So, I've decided that; in addition to telling you guys about the day to day, I'm going to go ahead and pick a subject a posting, and write on it. So, tonight I present you with "Does God Care?"
I suppose we're assuming that there is, in fact, a God so, I'll put doubt aside. On the one had we have all the suffering on this planet. All the pain and misery inflicted on people by other people and outside forces might make it a bit hard to believe he does. Epicurus (a Greek philosopher for the uninitiated) put it in an eloquent way when he said, “Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”
The only rebuttal I've ever heard comes from the Bible in the book of Job. My understanding of the sum of it is that there was a good and God fearing man named Job that had been blessed by God with wealth, good health, and a loving family. So apparently, one day the devil went to God and said, “You know that the people have no real love for you. Take Job for example, he only praises and worships you because you have blessed him. If you took them away, I'd bet you he'd curse you in a second.” God disagreed so they made a wager. God would take everything from Job and, if Job cursed him, the devil won. If not, victory goes to God. I'm not sure what they wagered but, I'm under the impression that it was nothing. So, God kills Job's family, ruins his health, and takes his wealth. Job does not understand why God is doing this to him because he has been a good, god fearing man his entire life. Job asks God why he torments him so and God asks him who he thinks he is, to question God's will. He tells Job that he cannot begin to fathom what the lord's plan is. Job accepts this.
I wouldn't. That's not good enough. If he he is truly omnipotent then he would have to give me a damn good reason for keeping evil around. In fact, I'm not sure that one exists. So yeah, God is a cruel bastard.