. Since you can't die there is 100% chance that you will get out of it.

Plus there is a fact that all people don't have same starting point in life.

To tell you the truth I think justice is man made category that has nothing to do with reality.

 

[lowtech redneck]

All of this sounds very nice. But how there can be justice if you are in hell forever just because you were thief or a liar.
Even for category (murder) this is a way to much as punishment.


In the case that hell is not forever you can create as many sins you want because you will get out of hell with time. Since you can't die there is 100% chance that you will get out of it.

Plus there is a fact that all people don't have same starting point in life.

To tell you the truth I think justice is man made category that has nothing to do with reality.

So, is your question only pertaining to the Christian God (and a specific interpretation of Him, at that)? I usually consider the "God" in these questions to encompass a broader range of possibilities. To answer your question as I usually understand it, a "God" framework would provide me with eternal consciousness and free will, two things that most people really, really want. Hell, merely having the belief in some God framework would vastly increase my personal utility by erasing my perpetual existential angst.

In summation, it would be good if "God" existed because it would mean we are not a bunch of organic automatons hurtling toward oblivion.

 

[kyuuei]

So, they are not reliable so we will just brainwash them?

If you want to call religion brainwashing? Humanity IS unreliable.. Like I said, my beliefs are dramatically different from others, but I can see humanity delving into chaos with no hope of something greater in the middle of a very lonely universe. It all makes for a very sad tale.

In summation, it would be good if "God" existed because it would mean we are not a bunch of organic automatons hurtling toward oblivion.

+1.

 

[ByMySword]

Is there any ideas about this?

Its almost the same as asking why is it good that WE exist.

Honestly, I would say as far as the Christian God goes, there's that whole promise for eternal life, so I guess thats good, unless you go to Hell.

As far as our life here, it would depend on if you believe that God takes an active part in the goings on in the world, or if He sits back and watches as the world burns.

 

[Siúil a Rúin]

All of this sounds very nice. But how there can be justice if you are in hell forever just because you were thief or a liar.
Even for category (murder) this is a way to much as punishment.


In the case that hell is not forever you can create as many sins you want because you will get out of hell with time. Since you can't die there is 100% chance that you will get out of it.

Plus there is a fact that all people don't have same starting point in life.

To tell you the truth I think justice is man made category that has nothing to do with reality.

Yeah, the hell bit kind of wrecks that ideal. The religion I was raised in didn't believe in hell, so that never entered my world view, but it is the common glitch in the whole ideal.

 

[Not_Me]

If the Christian God exist, it would mean unending torture for most, unfortunately.

 

[Totenkindly]

To answer your question as I usually understand it, a "God" framework would provide me with eternal consciousness and free will, two things that most people really, really want.

Would it?
Is the notion of "free will" truly compatible with an omnipotent God?

Hell, merely having the belief in some God framework would vastly increase my personal utility by erasing my perpetual existential angst.

Unless, of course, you thought you were one of the people destined for hell.
(I can't think of a worse anxiety in life, than to expect in the back of your mind on a daily basis to spend an eternity in torment upon death.)

In summation, it would be good if "God" existed because it would mean we are not a bunch of organic automatons hurtling toward oblivion.

Would it actually mean that [if God exists]?

And are we hurling towards oblivion [even if God doesn't exist]?

I think the answer is obvious: If a Christian or Muslim or whatever God does in fact exist... we get to have eternal bliss in the afterlife if we follow said religion correctly.

If that's the case, you just have to game the system.

And a God who actually lets people game the system isn't much of a God, is s/he?

 

[reason]

Why is it good that God exists?

Because God is good?

That is what the song says.

 

[Aerithria]

People are always so focused on 'eternal bliss', but I've never understood why that's appealing. Bliss is very subjective, and since Heaven is God's creation, it would mean that Heaven is God's idea of bliss, not necessarily our idea of bliss. Considering God's track record in the Christian bible, I think I'd prefer Hell. And considering that most religious texts seem to be written from man's perspective, we wouldn't know if God was secretly a sadist, or something like that, and if that were the case, God's idea of bliss could end up being a torture realm.

Even if Heaven did end up exactly as the popular image of it is (and that still wouldn't satisfy everyone), there's no way for everyone to be eternally happy all the time unless everything that we are were gone. Someone -- don't remember who -- mentionned before that we probably wouldn't have free will, and they're right. If we stayed corporeal, which there are no guarantees for, there's no other way to make everyone comply to a strict peace policy. I suppose God could threaten to send us all to Hell if we misbehave, but doesn't that turn a world of blissful peace into a world of oppressive fear?

Eh, there's so many ways that idea could flop, but I won't list them all. I've always had the opinion that believing in God had no benefit. I'd rather take my chances in Hell -- granted, a world of unending torture isn't exactly an ideal one, but I'd rather have my free will any day. Also, wouldn't you eventually get used to the pain? Meh. I'd wager anything that the people I'd potentially meet in Hell would be far more interesting than the people I'd meet in Heaven, in any case.

Hm, one last thought: why would Satan willingly torture people that God doesn't like? I'd expect he'd get pleasure in swaying them from God, but to punish people because God wants them punished? Really? Hell is, after all, described from man's perspective of what God says to them. Nothing's every really told from Satan's perspective. I'd expect that, unless Satan is the most boringly predictable idiot existing, he'd come up with a better use of his time.

/ramble

 

[Lucifer]

God is only good because he says he is, there is no other opinion. People think heaven is a nice place because they were told it was, by men. Mortal men who have no clue. any person who has ever said heaven is good is alive and has never been to heaven. Heaven is a jail for people who have nor need the use for willpower to escape from it. Hell is the realm of he or she who would not give in to the wishes of others when they at least wanted the right to do as they wish.

 

[reason]

Any person who has ever said heaven is good is alive and has never been to heaven.

Really? Do you really think that is true?

In any case, so what? No astronomer has ever been to Neptune, but that doesn't mean they can't tell you what the weather is like.

 

[Didums]

I find it awesome that his name is Lucifer especially in the context of what he wrote lol!

 

[Didums]

Really? Do you really think that is true?

In any case, so what? No astronomer has ever been to Neptune, but that doesn't mean they can't tell you what the weather is like.

I think that is a completely different story, we're talking about transcending the Universe here.

 

[Lucifer]

Neptune physically exists and can be seen and touched. Heaven does exist, it exist in the minds of men as their sole fear, that by foolish actions of their own they will somehow be removed from whatever pleasures heaven offers. And that in itself is lustful and is a sin. if heaven does exist it is a lonely place, because the only way to get into is not think and only act through the wills of god, and that to me, is evil.

 

[reason]

I think that is a completely different story, we're talking about transcending the Universe here.

Heaven, if it exists, is part of the universe, albeit somewhat removed from everything else. We transcend our experience daily with our expectations, theories and assumptions--ordinary life would be impossible for a strict empiricist. If Heaven exists, even though beyond our experience, like the weather on Neptune, we can experience it through our imagination, and deduce it from our theories. Of course, our conjectures about heaven may be mistaken, but then they could also be true, and if they are true, then we have succeeded in describing the universe correctly. Very much the same is true for the astronomer who describes the weather on Neptune.

 

[reason]

Neptune physically exists and can be seen and touched. Heaven does exist, it exist in the minds of men as their sole fear, that by foolish actions of their own they will somehow be removed from whatever pleasures heaven offers. And that in itself is lustful and is a sin. if heaven does exist it is a lonely place, because the only way to get into is not think and only act through the wills of god, and that to me, is evil.

Neptune, like heaven, exists as an idea, and like the idea of Neptune, the idea of heaven might describe what is in actuality. Some think so, whereas others do not. And what of God? Perhaps there is a heaven and no God.