If You Were God

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Charlemagne_III said:
Actually, this was intended as a serious thread.

The challenge is to those to those who think they know better than God how to create and run a universe. There are several poster in these forums who chronically complain that the Christian God is a misbegotten God who needs to be abandoned because of his failure to produce an infinitely happy and pain free race of creatures.

Already that theme has been sounded in this thread.

So what is the Catholic answer? 🤷
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I applaud your motivation. I think your bait was a tiny bit obvious though… either that or I am overestimating the intelligence of those you are speaking of. Really, [It hit me as I was typing] it is entirely possible I am overestimating their intelligence.

When you think of things like the crosses we all have to bear, it is hard to imagine a happy and pain free race of creatures. I apologize for dragging humor in on your thread.
 
Jelrak_TB said:
I am not quite certain I understand. The analogy may perhaps be at fault, but how is it not instructive to assist a child to understand the complexities behind the regulations from time to time?
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Do you really expect a child to understand, “I’m punishing you so that you will develop character”???

ICXC NIKA
 
GEddie said:
Do you really expect a child to understand, “I’m punishing you so that you will develop character”???

ICXC NIKA
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“I am punishing you so that you will be a better person.” Yes.
 
GEddie said:
Do you really expect a child to understand, “I’m punishing you so that you will develop character”???
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Surely punishing a child without explanation teaches the child that punishment is arbitrary, since the child cannot associate it with her behavior.
 
Charlemagne_III said:
Actually, this was intended as a serious thread.

The challenge is to those to those who think they know better than God how to create and run a universe.** There are several poster in these forums who chronically complain that the Christian God is a misbegotten God who needs to be abandoned because of his failure to produce an infinitely happy and pain free race of creatures. **

Already that theme has been sounded in this thread.

So what is the Catholic answer? 🤷
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They seem to believe that they are already God.😉
 
Alright, I’ll play:

In the same way that it is helpful for children in first grade to see and talk with those who have gone on to second grade or 7th grade or college, I would consider it helpful for people in this life to commonly see and talk with those who have gone on to levels of being and learning beyond this earthly span.

Knowing people in college does not mean we understand them, it is hardly considered as undermining our free will, we still have to work and study and all to earn the opportunity, and so on. Similarly it is helpful to commonly meet and talk with those who did not make it to college.

I cannot grasp, then, why I would think it to create a system where first-graders (figuratively) almost never see or talk with any one ahead of them. All our friends disappear at the end of first grade, and while we can hope to see them again, it serves no value that I can imagine as a parent or teacher to give them only hope and not reassuring experiences.

If such a model is NOT helpful, then why is our learning set up that way during our earthly life? If it IS helpful, then why is our learning/experience not set up that way regarding the stage(s) of life after we leave the earth?
 
inocente said:
Surely punishing a child without explanation teaches the child that punishment is arbitrary, since the child cannot associate it with her behavior.
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This reminds me of the story about my brother in law who, as a child acted up in church every Sunday, his parents would bring him home and spank him. Years later he told my wife that when he was young be thought that was the Sunday routine, go to Mass and then come home and be spanked.😃
 
DCNBILL said:
This reminds me of the story about my brother in law who, as a child acted up in church every Sunday, his parents would bring him home and spank him. Years later he told my wife that when he was young be thought that was the Sunday routine, go to Mass and then come home and be spanked.😃
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LOL.

Of course you don’t punish without explanation.

But a high-flown explanation like “building character” is hardly useful to a wee one, either.

ICXC NIKA
 
Sorry I don’t have time to point to specific references, but please do a little research, everyone - you’ll be glad for it, I think. Child psychology has advanced significantly in the last century, and the archaic model of “punishment” is about as dysfunctional as using blistering agents to draw out diseases.

That being said, even under the old model, I would be curious to see anyone offer a credible model in which something good could possibly come from a system where the child would be switched or spanked for all eternity. If you tell me it was their decision, then kindly explain which model of parenting would allow a child to make a decision that could result in being switched or spanked for all eternity.
 
“If I had God’s power I would change everything. But if I had God’s wisdom I wouldn’t change a thing.”
 
Charlemagne_III said:
O.K., so you are now God and infinitely smarter than the Judeo-Christian God.

Tell how you would have done a better job as Creator of the universe.
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First off, I know I would do everything exactly the same as God did, according to the Catholic Faith.

Second, since the OP is presenting the challenge of proposing better work as Creator, I would like to hear what would be the greatest creation of Pallas Athene, Tomdstone, DaddyGirl, Bahman, Mike, and Jelrak.

Thanks for sharing the interesting questions, and I look forward to further discussion!
 
jochoa said:
Second, since the OP is presenting the challenge of proposing better work as Creator, I would like to hear what would be the greatest creation of Pallas Athene, Tomdstone, DaddyGirl, Bahman, Mike, and Jelrak.
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I’d definitely take out all the commandments that revolve around praising me to make room for doing good. “Thou shalt not physically harm others, whether family, friend, or stranger.” “Thou shalt not participate in slavery.” “Thous shalt not persecute those who do not believe as you.” “Thou shalt show kindness to the needs of others, especially those greatest in need.” In fact, I wouldn’t stop at 10 just because it’s a round number. If I need 50 commandments to get my point across then Moses will need to make a few trips! 😉
 
I am probably gonna create a world where babies arn’t born blind.
 
Birdpreacher said:
??? Why did God create a world were pain and character development were related?
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Ah, a fine question…perhaps nothing might be considered of value without cost? Or, alternately, the greater the potential cost, the greater the perceived value?

…but truly I would be pleased to equally consider your opinion.
 
I would refrain from creating Pat Albertson (and a lot of other people). Pat Albertson will probably just end up burning in hell for eternity, so it would probably be best not to have created him.

If I were God, I would just create good people destined for heaven, not evil people, and not people who were little more than screw-ups (case in point: Pat Albertson). Also, cats and kittens would always go to heaven because they deserve it.
 
Pat_Albertson said:
I would refrain from creating Pat Albertson (and a lot of other people). Pat Albertson will probably just end up burning in hell for eternity, so it would probably be best not to have created him.
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Maybe you’re joking, but if not: God loves you, so spend a little time working out what it is He finds lovable in you. Also:

He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”

Logically, you can’t love your neighbor unless you first love yourself.

PS: regarding notions of hell, see plato.stanford.edu/entries/heaven-hell/
 
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