Imperfect Humans

[CapitalistCatholic]

An agnostic friend of mine has a question. He asked me not too long ago: If God is infallible, why did he create humans imperfectly? There are many body parts and functions that have no use and can hinder the human experience.

Any answers?

 

[gregoryphealy]

Well, first, I’d ask where in the Bible God claims to have made man perfect. It does say, in Genesis, that God created man in His likeness and image. When God created man in His likeness and image, are we to believe that means God has an imperfect body of some corporeal nature by which our bodies could resemble His? Nonsense, the image of God entails an intellect and will, both of which rational human beings possess. That’s it. The accidentals of human form (our bodies) aren’t really the crux of God’s creation, in my view.

Besides, what’s a perfect human look like? Is it really just serviceability of all of our organs? Was God under an obligation to create a perfect creation (according to our standards)? If so, that would seem to violate God’s sovereignty.

 

[Francis]

God made every thing perfect, it was man’s free will to choose, messed things up. as in said in Ecclesiastes 7:29 29 Behold, this alone I found, that God made man upright, but they have sought out many devices.
Deuteronomy 32:4 “The Rock, his work is perfect; for all his ways are justice.A God of faithfulness and without iniquity, just and right is he.

2 Samuel 22:31This God—his way is perfect the promise of the Lord proves true; he is a shield for all those who take refuge in him.

Genesis 1:26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness; and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. 28 And God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.” 29 And God said, “Behold, I have given you every plant yielding seed which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food. 30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every bird of the air, and to everything that creeps on the earth, everything that has the breath of life, I have given every green plant for food.” And it was so. 31 And God saw everything that he had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

 

[Dan_Defender]

God is perfect, but he gave humans free will. For free will to exist, there has to be imperfection.

 

[OsculeturMeOsculo]

Spiritual immaturity is going to be one of my favorite terms…
(well not really)

 

[ShowersofRoses]

Which body parts exactly are imperfect, are of no use, and hinder the human experience? I am very confused. Are you talking about tonsils and the appendix (which all have proven uses?) What body parts “hinder the human experience”?

 

[Bon_Croix]

They were created perfect but they made themselves imperfect.

He can make them perfect again via justification/glorification but only if they allow him to do so.

It goes back to that “free will” thing, which he gave them.

 

[Bon_Croix]

I add to the second to last line of my previous post… b/c he will never violate human free will.

 

[po18guy]

What on earth is the “human experience”? If we were made differently, we would not be able to have that human experience because we would not be human.

Hate to say it, but your friend is spiritually lazy. Making excuses for being his own god. Wait a few decades and then ask that friend how it all worked out.

 

[CapitalistCatholic]

He mentioned something about blind spots and such, which he borrowed from some sort of podcast or youtube channel. I tried to explain that humans are meant to have limitations, but it didn’t work out.

 

[RandomAlias]

If God is infallible, why did he create humans imperfectly?

St. Paul has something to say about this in this Sunday’s second reading (from 2 Corinthians 12:7-10). He says that God gave him afflictions in order to make him better. Perhaps our imperfections, illnesses, discomforts, disappointments, etc., give us an opportunity to break us out of our pride and complacency. Those are opportunities for repentance and spiritual growth.

 

[RandomAlias]

He mentioned something about blind spots and such

The blind spot in our vision is a good example. Cephalopods (like octopus and squid) have eyes without a blind spot. How fortunate for them! At least our blind spot is in the periphery and not too large.

 

[MT1926]

If God is infallible, why did he create humans imperfectly?

I would probably first ask him what standard he is measuring humans by to determine that we are “imperfect”? It’s kind of hard to answer someones question when they themselves haven’t taken the time to decide on the concrete definition of the words they use.

There are many body parts and functions that have no use

Name one and MOST IMPORTANTLY why he thinks they have no use.

You said…

He mentioned something about blind spots and such, which he borrowed from some sort of podcast or youtube channel.

Ask him if he has done the research on blind spots or if he is just parroting something he heard on the internet. I know if it’s on the internet it must be true , but tell him you would still like a little more evidence.

As for me I kind of like being able to see. We have a blind spot at the point where the optic nerve and blood vessels exit the eye. Since no cones and rods can exist at this point we have a very small blind spot. Thankfully God has created us with two eyes that over lap and fill this spot in. He also gave us an amazing brain which can put the overlapping information together to fill in the gap.

Ask him. out of curiosity of course, if there is a better way he thinks God should have done it?

and can hinder the human experience.

Ask him what he believes is the CORRECT “human experience” and why?

Obviously, do your best to be charitable. However, I find the best approach is to ask him more questions to get him to nail down why he believes what he believe. If he hasn’t taken the time to define his own terminology you will never be able to get him to understand yours, because all he will have to do is keep changing his definition to counter yours.

God Bless

 

[Gorgias]

If God is infallible, why did he create humans imperfectly?

I’m not sure I’d describe God as ‘infallible,’ if only because that tends to be a term associated with the Church that people get confused about often. But, I get the point – if God is perfect, why isn’t humanity?

God is perfect, but he gave humans free will. For free will to exist, there has to be imperfection.

Yes, and no. Yes, God gave us free will – and that gift was given perfectly!

I’m not certain I’d say that free will implies imperfection, though. It implies the potential for imperfection, sure. But, to take one example, let’s look at Mary. She had free will. She lived perfectly sinlessly.

My answer to the OP might be more along the lines of “God had a plan in mind for us when He created the universe. That plan included a human nature characterized by the presence of an immortal soul and the facility of rationality, as well as free will. Even if that free will is exercised imperfectly, it doesn’t mean that God’s creation was imperfect. Rather, we are exactly what He intended us to be.”

 

[Jump4Joy]

That’s a great question he’s asked. I wonder the same.

 

[semper_catholicus]

He actually created humans perfectly. It is our fault that we’re imperfect (the fall).

 

[Dan_Defender]

I agree with you if we are talking about morality. But I think the OP is referring to biological imperfections, such as people born with genetic diseases. The answer to that is not easy, but I believe at the root of it is free will.