That we see evidence of a thing does not make it right or good. That God is claimed to have done a thing does not make it right or good, either.
I am sure that it was a great consolation to the parents of Achmed who lived in Upper Egypt, who had no concept over the struggles of the Hebrews in the Nile Delta, and who had no clue what was going on that their son died because someone decided that it was appropriate to punish an entire nation for the acts of its rulers.
Sorry, you have to do better than that to justify the slaughter of innocents.
The plague upon the firstborn of Egypt. Surely, there were some innocent children who were killed by God. Surely, such an act is evil. That pretty much gets us back to where we were. Uru
Oh, that. I'm not sure I have much to add to my last post (reprinted below). We could look for additional views on how religious and ethical scholars discuss the accusation down the centuries,... more
That Does Not Make It Right Or Good... — Uru Hammer,Wed Apr 7 16:19
There are at least two points here, I can share. First, a Believer's definition of G-d per Scripture is that what He performs is "right and good." We may not perceive it at the time, or possibly... more
...unless it is chosen. This applies to God as much as it does to any of us. So acts are not good because God does them. God chooses to do acts that are objectively good according to an independent... more
As I said in my prior two posts, this is the essence of our disagreement. For me, in the final matter, "I am not G-d," and "G-d is the definition of Good and Just." Our foundations for understanding... more
This is the essence of our disagreement. For me, in the final matter, goodness must be freely chosen in order to have meaning. If every act of a being is used to define what goodness is, then... more
The older I've become, the more I've studied and learned, I've come to realize the less I know or could possibly. I've grown less self-assured and self-centered, I believe. I certainly thought I knew ... more
And before I note something more comprehensive, I want to point out that passion does not = Frank. Passion need not be burning. It simply reaches the core of who we are and helps define us. I think... more
There are always differences of perspective. And, of course, I too could say the same and urge you to similarly "consider it (the view from my perspective) a moment." I know your perspective, Hammer. ... more
1) The tale is legend, not literal history. Okay, I can definitely go there. But, that only has me pull back one step, because I think that if the idea is to learn lessons, you have to be aware of... more
I think this one's played out. Just one last correction. Hebrew Scripture is a moral not literal history. The emphasis is on what is the lesson for how we should live not the objective chronicling of ... more