What Can God Offer Me
A few years ago in Fargo I was invited to debate Ryan Anderson of the Heritage Foundation. He had written with others a book trying to destroy gay marriage. He is a Catholic who puts much faith in the Catholic foolishness of Natural Law. In his book he used an article from the social sciences claiming children of gay parents did worse in school and life than those with straight long married couples. Anderson neglected to mention the social scientist who wrote the article backed off in the next issue of the journal admitting he had not sampled properly. Now Anderson, ever the climber, is head of some other Christian group.
In the link, Anderson now claims he knows how to convert atheists to Christianity. It happens I've been reading about his favorite topic, Natural Law, and have come to wonder what benefit a converted Christian would receive.
The philosopher I've been discussing, Edward Feser, has tried to explain to the public why God allows so much human suffering. He casually blows off human suffering by explaining in God's "system" there is a blissful end to suffering. That is, of course, when those who have suffered die they are rewarded with the bliss of heaven.
He points out that a little girl learning violin finds considerable discomfort. Her fingers hurt, her arms tire from holding it up and the mental/physical combination leads to discouragement. Later after she masters it the rewards of pleasure are large enough to offset the "suffering." Feser admits this is not comparable to the Holocaust but the same principle applies, reward for suffering.
The trouble comes along when it is noted Holocaust survivors were Jews who did not accept Jesus. Or, what if those who suffered something like the Holocaust are people like me, atheists. If we suffer through something like the Holocaust, atheists are jailed and tortured in some countries, and then die isn't the "reward" spending eternity in a "fiery hell?" Jews and atheists get to suffer twice.
This turns Feser and his Natural Law on its head. It also makes Ryan Anderson's ideas of conversion, just make friends with the unchurched, really ridiculous. Go the church and get to know a cruel and heartless God.
hey Jon. it seems to me that a cruel and heartless God comes to about the same thing as a cruel and heartless universe. except that God offers us hope. BTW no body that I know says that Jews and atheists will go to hell simply because they are Jews and atheists. your assertions in that regard are, in a word, slanderous.
ReplyDeleteViolin? If it has strings, keys, or buttons, I can play them all, but when it comes to accordions, it is the true test of tolerance and patience. If one likes or plays the accordion, he/she is guaranteed a pass on suffering. (So I've been told.) My cat wouldn't agree. I think the harmonics hurts her ears.
ReplyDeletelittle helper, Feb 7, 2021 at 7:06 PM. “when it comes to accordions”
DeleteYou have my sympathy. Earning a pass on suffering through competency on an accordion is a challenge by any measure. Perhaps you need a new muse. As inspiring as a fräulein dancing in buckle overshoes on a bar in Wishek on Saturday night may be, there could be cause for lapses in focus. Just saying.
I've made it this far, so I'm not gonner change , unless I decide to master the swinette. That accordion got my future mother in law's approval over sixty years ago.
DeleteA fraulein dancing with buckle overshoes is a sight to behold, especially when the buckles get on her left side get caught with those on the right. Like a ballerina dancing on her head. Ach, such a sight.
little helper @ 7:01 AM. “swinette”
DeleteYour cat may prefer harmonics to having her whiskers plucked and stretched across the aft hatch of a boar pig. I think I have an old Water Pick I’ll give you if you ever decide to demo your string chops on a pork butt. Cheers.
re. swinette; It's a rubber band plucked with your good tooth. Boar for the low notes, sow for the highs. Dueling hogs on a wild river in in the deep South, or the Communist hall South of Bismarck. (If you can find it.) Cat whiskers don't stretch. Yous gots to know your insterments.
Deletelittle helper @ 1:28 PM
DeleteRubber band? You must be referring to the Stradivarius model swinette from the Appalachian outback where the tooth brush was invented.
“A swinette is a musical instrument which is made by stretching a cat’s whisker across the posterior of a pig. The swinette is played by plucking the whisker with one’s teeth. The virtuoso creates tonal variations by squeezing the pig at appropriate places in the abdominal region.”, http://www.swinette.com/files/Page324.htm
Darn them internets. I yield to authority. Good evening.