Thoughts on madness

Problems I have with "The Case for Faith" Obj. 1, problem 1

2005-02-02T00:00:55Z

On Pg 31-32 Human suffering is allowed by god for a long term good.

In the prologue of this book, the author talks about a former evangelist who lost his faith. One of the reasons he lost his faith was a photograph in Life magazine of an African mother and her dead child. Mr. Strobel goes to a Christian philosopher, named Peter Kreeft, to answer how evil and suffering can exist in the same world as a loving God. That photograph is the first example he brings up.

Mr. Kreeft argues that we can't say that our suffering is not a short term evil leading to a long term good. How is this women's child dying and her own probable death work toward any type of long term good? They are quite probably not Christian, so God is in effect damning them both to hell (or at least the mother). Could it be for population control?(Most suffering is in poor countries that have too many people living off too few resources) It doesn't seem very effective. Not to mention the many other ways an "All Powerful God" could control the birth rate. Could it be to prevent some evil thing that those people could cause in the future? He didn't prevent Hitler or the many other mass murderers of history. What possible long term goals did that drought and famine accomplish that could not be accomplished in any other way?

What is an Extraordinary Event

2005-01-26T19:52:45Z

This person offends me. I was reading The Search for Faith as a favor for a friend (We like to discuss religion and evolution). In the third chapter, Objection #2 (which I have issues with anyway), he compares the Resurrection of Christ to winning the lottery. I am sorry but extraordinary events do require extraordinary evidence. Whether we have that evidence is another matter. But being told what the winning lotto numbers are on the news or in the newspaper is not an extraordinary event. It is a weekly event.

Now, being told the day before the drawing might qualify as an extraordinary event, if you are sure that the person who told you has no access to the people who run the lotto, or any way of knowing it.

It would be even more impressive if he was willing to claim it on the news or a talk show (Harder to deny or revise his statement. Plus recordings!).

People win the lottery all the time. There is only one occasion I know of that someone was raised as a direct act of God (acting as God the Father, not the Son. Jesus did raise Lazarus. If you believe the Bible.). That is an Extraordinary Event. And I do think it requires extraordinary evidence. The question I have is whether we have that evidence. But that is for each individual person to decide.

Questions for any creationists out there

2005-01-24T19:22:57Z

Please explain why bacteria have longer DNA than multicelled organisms. Think of a testable hypothesis of why this is so. If you can't explain why evolutionists can, but you can't.

Please explain the original origen and function of viruses in creationist theory. Think of a testable hypothesis.

Please explain the origen of birth defects and why God allows them to exist. For extra credit explain why they take the forms they do.

Please explain why so many pregnancies end in miscarriages. Explain why some people are infertile from birth and why god created them that way.

Please try to find some way for creationist theory to prevent or repair birth defects or infertility. What would creationism do to combat disease and increase crop yields?

Evolution tries to explain all of these things. It does so in ways that are falsifiable and can be verified, even if only in the lab or by inference. If creationism can not do the same, what good is it?