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From: russ@uokvax.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: Re: Even If I DID Believe ... (the d - (nf)
Message-ID: <5027@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 20-Jan-84 23:12:12 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.5027
Posted: Fri Jan 20 23:12:12 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 21-Jan-84 23:27:31 EST
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#R:utcsrgv:-306500:uokvax:8300032:000:1474
uokvax!russ    Jan 19 17:16:00 1984

An excellent reply to this whole issue has been posted by ihuxn!ewp under
the title 'The morals of God'.  I would just like to mention that we have
the means to end world hunger right now, but that we don't.  This is our
choice.  We have CHOSEN not to feed starving people.  There is plenty of
food available on this planet.  If we put as much effort into feeding
people as we do in putting people in space or building cars, tv's, and record
albums, I am certain that everyone on this planet would be well fed.  To do
so, people who have a surplus of goods (like us) would have to give something
up.  Are you willing to give up the luxuries you have worked so hard for to
feed a stranger?  It appears that most people aren't.  To expect or wish that
some omnipotent god would come down and do it for you is a cop-out.  What did
God put us on earth for?  If he gave us free-will, shouldn't he give us sit-
uations (like feeding the poor) to test it?  Perhaps it would be better if
the poor could somehow become able to feed themselves.  To discover why they
cannot and to figure out how to rectify the condition is a much more funda-
mental problem.  I don't think that this problem lends itself to easy sol-
utions.  If you find yourself morally committed to abolishing hunger, then
maybe you should study this issue instead of wasting your time with
"what if's".

                                      Russell Spence
                                    ..ctvax!uokvax!russ