Need a quote for a quote

[Little_Mary]

A high school class mate of mine recently posted the following quote on her facebook wall. She was raised Catholic but is now athiest. I would like to respond, indirectly, by posting a quote that answers to this one. I do not wish to get into a public debate with her on facebook, but I might post my own quote, and possible message her privately.

Any suggestions?

Thanks…

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”
~Epicurus

 

[Garyjohn2]

Ug…so bothersome and ignorant. Pray for her, ok?

You could reply with biblical quotes. Not sure how well that would go over though?
Is. 55:9
“As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

ON the other hand, have you ever heard of Kalil Gibran? Very insightful poet. Here is what he wrote “On Pain.” It has some great insight on the nature and value of suffering. It also alludes to God near the end, and his role in suffering. It’s quite beautiful.
Maybe you can find a good quote in it.

poemhunter.com/poem/on-pain/

**On Pain**

***Your pain is the breaking of the shell that encloses

your understanding.

Even as the stone of the fruit must break, that its
heart may stand in the sun, so must you know pain.

And could you keep your heart in wonder at the
daily miracles of your life, your pain would not seem
less wondrous than your joy;

And you would accept the seasons of your heart,
even as you have always accepted the seasons that
pass over your fields.

And you would watch with serenity through the
winters of your grief.

Much of your pain is self-chosen.

It is the bitter potion by which the physician within
you heals your sick self.

Therefore trust the physician, and drink his remedy
in silence and tranquillity:

For his hand, though heavy and hard, is guided by
the tender hand of the Unseen,

And the cup he brings, though it burn your lips, has
been fashioned of the clay which the Potter has
moistened with His own sacred tears. ***

 

[Garyjohn2]

Just realized that the quote is complaining about evil, not suffering.

I’d explain that evil is the rejection of God. That God is able and willing to prevent evil, but loving enough to give us the choice.

Of course it would be cooler to express this with a cool quote! I’m still searching for one for you… (i like quotes)

 

[Garyjohn2]

Ignorance, the root and stem of all evil.
Plato

Knowledge becomes evil if the aim be not virtuous.
Plato

**God judged it better to bring good out of evil than to suffer no evil to exist.
Saint Augustine **

(still looking for you)

 

[Garyjohn2]

Evil is only good perverted.
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

All human evil comes from a single cause, man’s inability to sit still in a room.
Blaise Pascal

Evil exists to glorify the good. Evil is negative good. It is a relative term. Evil can be transmuted into good.
Mencius

There is no explanation for evil. It must be looked upon as a necessary part of the order of the universe. To ignore it is childish, to bewail it senseless.
W. Somerset Maugham

Foolish men imagine that because judgment for an evil thing is delayed, there is no justice; but only accident here below. Judgment for an evil thing is many times delayed some day or two, some century or two, but it is sure as life, it is sure as death.
Thomas Carlyle

**Might want to check the authors of these quotes before sharing them…in case you give a nice quote that was from some blood-thirsty dictator or something.

That’s all I got! Hope it helps! **

 

[Farsight001]

A high school class mate of mine recently posted the following quote on her facebook wall. She was raised Catholic but is now athiest. I would like to respond, indirectly, by posting a quote that answers to this one. I do not wish to get into a public debate with her on facebook, but I might post my own quote, and possible message her privately.

Any suggestions?

Thanks…

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”
~Epicurus

I always thought the best response to that statement is just to answer the “whence cometh evil” question. Answer that question, and the argument collapses. People who use that particular quote assume there is no answer for it, but we know full well there is.

 

[promethius]

I always thought the best response to that statement is just to answer the “whence cometh evil” question. Answer that question, and the argument collapses. People who use that particular quote assume there is no answer for it, but we know full well there is.

Yep, the answer is “Satan tempts us, we accept temptation, and we engage in disordered acts. Whence comes evil? Us.”

To which she’ll say something about volcanos going off and earthquakes… at which point we must point out the difference between SUFFERING and EVIL… that suffering can only be regarded as evil if we presume that the ultimate good is comfort… a teaching which the Christian church does not espouse and therefore we do not have to try to defend.

 

[Big_Dummy]

•“In a philosophical dispute, he gains most who is defeated, since he learns most.”

• Epicurus

Epicurus, "God I demand you wipe out all evil

God, Ok done

Epicurus no longer exists.

We have been born once and cannot be born a second time; for all eternity we shall no longer exist. But you, although you are not in control of tomorrow, are postponing your happiness. Life is wasted by delaying, and each one of us dies without enjoying leisure.

• Epicurus

epicurus.net/en/vatican.html
epicurus.net/

John 3:3
Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.– Jesus

Epicurus is Dead

signed
Jesus

 

[oneofmany]

A high school class mate of mine recently posted the following quote on her facebook wall. She was raised Catholic but is now athiest. I would like to respond, indirectly, by posting a quote that answers to this one. I do not wish to get into a public debate with her on facebook, but I might post my own quote, and possible message her privately.

Any suggestions?

Thanks…

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
**Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?**Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?”
~Epicurus

God IS WILLING AND ABLE but He lets humans have free will and will not stop us from having free choice. Evil cometh from sin–human sin. We call Him God because he still loves us no matter how evil we are.