Posted on 11/11/2005 4:47:36 PM PST by Wolfstar
Do you really believe God hates you as much as you hate him?
That is a beautiful quote from scripture. I agree that there are many mysteries which we mere mortals may never know the answer until we meet our God.
But I hope to explore the question of Intelligent Design vs. the many defects we see in this world.
How so? Perhaps an eternity of bliss in the afterlife awaits the afflicted.
We would all have to be very smart (smarter than any human) to know why these diseases exist.
Maybe it has something to do with the flesh being less important and the soul being more important?
Yes, the soul suffers the pain of the body. But when that connection is gone, so is the pain.
PS. And the corollary to that is that if an all-powerful, all-knowing God exists then nothing is evil in his view, since nothing can exist other than what He wants to exist. Another corollary is the absence of free will - i.e., predestination.
I am sure with a tiny bit of effort you can find someone around here to go through a bunch of rhetorical acrobatics trying to explain the "Problem of Evil" some other way..
A myopic argument......by this same philosophy, I would assume that evolutionary principles also would not apply to such genetic abnormality. Is not the purpose of evolution for a species to continue in an upward development? As a species developed would not it conquer such aberration?
I tend to think that such difficulties would actually draw individuals closer to a higher power. This utter helplessness only makes one search for strength in something greater.
You cite one terrible aspect of life and use it to discredit religion.
Why not point to your own head and use it to credit religion?
As I said above, things that are designed intelligently are efficient. It is terribly inefficient and cruel to start a baby on its way to life only to have no chance for life. Makes no sense from a purely efficient design point of view.
PPS. Oh, and the answer to your original question would be: Yes, they can be reconciled if the "intelligent designer" is either incompetent or malevolent.
Not 'many'. Nothing but defects. Not the way we would design it. Is it?
First, to me this is not a question of religious faith, but of intelligent design as a scientific argument. There is no attempt at ridicule whatsoever. Quite the opposite. I am open to being won over to the intelligent design argument if it can be reconciled with the fact that birth defects and other defects exist.
Wolfstar: Not interested in an argument, but a discussion. It's unfortunate that you consider an attempt to explore the question "dumb."
Your response reflects your dishonesty. Texas Transplant did not say the topic was dumb, or to discuss it was dumb...they said the way you attempted to start the topic was dumb...and I believe they are correct in their assumption that your intent was not discussion but argument...but don't let me get in the way of your crusade against anyone that sees value in human life...even when the bodies are imperfect.
BTW, try talking to some parents of children with Downs syndrome and tell them that their children aren't valuable...see if they agree with you.
Does Intelligent Design theory demand that every creation be perfect? Certainly, an impersonal IDesigner would be permitted a plus or minus!
If the Designer is the God of the Bible, the tragedy in this world is due to the fall.
I am going to throw my $.02 worth in on this. First of all my son has Down Syndrome. I can reconcile this debate. My son is a Blessing & a gift from the LORD GOD ALMIGHTY! He teaches me everyday about uncondtional love. No matter how bad my day has been to hear Lance go "Hi Dadda" makes all better. I firmly believe that he is an Angel sent to earth to teach about love.
Nuff Said
Sorry, but you presume to know the mind of the designer and judge the designer by standards of your own invention. There is no debate.
All the ID advocates are willing to swear under oath in court that intelligent design has nothing to do with religion, and that the designer is not God.
The designer is a psychopathic space alien.
I think this argument is like blaming DaVinci for every bad print that is made of the Mona Lisa.
Agreed, but what does that have to do with the concept of intelligent design?
You see, intelligent design is being put forward as an alternative scientific theory to the theory of evolution. So I am trying to explore this question more in a scientific or philosophical sense than in a religious sense.
Evolution as a concept is nearly useless in physics. In fact, physicists assume that things are holding constant to a degree, and if that is a symptom of design so be it.
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