Solving the Evils of Society

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Man.0

Guest
How is it to be done? Is it through mass collaboration - everyone joining together to achieve the goal? Is money the solution? Pouring money into the areas that need it the most? Or can it perhaps be achieved through the individual, conscious effort of every human being - each person trying to stop their evil ways? But that's rather like getting a dog to stop barking. It's in its nature to do so. Likewise, it's in the nature of humans to do evil. Now, if you want to get a dog to permanently stop barking, what can be done? Well, what if you could change a dog to a cat? If you could turn a dog into a cat, it would never bark again. Its entire nature would be changed.

Do you see what I'm trying to say here? It's all about inner nature. Get a dog to stop barking by changing its nature. Get a human to stop doing evil by changing its nature. There you have it. Transformation. But that itself is not the answer to society's evils. Transformation is only the method that is employed. The answer is actually God Himself. He is the solution!

Now, how can this transformation, or metamorphosis, happen? It can only be through the divine work of God, by His Spirit. It can't be through man's own effort. Man cannot change himself. It has to be God's work:

'But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' (John 1:12-13)

God must effectuate the change. And He will do so! What He has already done for some, He will do for all. If He doesn't then He is not a fair God is He?

So to conclude, the answer to society's evils = God.
 
S

Stuu

New member
“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
 
CherubRam

CherubRam

New member
Stuu said:
“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
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Man has free will, and there are consequences to his actions.
 
S

Stuu

New member
CherubRam said:
I'm surprised they have not kicked you off for insulting God and the Christian faith.
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I understand that I am insulting from your point of view. I don't have any great ambitions to change your point of view. But if you kick the atheists off, then ToL takes a step closer to an insular club of mutual comforters, at least when it comes to the crazy conspiracy theories of Jesus. And its not as if you would deny there are crazy conspiracy theories of Jesus! I just criticise the crazy theory you happen to believe, along with all the ones you also criticise.

It is in your best interests to 'tolerate' dissent for the sake of personal growth. After all, I bet you don't get that in a church or in groups of friends if you do spend a lot of time in christian company.

Better still, why not embrace dissent and learn from it? How do you know something unless you have really tested it properly? And we are talking about one of the most central things here, your view of how the universe operates and how you should behave in it. Shouldn't that be robust? What use is a faith if it can't stand up to basic scrutiny?

In regards to your antievolutionism, I think this is the only place you might engage with that will challenge your wrong views about science. Don't you want to learn?

Stuart
 
A

aikido7

BANNED
Banned
Man.0 said:
How is it to be done? Is it through mass collaboration - everyone joining together to achieve the goal? Is money the solution? Pouring money into the areas that need it the most? Or can it perhaps be achieved through the individual, conscious effort of every human being - each person trying to stop their evil ways? But that's rather like getting a dog to stop barking. It's in its nature to do so. Likewise, it's in the nature of humans to do evil. Now, if you want to get a dog to permanently stop barking, what can be done? Well, what if you could change a dog to a cat? If you could turn a dog into a cat, it would never bark again. Its entire nature would be changed.

Do you see what I'm trying to say here? It's all about inner nature. Get a dog to stop barking by changing its nature. Get a human to stop doing evil by changing its nature. There you have it. Transformation. But that itself is not the answer to society's evils. Transformation is only the method that is employed. The answer is actually God Himself. He is the solution!

Now, how can this transformation, or metamorphosis, happen? It can only be through the divine work of God, by His Spirit. It can't be through man's own effort. Man cannot change himself. It has to be God's work:

'But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.' (John 1:12-13)

God must effectuate the change. And He will do so! What He has already done for some, He will do for all. If He doesn't then He is not a fair God is He?

So to conclude, the answer to society's evils = God.
Click to expand...
God is a fundamental mystery. Every human heart contains the propensity to do evil. It is only the immature and the naive who conveniently locate evil outside themselves in others or a mythological demon.

That way they don't ever have to be accountable for their behavior.

The way we treat others is how we ourselves were treated in the crucible of our early family life.

And not focusing on Jesus's teachings is the way evil maintains its foothold on humankind. Instead of following him, most believers think it is much more important to subscribe to a list of ancient theological formulations such as "Jesus AS" the Son of God, Messiah, Savior, etc.
They exhort others to believe, believe and believe--without suffering the slightest urge to change their own behavior!
 
S

Stuu

New member
Angel4Truth said:
Ok what?
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Well I don't think I have a universal answer for you. But when you look at separated twin studies there is a strong genetic tendency in the way tastes are expressed. Do you think sexuality is a matter of free will? Why would gay people choose to be gay in a world of so much hate? There is good research that shows the brain initiates some actions before there is a conscious knowledge the action is being started. If you move your hand, the source of the beginning of that movement can be subconscious. That shows you were not entirely expressing what we might think of as free will. You didn't necessarily have premeditation of the action. In my country we have a world-record long imprisoned inmate who cannot control his sexual impulses. He strongly feels he would like to be released. Do you think he would have chosen by freewill to behave the way he does towards his victims? Clearly this man is not exhibiting a free will over his sexual urges, that are just overwhelming him. He will never be released.

I suppose we could just cop out and call him the work of satan. What a mindless response that would be. I think the evidence would show pretty clearly that the freewill / 'satan has got to him' model is a sick joke.

Because you said free will is an illusion.
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I think it is obvious that there is some percentage 'freewill' in operation, but much of the time we kid ourselves that our decisions are entirely free when clearly it's not that simple.

Stuart
 
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