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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 9:12am | IP Logged | 1 post reply

Written by Carlo Filice, Professor of Philosophy at the State University of New York College at Geneseo:


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So, back to our current formulation of this question: Given a God, why is the world as we know it here? Why would a divine source produce a world (or many worlds) at all? This is a particularly difficult question for those who conceive of God as a fully blissful and self-sufficient being, which is a typical theological conception of God. What would motivate such a self-satisfied super-mind to imagine from nothing a world not-itself, and realize it? Why not simply rest forever or timelessly in its blissful self-state? 

It’s remarkable that the foundational texts of the major religions have little to say about this. The Book of Genesis simply begins with God’s process of creation, no motivation offered. The only hint as to motive occurs post-Creation, when God observes the various elements created and recognizes their goodness (“And behold it was good…” is written several times in the first chapter). Perhaps such goodness is itself the reason for the Creation; or perhaps not, and such goodness was a surprising byproduct of the Creation. More would have to be said.

The full article is HERE, but I thought I'd pick two pertinent quotes.

People know I don't believe in God.

As a kid, I would ask awkward questions of my teachers, e.g. "What was God doing before he created the world?"

Other than for boredom (and why would an omnipotent being be bored, anyway?) or as part of some experiment, I am not sure why a god would create a world.

I think this is what made the biggest impression on me:


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Why not simply rest forever or timelessly in its blissful self-state?
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Marc Baptiste
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 9:17am | IP Logged | 2 post reply

I hate this answer, but the one thing that I have always come back to is: ENTERTAINMENT.

Marc
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John Byrne
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 9:33am | IP Logged | 3 post reply

“Entertainment” is too benevolent. The God of the Old Testament (the one I could believe in, given the state of the world) was cruel, jealous, vengeful, misogynistic, and basically a first class prick.

To understand why he would create the world, imagine a sunny day and a child crouching over an anthill with a magnifying glass.

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Eric Sofer
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 9:57am | IP Logged | 4 post reply

"Why would God create the world?"
"It's unimaginable to me that He would."

Isn't that a rather strong argument for atheism? When one starts debating God's motivations, I think that first of all, there's no way to understand them, any more than a starfish can discuss calculus. Secondly, one should define God before ascribing motivations, actions, desires, etc. to Him. And you will NEVER get enough agreement to persuade anyone else, I believe.

"Why would God create the world?"
"So he could make beings that could discuss his existence."
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Robbie Parry
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 10:15am | IP Logged | 5 post reply

Actually, Eric, if I told you I had a pet starfish that does, among other things, discuss calculus, you'd be surprised. 

I am not a deep thinker. Never was. But even as a kid, I was thinking certain things (during religious classes): Where did God come from? Why did he create the world? If he was eternal, what was he doing, as far as 'time' could have meaning, prior to the world's creation?

No teacher could ever satisfactorily answer those questions for me. ;-)
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Byron Graham
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 11:04am | IP Logged | 6 post reply

I think the Eleventh Doctor put it best when he said, "I'm being extremely clever up here and there's no-one to stand around looking impressed. What's the point in having you all?"

I believe God was thinking the same thing.


Edited by Byron Graham on 04 October 2018 at 11:05am
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John Byrne
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 11:07am | IP Logged | 7 post reply

Caught the last few minutes of A DOG’S PURPOSE. In the closing scenes Dennis Quaid’s character realizes his new dog is the reincarnation of a pup he had as a child. Actually. For reals. And thus the movie ends.

I found myself thinking This is the most profound discovery in all of human history! But apparently the movie goes no further with it. It’s just a happy ending, not something that would shake human civilizations to their very core.

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Peter Martin
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 5:07pm | IP Logged | 8 post reply

Why not simply rest forever or timelessly in its blissful self-state? 
--------------------------------------------------
Forever is a long time. Given an infinite length of time, it is possible for God to have infinite whims, to have acted on them all... and had them all play out forever.
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John Byrne
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Posted: 04 October 2018 at 5:19pm | IP Logged | 9 post reply

Having gods means struggling to understand the minds of the gods, which are very conveniently unknowable.

Having science means accepting the universe as it unfolds itself before us, without the need for a Divine Plan to explain why babies are being raped and your father has colon cancer.

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Shane Matlock
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Posted: 05 October 2018 at 2:04am | IP Logged | 10 post reply

This cracked me up when I read it in Lullaby by Chuck Palahniuk. 

“Centuries ago, sailors on long voyages used to leave a pair of pigs on every deserted island. Or they'd leave a pair of goats. Either way, on any future visit, the island would be a source of meat. These islands, they were pristine. These were home to breeds of birds with no natural predators. Breeds of birds that lived nowhere else on earth. The plants there, without enemies they evolved without thorns or poisons. Without predators and enemies, these islands, they were paradise. 
The sailors, the next time they visited these islands, the only things still there would be herds of goats or pigs. 
Oyster is telling this story. 
The sailors called this "seeding meat." 
Oyster says, "Does this remind you of anything? Maybe the ol' Adam and Eve story?" 
Looking out the car window, he says, "You ever wonder when God's coming back with a lot of barbecue sauce?”

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John Byrne
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Posted: 05 October 2018 at 7:28am | IP Logged | 11 post reply

"...seeding meat..."

Not a whisper of this on Google.

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Robbie Moubert
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Posted: 05 October 2018 at 8:42am | IP Logged | 12 post reply

Found an old discussion on the Snopes message board and a reference to Pig Beach on the Bahamas website but nothing conclusive.
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