'Why does God allow suffering?'

'Why does God allow suffering?' Dec 31, 2019 5:50:55 GMT

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Post by Eva Yojimbo on Dec 31, 2019 5:50:55 GMT

Dec 30, 2019 13:46:01 GMT OldSamVimes said:

Dec 30, 2019 13:26:43 GMT Eva Yojimbo said:

This doesn't seem to have much to do with what I said. To answer "why would/does God allow suffering?" first requires God existing to be answerable, otherwise you might as well ask "how many angles can fit on the head of a pin?" or "do Gargoyles hate elves?"

How is a walk in the woods on a beautiful day evidence of anything beyond the fact that our brains evolved towards appreciating certain aesthetics?

This thread is about people who ask the question 'Why does God allow suffering'?

Or, 'If there's a God, why would He allow suffering?'

In both instances we're assuming some sort of God exists for the sake of the question. It's a philosophical question and 'proof of God' doesn't enter into it at all.

Have our brains evolved towards appreciating certain aesthetics? Why is it that many people can walk past a beautiful sunset and not notice anything spectacular? Perhaps a feeling of awe is the default and all our conditioning with schools and media limit and narrow our perspectives?

I understand, but my entire point is that in order to answer the question you have to have some knowable facts about God, otherwise you can rationalize why god (any god) might would allow suffering. How is that any different than the "how many angles can fit on the head of a pin?" question; in either scenario, you're just making up an answer with no evidence to support it.

To say our brains evolved towards anything doesn't mean some individuals haven't developed to varying degrees, or don't place more emphasis on certain aspects of what the brain can do than others. Perhaps someone doesn't recognize the beauty of a sunset, but they recognize the beauty of a Mozart symphony, or a Keats poem, or a Van Gogh painting, or their child's laughter, or their partner's smile, etc. Not many people find nothing about reality beautiful, but it's awfully arrogant to claim that those who don't find what you find beautiful to be spiritually unconscious.