Warp wrote:
>   In other words, it's basically the "why does God allow bad things to
> happen?" question.
> 
>   The answer the video offers to this question is "because God is imaginary",
> which is a non-sequitur.

It's only a non-sequitur if you ignore those who claim that all good comes 
from God and indeed God is 100% good. Of course, if you're going to define 
God as someone who makes no difference in the world, then it's a non-sequitaur.

>> I.e., it's more along the lines of "if you're not going to follow God's will 
>> in *your* marriages, what right do you have to impose God's will on the 
>> marriages of people who don't believe in your God to start with?"
> 
>   That's not what the video is saying, nor even implying. The video is
> purely questioning God's existence.

Well, yes. This is step one of asking "why do you impose your will?"

Again, a lot of the arguments look foolish or like shortcuts because they're 
not given the full time to develop. Following up on some of the referenced 
web sites etc will provide a better insight. I.e., the video is a poor 
argument. The arguments it addresses are quite reasonable and well thought out.

>>>   Even if all that is true, how does the "answer" given in the video, ie.
>>> "God is imaginary", related to this? It doesn't make God imaginary if people
>>> don't follow what the bible says.
> 
>> It makes God "imaginary" in the sense that God has no physical effect or 
>> cause any change in the world.
> 
>   No, it only tells us that God doesn't affect all (or any) marriages.
> No more.

But all the other arguments are also along the lines of "God has no physical 
effect."

God doesn't exist because religious marriages fail exactly like 
non-religious marriages. God doesn't exist because religious medicine fails 
exactly like non-religious medicine. Etc. Apply induction, lather, rinse, 
repeat. That's why the arguments sound repetitive.

>> If nothing God commands comes to pass, why 
>> believe in God's ability to command things?
> 
>   If your boss tells you to do something and you don't do it, does that
> mean that your boss doesn't exist?

If nobody anywhere has or ever had any actual evidence for my boss, does it 
mean he doesn't exist?  There's a big difference between "nothing happens" 
and "sometimes something doesn't happen."  You know this.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   Insanity is a small city on the western
   border of the State of Mind.

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