Would have you created man if you were the all-powerful, all-knowing God Christianity describes? It is a legitimate question that speaks to the logic of basic Christianity. Use the comments below to make your case or just ask more questions.
If I Were God I: Would NOT Have Created Humans
If I Were God I: Would Have Created Humans
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What Do You Think: Does The Fact That We Exist Prove The Christian God Is Illogical
From Pentex via Yahoo Answers:
The definition of the christian god is that he is all-powerful, all-knowing, all-loving and so, perfect.
That is a contradiction, if he was perfect and he existed before creating man, then it would mean he would’ve felt a need for creating man. A perfect being would feel no need for something else.
And if you look at all the other characteristics, you reach the conclusion that all of them are contradictions. In logical terms, the christian god is impossible to exist.
I think I would have created man. I have often heard the argument that a God so powerful he could create the entire universe would have no use for such a miniscule being as man. I believe that supposition gravely underestimates God’s plan for man kind.
First, I don’t think the value of a relationship with another human is in what the person can create of give on a material level. We cannot create the universe and God can. So in that respect we can offer him nothing. But the greatest and most valuable relationships in our lives are molded through shared emotions. In this respect, humans are capable of extreme joy, and extreme sorrow, and everything in between. If God is looking to share the emotions of existense with someone, he has created and incredibly capable companion in human beings.
I also think God has destined us to an eternity of incredible unity as stated in http://www.whatsoeveryoudo.org/2011/12/28/gods-goals-or-purposes-for-humanity/ . If that is true, then we must consider what that relationship has to offer as a whole of humanity, not me personally. If someday we are unified so closely that we all experience each other’s joys of heaven with the perspective of each other’s sorrows in this life, the range of emotion as a group is completely incomprehensible.
In summary, I think God deeply values the sharing of our individual life’s emotions and we as individuals are capable of an incredible range of emotion. Now couple that with extreme unity between each other and with God and the synergy of the group offers a richness of experience we can vaguely hope to appreciate.
Dan, great question!
I think I’ll just throw out ideas to get the conversation started moreso than answering the question for myself.
If I look at how I spend my time, I spend a lot of time alone and I seem mostly content with that. In that respect I might answer “No.” I can content myself with the rest of creation without that next step, the pinnacle of creation, man and woman.
I would not, however, take the attitude suggested by the Matrix movies: “Man is a parasite.” If I didn’t create man it wouldn’t be on account of foreseen animosity or failures on the part of humans. It just wouldn’t strike me as necessary. (Thankfully, I’m not God; I’m glad we’re here.)
If I took a broader perspective and looked at collective human experience rather than focusing only on my own experience, I would note the (modern) fascination with artificial intelligence and extra-terrestrial life. We want to create or discover our equal. The idea of artificial intelligence is that when perfected, our creation would mirror the entirety of our life and experience. We want to recognize something in our image.
It might also be helpful to consider the experience of fatherhood or motherhood (an experience I will not be blessed to have first hand). The child contains something of oneself. That has to be a powerful realization. So even before considering extraterrestrial life or artificial intelligence, parenthood above all seems to reveal a drive and desire to bring forth something in one’s own image.
From this perspective, I would most certainly create man and woman as an expression of the desire to recognize my own image in what I have created or discovered.
As I said, “If I were God, I probably would not have created man – not because he’s bad or not worth the hassle, but simply because it would not have occurred to me to do so.” In truth, I don’t know since I’m not God. Or I would because if I were God I would do what God does, including creating man.
The question I’m more interested in is “Why did God create man and woman?”
Thanks for the help Rob, and I love your question. I perhaps came up with a possible answer http://www.whatsoeveryoudo.org/2011/12/28/gods-goals-or-purposes-for-humanity/ but I’m not sure that post isn’t more about “what for” rather than “why”. If you know any thoughtful atheist, ask them to join the conversation. I think it will be good for us all.