Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.3 4.3bsd-beta 6/6/85; site wucs.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxt!houxm!ihnp4!wucs!scs From: scs@wucs.UUCP (Steve Swope) Newsgroups: net.religion.christian Subject: Re: Reply to Jon Gallagher Message-ID: <1167@wucs.UUCP> Date: Tue, 17-Sep-85 21:03:03 EDT Article-I.D.: wucs.1167 Posted: Tue Sep 17 21:03:03 1985 Date-Received: Thu, 19-Sep-85 03:56:48 EDT References: <317@drutx.UUCP> <320@pyuxn.UUCP> <222@ptsfb.UUCP> <343@pyuxn.UUCP> <1711@pyuxd.UUCP> Organization: Washington U. in St. Louis, CS Dept. Lines: 36 In article <1711@pyuxd.UUCP>, rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen) writes: >> >> If you claim that a damager-god created us to suffer (for its enjoyment), you >> imply that whatever is within us was created by it as well. > > Paul, to my knowledge, has persistently claimed just the opposite. Why are you > bothering to speculate that this might have bearing on what he has said? > I did this partially because I'm not sure exactly what Paul claims in this respect (I'm a relative newcomer to the discussion), but primarily to present counter-arguments to both cases. It was my intention to show that either view of a damager-god was invalid (these cases are the only two; it either created us or did not). If both views are shown to be invalid, the entire concept must be regarded as invalid. >> If you claim that it did not create us, but merely tortures us, you ignore the >> possibility of there being another power, one that is good and creative by >> nature (as opposed to evil and destructive). And if such a power exists, it >> will of necessity be at odds with the destroyer. It seems more likely that >> the damager-god is an alias used by Satan than that Satan is an alias used by >> the damager-god. > > Why does it seem "more likely"? Don't you mean "equally likely"? If not, > why not? It is more likely because of the existence of the greater power (see my original argument). The damager-god alias would be used by Satan to slander this higher power, which Christians refer to as God. Attributing evil to God advances Satan's goals in that it gives a false image of God's nature. If there were only a damager-god, the taking of an alias would seem irrelevant. Steve Swope (aka scs@wucs.UUCP) "Brigadier, A straight line may be the shortest path between two points, but it is by no means the most interesting!"