Regarding the persistent atheist complaint about evil, I've had the following exchange with atheists a number of times that helps them think about the thing for which they're really asking:
Me: You think God should remove all evil from this world?
63 comments
In what way is the atheist more evil than God's workers in the IS, Al Qaeda, WBC and Lord's Resistance Army?
What they are thinking about, when you show your obtuseness like that, isn't what THEY are asking, but YOUR stupidity.
Yeah, because your definition of evil is somone not believing in a god that can't even do his fucking job. An omnipotent god that can create a universe but can't even keep order on one little planet. I'd be pretty stunned by a sudden confrontation with that level of stupid, too.
Well, I'd be struck dumb by the awesome stupidity as well. I mean, on the scale of "evil" people in the world, there are many more likely candidates. You'd expect said God to start with those and work his way down.
Yes. Why not. In fundamentalist, Bible God terms I am more evil than a genocidal maniac just because I have protection against conversion to Bible God by ignorant twits. Atheism is proof positive that Bible God can't threaten me.
When the fundie deigns to reveal to me the secret compelling evidence of Bible God's existence, then I might listen. NOTE: Copious drooling does not constitute compelling evidence.
Atheist: You think God, if he existed, should remove all evil from this world?
The silence is when they realize they're dealing with an eliminationist fanatic. Honestly, that's my response, too. I know I can't talk logic to a person who thinks I'm evil and wants me dead just because I don't follow his/her religious beliefs.
Well, you're just a judgmental asshole, then.
@niv: That's probably the very best answer one could give, unfortunately fundies like the OP just cannot conceive of removing evil from the world without removing the evil people. And in fact if you read the bible, God never changes evil people to good, he always ends up killing them.
"Me: You think God should remove all evil from this world?"
Anon-e-moose: 'Yes, if God existed, He should rid the world of evil!'Bringing up stopwatch function on Casio digital watch *) 'I give him ten seconds to do his fucking worst. . Starting... (*Presses 'Start' button on watch *) now.
...
...
...
(*Presses 'Stop' button after ten seconds elapses *)
(*Looks down at self *)
...nope. Not so much as the sweat on my bollocks 'Smited'. I guess a case of, in the words of the venerable Spartans & their Laconic Wit: 'If. ''
"Me: Fuck."
--EDIT--
@Nemo
The 'Calling Your Fucking Bluff ' is another Argument Annihilation technique against fundies. b^_^d
I actually agree the Problem of Evil is a bad one when dealing with Christian apologetics. They don't worship some Omni god of the philosophers. They worship Yahweh, who boasts of causing evil to befall people.
@Anon-e-moose : nice one. That works as a reply too.
The reason for the silence is the atheist is wondering if the remand time and possible jail sentence is worth the satisfaction of punching you in the mouth.
Oh, and your use of the word "if" signifies you are using an assumption, in which case the easiest answer is, " no, I don't play word games."
The silence of someone who realizes that there is nothing left to talk about with you.
Sort of like the silence someone got from me when they acted like when women got the right to vote, all feminist equality was achieved.
Anyone who's interested, this logical fallacy is called "appeal to consequences"
It's intended to conflate something being unpleasant with something being factually wrong.
@Anon-e-moose image
Like you, I don't believe in a "Big Guy In The Sky". Unlike you, I see Deity as a Pantheistic concept.
Either way, you are awesomesauce!
If I ping on the Evil-Seeker, there's not gonna be a lot left in the world. I mean, I hate to sound full of myself, but I'm a pretty decent guy.
Yeah, I bet you convinced a lot of fuckers with that sound logic.
If god existed (as defined as all-good) then evil should have never existed in the first place.
Hell, the definition of your god implodes upon itself. A perfect being has no need to create a damned thing; it should be content with itself.
Robin Schumacher: You think God should remove all evil from this world?
Me: You think God should remove all evil from this world?
Me: What if He starts with you?
That a zinger, by golly. Another good one is "Oh, yeah?"
Wasn't getting rid of evil the reason for the flood?
What, did he fuck up? If he killed everyone and everything in the flood to get rid of evil, why is there still evil? He certainly didn't do a very good job.
"What if he starts with you?"
Ok, then he/she starts with me. What of it. What if I die in a car wreck today. Then.......I die in a car wreck. If he/she/it decides to "start with" me, then there would be nothing I could do about it. So....I wont worry about it.
But that begs the question of what was the point of your proposal. Basically, to make an imaginary threat against atheists. Ok...I am scared now.....
Atheist: The fact that I'm still here shows that, either, God doesn't exist, or, God doesn't care about evil, or, I'm not evil. Which is it ?
"Hey, I just had an idea what to say if I would ever talk to an atheist! I think it's pretty clever and funny, so I share it with you. You should be in awe of my wit. The story sounds better, of course, if I pretend it already happened."
He wouldn't feel so clever if he ever really tried to use this in an exchange with an atheist...
@SpukiKitty
Because your deities are simply too civilised to be the fundie Christains' own monster (certainly not that of the non -fundie Christians) that is infinitely worse than Cthulhu.
Even "WH40K"'s Khorne forbids the slaughter of the defenceless , so what does that say about yours , o fundies? [/Even Evil Has Standards]
Ancient Egypt's Sekhmet is the Goddess of Beer too, ergo civilised deities...! [/Ceiling Cat]
I think it could be said that so many deities - Egypt's Bastet/Sekhmet, ancient Britain/Scotland/Ireland's Earth Goddess Danu/Danaan [/"Slaine"], North America's Mother Earth & Father Sky, and those of so many other countries - could be seen these days as interchangeable aspects of each other; as with Hinduism's many faces & incarnations of Vishnu. The Flying Spaghetti Monster, for example, with His Holy Sauciness's simple doctrine: Don't be a dick.
I think the same can be said of Norse Paganism's Norn of the Present, Verthandi ...:
image
...could be the perfect 'human' incarnation of Bastet (as seen here with demon-self -turned-cat Welsper); cultural/spiritual cross-pollination, and all that jazz...! =^_^=
Atheist: You think your god should remove all evil from this world?
@Anon-e-moose - That's a really good argument. All those "pagan devil" gods were better than the Fundie god. At least even the most evil ones had some standards, and sometimes they could do good with no strings attached.
Death threats for Jesus!
Confused?
So were we! You can find all of this, and more, on Fundies Say the Darndest Things!
To post a comment, you'll need to Sign in or Register . Making an account also allows you to claim credit for submitting quotes, and to vote on quotes and comments. You don't even need to give us your email address.
