From: utzoo!decvax!duke!unc!kh
Newsgroups: net.religion
Title: Understanding infinite gods
Article-I.D.: unc.4999
Posted: Sun Apr 17 00:10:20 1983
Received: Tue Apr 19 03:44:28 1983

Sayings like "How can a finite mind understand an infinite God?" and
"Who is any of us to argue with God?" are just attempts to evade the
serious problems that theism presents: omniscience vs. free will,
why bad things happen to good people, etc.  Quotations from Old
Testament prophets that had the same problem dealing with the hard
questions don't help.  The Old Testament books aren't consistent in
their conception of God, anyway.  If God is omniscient, why does he
have to test Abraham or Job?  If God allows all these terrible things
to happen to Job (not to mention his children), why should Job bother
to worship this god?  (For an interesting interpretation of "Job", read
"J.B." by Archibald Macleish.)

There is a simple solution, actually, to all these problems: there is
no god.  There is nothing more to the world than what is around us.
There is no omniscience, so there is no problem with free will.
There are different opinions of what is "sin" and what is "virtue" because
these are concepts invented by men, not divine Truths.
Job (and his family) had a run of bad luck.

The "God hypothesis" may have been an adequate attempt at explaining
the mysteries of the world, but science has provided better explanations
for these.  And science has the added benefit that it works. It has
provided major advances in the quality of life. It is testable.
What has God done for you lately?

					Kenny Hirsch
					duke!unc!kh
					kh.unc@UDel-Relay
					Chapel Hill, N.C.