Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: bgsuvax!kutz@cis.ohio-state.edu (Kenneth J. Kutz) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: An atheist's question Message-ID: Date: 5 Nov 90 10:02:09 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Bowling Green State University B.G., Oh. Lines: 46 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , duncant@mbunix.mitre.org (Thomson) writes: > It seems to me impossible to accept that an all-powerful god could allow > a child to be murdered in such a brutal way. If any person had the power > to prevent such an atrocity, and failed to act, in my opinion such a person > would be completely dispicable. > Is there an answer? ("The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways" does not hack it > with me.) I can see where a person who believes "life on earth is all there is" would get upset with a "god" like this. If one carries the above presupposition into a discussion of "why are young children allowed to be murdered?", frustration and animosity toward such a "god" must necessarily be the result. I must say however, no one has a right to such a presupposition. In order to hold a presupposition, one must have evidence to support it. If I presuppose that if I push this terminal off the edge of my desk, it will fall to the ground, I have a right to that presupposition because I have seen gravity act upon unsuspended objects countless times in my life. If I hold the view that "there is no such thing as eternal life", that view is based on *faith* and I have no right to presuppose it to be true. Remove then, that presupposition you have that eternal bliss with the Lord does not exist and glance at the graph below: |-|---------------------------/.../--------------------------------> forever ^ ^ | | Born| | "Died" You see how insignificant the time is here on earth in the Christian view? I suspect those children may feel like Paul who would have been happy to die so he could go be with his Creator, the One whom he was designed to have fellowship with forever. -- Kenneth J. Kutz Internet kutz@andy.bgsu.edu Systems Programmer BITNET KUTZ@ANDY University Computer Services UUCP ...!osu-cis!bgsuvax!kutz Bowling Green State Univ. US Mail 238 Math Science, BG OH 43403