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From: hua@cmu-cs-gandalf.ARPA (Ernest Hua)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.religion.christian
Subject: QUESTIONS FROM A FRIEND
Message-ID: <221@cmu-cs-gandalf.ARPA>
Date: Tue, 26-Feb-85 20:01:53 EST
Article-I.D.: cmu-cs-g.221
Posted: Tue Feb 26 20:01:53 1985
Date-Received: Sun, 3-Mar-85 02:51:43 EST
Organization: Carnegie-Mellon University, CS/RI
Lines: 37
Xref: watmath net.religion:5801 net.religion.christian:337

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God supposedly sent his only son, Jesus, to die for man's sins.  Why?
If god is omnipotent, he could have just forgiven us.  Why "kill" his
son?  But Jesus really didn't die.  He went to heaven, which is better
than being on earth.  Then what was God so upset about?

It seems God was making a sacrifice.  To whom?  Himself?  Huh?  Is there
a more powerful being?  If so, God can't be omnipotent.

If God is omniscient, he knows what I'm thinking and what I will do.
Therefore, I don't have freedom of choice.  If at some point in my life
I will have to choose between a or b, God knows I will pick "a".  Therefore
I can't pick b.  But yet he gets upset at people's choices, even though
he knows they had no alternative.

The only way out of this is if God doesn't know absolutely everything.
Therefore, he isn't omniscient.  Since omniscience is a power, he can't
be omnipotent.

Some christians believe people make a choice whether or not to believe in
God.  Bull.  I could no more decide to believe in God or Christ than you
could decide not too.  (Try it.  Just not believe in God for a minute or so
and then switch back.  Maybe then you'll be a born again christian).

What really pisses me off is when some christians (read Jerry Falwell and
the like) say that christians are happier and more content than people of
other religions.  How can they know?  They must ask people who have been
both.  Either they ask people who were x and switched to christianity, or
visa versa.  I think we can deduce which method was used.  What ninnies!
Do they seriously think they are getting an unbiased opinion?

Comments, anyone?

Chris Larsen at CMU
CL1C@CMU-CC-TD [BITNET]
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