why?

[thatguywhojuggles]

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=541&ncid=716&e=8&u=/ap/20030417/ap_on_he_me/aging_gene

Read the above article.

Some questions:

1. " Progeria affects only about one baby per 4 million to 8 million worldwide. " So is God just making a mistake at when a child is born with Progeria? To only screw up once every 4-8 million life creations wouldn't be bad if you weren't going around calling yourself a god.

2. " Now, researchers announced at new conference Wednesday, they have found what causes the mysterious disorder — the first step toward a treatment and a boost for learning more about normal aging as well. " Now, assuming humans DO manage to find a cure, do you find it odd that humans are cleaning up the mess that their god makes?

[Socrates]

Howdy!

Would you please tell me what you mean when you say God?

The Theistic definition of God is as follows:

Omniscient
Omnipotent
All Good
Transcendent yet Personal
And, the Ground of Being and Value

If this is what you mean by God, then there are some problems with your reasoning.

For one thing, your criticism is based on your feelings/opinions about Progeria, and your feelings/opinions and God cannot both be the Ground of Being and Value—unless, of course, you actually are God.

So, if you are going to use your feelings/opinions as the measure of right and wrong or good and evil or sense and non-sense, then, by definition, you are either criticizing something that is not the Theistic God, or you are the Theistic God, and you are just engaging in some healthy introspection.

Depending on the answer, please consider this either friendly discussion or an act of worship.

:D

Love,
Socrates

[stamenflicker]

These sorts of things have been discussed in numerous other threads, not excluding attempts to define omni-benevolence. Hardcore Christians would tell you that humanity is responsible for all the suffering in the world, not god, by placing punitive vaule to the sin concept. That's not my view, but it certainly explains it from the hardcore Christian perspective.

Flick

[Pyrrho]

This is the material world. If God exists, He has wisely decided to keep His hands off. Otherwise, He'd be violating His own laws, and the whole thing would break down due to the inherent paradox.

[thatguywhojuggles]

Originally posted by Socrates
Howdy!

Would you please tell me what you mean when you say God?

The Theistic definition of God is as follows:

Omniscient
Omnipotent
All Good
Transcendent yet Personal
And, the Ground of Being and Value

If this is what you mean by God, then there are some problems with your reasoning.

For one thing, your criticism is based on your feelings/opinions about Progeria, and your feelings/opinions and God cannot both be the Ground of Being and Value—unless, of course, you actually are God.

So, if you are going to use your feelings/opinions as the measure of right and wrong or good and evil or sense and non-sense, then, by definition, you are either criticizing something that is not the Theistic God, or you are the Theistic God, and you are just engaging in some healthy introspection.

Depending on the answer, please consider this either friendly discussion or an act of worship.

:D

Love,
Socrates

Socrates,

As much as I would love to call myself a god, I believe I am way to ignorant for that title. That said, could you explain what you mean by "Ground of Being and Value"

When I type, and I mention God (with a capital G,) I refer to the Christian god. I'm not sure if that is a standard, but growing up in a Christian family (my parents being missionaries,) I was taught that our god was God, and other gods were false.

[Socrates]

Originally posted by thatguywhojuggles
That said, could you explain what you mean by "Ground of Being and Value"

I can't claim this definition as my own; it has been in use since long before I was around. But, I will do my best to elaborate.

I believe it was Paul Tillich that popularized the term "ground" as a descriptor for the Theistic God. Paul Tillich referred to God as ground and abyss of power and meaning.

Clear as mud, eh?

By analogy, I believe "God" is to "Ground of Being and Value" as "Unified Field" is to "matter." Being and Value are dependent upon God for existence--they issue forth from God. It is God's nature that makes Being and Value what they are just as it is the nature of the Unified Field that makes matter what it is.

I know that this is a lame analogy because some bonehead "String" Theorist is going to challenge the validity of the traditional "Unified Field Theory" and miss the whole point I'm trying to make.

Originally posted by thatguywhojuggles
When I type, and I mention God (with a capital G,) I refer to the Christian god.

Yes, and when a Mormon types the word God they mean a man of Flesh and Bone, and when a you get 100 Christians and Jews together you get 100 different notions about what God with an upper case "G" means. That is why I am always particular to establish this definition of God before proceeding with any discussion about God. It eliminates any confusion that can arise from different connotative uses of the word. This is the definition most widely used by Theologians and Philosophers when discussing the Theistic God, so that is good enough for me--it seems better than asking a Johovah's Witness what God means.

Love,
Socrates

[Rockon]

Originally posted by thatguywhojuggles
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story2&cid=541&ncid=716&e=8&u=/ap/20030417/ap_on_he_me/aging_gene

Now, assuming humans DO manage to find a cure, do you find it odd that humans are cleaning up the mess that their god makes?

I find it quite natural. I don't expect everything to be simply handed to us.

Tim

[c4ts]

I expect some sort of longevity vaccene will arrive before the end of this century...

[EvilYeti]

Originally posted by thatguywhojuggles

1. " Progeria affects only about one baby per 4 million to 8 million worldwide. " So is God just making a mistake at when a child is born with Progeria? To only screw up once every 4-8 million life creations wouldn't be bad if you weren't going around calling yourself a god.

2. " Now, researchers announced at new conference Wednesday, they have found what causes the mysterious disorder — the first step toward a treatment and a boost for learning more about normal aging as well. " Now, assuming humans DO manage to find a cure, do you find it odd that humans are cleaning up the mess that their god makes?

According to Judaism, God intentionally made the universe imperfect and its up to us to work out all the kinks. Doing so gives our lives purpose and meaning.

If God is responsible for such mistakes, does that mean he is also responsible for everything that goes right? It would seem only fair.