Who is the good guy?

[mrswdk]

God
Creates knowledge for no purpose other than to ban humans from acquiring it
When two humans acquire that knowledge, punishes not just them but all of their ancestors in revenge
Wants to keep humans as his ignorant pets

Satan
Attempted to educate humans despite God's brutal threats
Risked everything to help the humans
Was made a martyr

[william18]

How did satan risk everything for humans? He was already exiled to damnation.

Also he didn't tell eve to eat the apple because it would give her knowledge. He wanted curse the human race to sin. His whole plan is to tempt souls to hell, and rule over them.

[PLAYER57832]

God
Creates knowledge for no purpose other than to ban humans from acquiring it
When two humans acquire that knowledge, punishes not just them but all of their ancestors in revenge
Wants to keep humans as his ignorant pets

Satan
Attempted to educate humans despite God's brutal threats
Risked everything to help the humans
Was made a martyr

You presume that God created knowledge without reason, but it is the knowledge God gave you and the facilities God gave that allow you to even consider this. Also, your characterization of God and Satan is so incorrect its just a pretty sad attempt at argument, not anything worth debating..... and I pretty much debate anything, but this is just stupid.

There might be a legitimate point in there, but you need to rethink the question... right now, its just a big fail.

[rishaed]

The correct answer to this is really in satans tempting:
"And ye shall become as gods."
Your presumptions are flawed, because they obviously did have knowledge. How else could Adam have named everything.
The rule was in essence rather "don't play god." Which they were not created for.

[riskllama]

nice to see you again, player...

[notyou2]

Says one player to another.

[waauw]

Hail Prometheus!

[DoomYoshi]

Hail Prometheus!

Funny, I was expecting this to be a question about Prometheus Bound.

There are 3 categories of beings according to both Eastern and Western traditions. Animal, angel and God are three classes that at various points in his history man has self-identified with. Only when he realizes that he is human, as distinct from the other 3 can he truly be said to be living without sin.

Just last week I read Prometheus Bound again. At first, I was thinking... How is he a hero? He directly contravened Zeus' will. Zeus was going to destroy humans and it is proper that he should have. Why would anyone syphathze with him unless they were thinking from a human perspective? That's the brilliance of Aescyhlus since he forces you to realize that only by viewing the world from the perspective of a human can you fully understand your role in the universe. The questions such as WWJD and "how would god look at this" distort your thinking.

Then Aeschylus brings in Io, just to make the point that this isn't the Christian/Satan story but something entirely different. Zeus is a prick and so is his wife.

As far as mrswdk's actual question is concerned: would you rather live forever or be smarter?

[warmonger1981]

Hail Ray Kurzweil. Who needs religion when you have technology?

Religion=interpretation of God
Faith= a belief in God

[GoranZ]

God
Creates knowledge for no purpose other than to ban humans from acquiring it
When two humans acquire that knowledge, punishes not just them but all of their ancestors in revenge
Wants to keep humans as his ignorant pets

Satan
Attempted to educate humans despite God's brutal threats
Risked everything to help the humans
Was made a martyr

Concepts of God or Satan are not accepted by the atheists, what voting options did you give to them?

[mrswdk]

Just last week I read Prometheus Bound again. At first, I was thinking... How is he a hero? He directly contravened Zeus' will. Zeus was going to destroy humans and it is proper that he should have. Why would anyone syphathze with him unless they were thinking from a human perspective? That's the brilliance of Aescyhlus since he forces you to realize that only by viewing the world from the perspective of a human can you fully understand your role in the universe

I guess you do believe in moral relativism after all then.

As far as mrswdk's actual question is concerned: would you rather live forever or be smarter?

[waauw]

Hail Prometheus!

Funny, I was expecting this to be a question about Prometheus Bound.

There are 3 categories of beings according to both Eastern and Western traditions. Animal, angel and God are three classes that at various points in his history man has self-identified with. Only when he realizes that he is human, as distinct from the other 3 can he truly be said to be living without sin.

Just last week I read Prometheus Bound again. At first, I was thinking... How is he a hero? He directly contravened Zeus' will. Zeus was going to destroy humans and it is proper that he should have. Why would anyone syphathze with him unless they were thinking from a human perspective? That's the brilliance of Aescyhlus since he forces you to realize that only by viewing the world from the perspective of a human can you fully understand your role in the universe. The questions such as WWJD and "how would god look at this" distort your thinking.

Then Aeschylus brings in Io, just to make the point that this isn't the Christian/Satan story but something entirely different. Zeus is a prick and so is his wife.

As far as mrswdk's actual question is concerned: would you rather live forever or be smarter?

Interesting, sounds like a book I should add to my to-read list. Thx.

[tzor]

The story of Genesis is an interesting tale, but it's easy to get things turned around and as a result one can get disoriented within the story. There is an interesting note in the commentary in the New American Bible Revised Edition, "It should be noted, however, that the garden was not intended as a paradise for the human race, but as a pleasure park for God; the man tended it for God."

[mrswdk]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

[riskllama]

boredom and/or lonliness.

[ConfederateSS]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

-------Wait....Humans or Angels(Good or Bad)???????
-------Either way...Humans have pets...Do we expect God to be any different? He made us in his image. NOT TO BE BETTER THAN HIM. ...Yes! God needs pets too... ...Have you seen today's world. God's very own ant farm... ConfederateSS.out!(The Blue and Silver Rebellion)...

[AndyDufresne]

The Star Trek Animated Series tackled Satan.


--Andy

[Dukasaur]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

Some would ask, how could a perfect God create a universe filled with so much that is evil. They have missed a greater conundrum: why would a perfect God create a universe at all?

[notyou2]

The story of Genesis is an interesting tale, but it's easy to get things turned around and as a result one can get disoriented within the story. There is an interesting note in the commentary in the New American Bible Revised Edition, "It should be noted, however, that the garden was not intended as a paradise for the human race, but as a pleasure park for God; the man tended it for God."

Why do you value mother Mary over Jesus?

[mrswdk]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

Some would ask, how could a perfect God create a universe filled with so much that is evil. They have missed a greater conundrum: why would a perfect God create a universe at all?

So you, like, repeated my question but used different words.

[Dukasaur]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

Some would ask, how could a perfect God create a universe filled with so much that is evil. They have missed a greater conundrum: why would a perfect God create a universe at all?

So you, like, repeated my question but used different words.

Yeah, pretty much.

To me, it's one of the core reasons why the idea of a deity is absurd. It's not the only one, but definitely one of the biggies.

[mrswdk]

I got curious so I googled it.

After the question: “Does God exist?” to which God answers, “I Am” (Exodus 3:14), the next question that has shaped us most deeply at Bethlehem is: Why did God create the world?

The short answer that resounds through the whole Bible like rolling thunder is: God created the world for his glory. We’ll talk in a moment what that means, but let’s establish the fact first.

Notice the key verses in Isaiah 43:6b–7, “Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the end of the earth, everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” Even if the most narrow meaning here is “I brought Israel into being for my glory” the use of the words “created,” “formed,” and “made” are pointing us back to the original act of creation. This is why Israel ultimately exists. Because this is why all things ultimately exist — for the glory of God.

http://www.desiringgod.org/messages/why ... -the-world

God was apparently sat in his bedroom bored one day and decided he wanted to create a little planet populated with a species who would worship him and make him feel good, like in Black & White or Populous.

Maybe in 3,000 BC he'd just been dumped by that bitch Linda again and was feeling a little fragile, so we should all cut him a little slack.

[waauw]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

Some would ask, how could a perfect God create a universe filled with so much that is evil. They have missed a greater conundrum: why would a perfect God create a universe at all?

So you, like, repeated my question but used different words.

Hahaha, LMAO. Hits the nail on the head.

[macbone]

Why did God create the universe? I'll let Morningstar himself answer it:

[tzor]

Why does a God capable of creating the entire universe need slaves to tend its garden for it?

Slaves? Why this was the ideal working conditions, free food, free lodging, a very loose dress code ...

No wonder they had to be forcefully kicked out of the place.