An innocent question for believers

[synthesis]

Questions.

Is God perfect?

If God were to be perfect, and man were imperfect, does that not mean that we should be eternally striving to become as perfect as He is, or at least that this is a worthy goal?

If so, then what's so bad about playing God? Say, euthanasia, abortion, or stem cell research is not for us, it's God's choice? Humans are trying to be God? Well, if God is perfect, then is this not an admirable pursuit?

[Dean]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19, 2007 03:43 am
Questions.

Is God perfect?

If God were to be perfect, and man were imperfect, does that not mean that we should be eternally striving to become as perfect as He is, or at least that this is a worthy goal?

If so, then what's so bad about playing God? Say, euthanasia, abortion, or stem cell research is not for us, it's God's choice? Humans are trying to be God? Well, if God is perfect, then is this not an admirable pursuit?
This has Recently been discussed (http://www.revleft.com/index.php?showtopic=70783).

[synthesis]

Well, the beginning was the same, but I was actually going the exact opposite direction of the premise of that post, if you'd care to re-read what I said.

[Kwisatz Haderach]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19, 2007 05:43 am
Is God perfect?
Define "perfect."

I do not see how the quality of perfection can exist in a vacuum. God may be perfectly good or perfectly just, or perfectly something else, but I do not see how God (or anyone) could be "perfect" without any qualifiers.

[Dean]

Originally posted by [email protected] 19, 2007 06:03 pm
Well, the beginning was the same, but I was actually going the exact opposite direction of the premise of that post, if you'd care to re-read what I said.
Well, my answer is already in the other thread, too :P

[counterblast]

While millions starve in Nambia, Ethiopia, and Botswana, God is credited with tiny "miracles" like helping a married woman in California find her wedding ring...

"Playing God", as I see it, requires one to remove himself/herself from the fight against injustice, and to idly watch how things unfold.

EDIT: Of course, this is coming from the personal viewpoint of a non-believer.

[Dean]

Originally posted by [email protected] 20, 2007 10:47 pm
"Playing God", as I see it, requires one to remove himself/herself from the fight against injustice, and to idly watch how things unfold.
I undertand what you're saying, and that comes from the concept of god as not involved with the world, as watching but not interfering.

I disagree with that concept of God; I think that concept is simply propaganda to justify the obvious lack of godly intervention, and to therefore make the religion more believable. Of course, in reference to orthodox Christian dogma, you would be totally correct in your assessment of what it means to play god.

I think it is evident that God, as he is in everything (aka is everything), would logically be involved in these affairs... he is interested, and responds to, noncompliance with his rules in the old testament, why not in the new testament? So I think to play god would in fact entail a rigorous undertaking of affecting the world and creating genuine change towards what one considers their god's interests. For me, my "God" is humanity, so my interest in playin god is / would be to help all humanity.


EDIT: Of course, this is coming from the personal viewpoint of a non-believer.
As is mine; I find it interesting how many religious - and non-religious - people misunderstand very basic concepts of their own religion, or of a religion they are criticising.

[synthesis]

I thought a little more about it and answered my own question.

I realized that God is supposed to be infallible and the point that the religious are trying to make is that some things, usually cloning and designer babies and so on, are too hot to touch for fallible humans.

I disagree with the premise but I can sympathize with the conclusion, with God being a metaphor for evolution. It definitely was not as perfect as the "intelligent design" folks would like you to think but humans adapted over millions of years and the playing God argument simply a reminder that we don't really have any kind of idea how this type of shit is going to affect us in the long run.