What does God do?

[naomi24]

Apparently we can't blame God for the ills of this world and we must be grateful to him for the good in the world- but I don't see him doing anything at all - so what does he actually 'do'?

[naomi24]

Khandro, I'm positive about lots of things. It would be nice if you could bring yourself to discuss the issue without resorting to personal insults. Stop being so rude.

Hello Lonnie, how nice to see you. :o)

[joggerjayne]

We are wrong to underestimate "what God does".

He must have tons of admin, and organising his staff rota must take forever.

[mushroom25]

the late great peter cook was of the opinion that God is an alcoholic. his reasoning was that He wakes up in the morning with a shocking head, and He looks and He sees what an awful mess the world is in. Feeling somewhat guilty, He puts sorting it out at the to of His "to do" list. but first, He just has a little drink to steady His nerves.......

[joggerjayne]

Instead of a "To Do List" ...

... God should rename it his list of "Action Items" !

After all, this is the 21st Century (although maybe not in "God time")

[ludwig]

// God keeps us safe. //

I wonder where he was when my uncle Reg fell into the hay bailing machine.

[ludwig]

..on a tea break perhaps.

[vetuste_ennemi]

Argorstran, I share your wonder at the beauty of the natural world (wasps included), but not your explanation of it. The explanations I believe in are to me far more awesome than anything I've read in a holy book. Did you see any of the marvellous programs celebrating Darwin's bicentenary, especially the Attenborough ones? Have you read Dawkin's "The Greatest Show on Earth"?

[jomifl]

Argorstran, Your 'gaian' argument is very seductive though I'm not sure what the point is that you are making. Actually I think it is vulcanism that does most to maintain your 'finely balanced equilibrium' by recycling on a grand scale. Ironic isn't it that vulcanism in the short term is inimical to life? It all comes down to viewpoints and time scales What seems to us a very comfy temperature range only seems comfy because we are adapted to it since we evolved within it. The only reason life seems to have existed for a long time is because it is the only time scale we know.The only reason we are discussing this is because it hasn't all gone haywire and killed us ..yet. We don't know if other forms of life can exist at lower or (more likely) higher temperatures.

[goodlife]

What would you do to correct matters? Would you destroy your home? Or. would probably evict the bad tenants and repair what damage had been done.
But it strike me as that there is so much confusion about Matthew 24:14, a verse that even a child can understand.

[RATTER15]

Goodlife, you appear to be under the illusion that people believe in what is written in Matthew 24:14, generally people understand it fine but also some have the intellect to dismiss it as nonsense, as in the rest of the bible.

[jomifl]

Goodlife, you should take Ratter's point seriously, you might just as well quote from 'The Adventures of Rupert Bear' for all the difference it would make. You should listen a bit more and preach a bit less.

[Khandro]

Ratter; //some have the intellect to dismiss it as nonsense, as in the rest of the bible.// Should I then take it, that your intellect guides you to dismiss the Bible in it's entirety?

[RATTER15]

Khandro, Im not saying there are no proven facts in the Bible but apart from these the bible is generally a load of old twaddle for the weak minded.

[jomifl]

Khandro, /Should I then take it, that your intellect guides you to dismiss the Bible in it's entirety/
In what context? as a door stop, an example of early literature or mediaeval printing, a history of the jews, an account of the life of jesus or the 'word of god'.

[jomifl]

Matthew 24:14 ....
And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in all the world as a witness to all the nations, and then the end will come.

Goodlife, there you have it, 'the end will come', finito, terminée, kaput. very perceptive. How could we possibly have guessed that? That is the end of what exactly? christianity? humanity? the Earth? the Universe? No chance of more specfic information?

[Old_Geezer]

He clocks on at 7 am each morning, puts in a full 9 hour day before clocking back out, then goes back home for something to eat, bath, and a well earned rest; only to start again same time next day.

[McMouse]

He plays in goal for the local village team which has always been at the bottom of the league. Hence the term "There is no God"

[naomi24]

He doesn’t do anything though – does he? Khandro thinks he gives Jews their superior(?) intellect, but surely even that’s true, it’s something that’s decided before they’re born. What does he actually do in the real world that benefits anyone? As far as I can see, zilch.

[LazyGun]

I still haven't seen an answer as to what point Khandro was trying to make with this statement they made in a previous post;

"and before you dismiss it, pause to consider that the Jewish race are proportionately the most intellige people on earth."

If the point Khandro is trying to make is that god has granted them the boon of greater intelligence, then that opens up the whole issue of the relationship between religiosity and intelligence - and all the studies conducted in this area show conclusively that there is an inverse relationship between having faith and intelligence level.....

[naomi24]

Perhaps he's under the impression that they really are the chosen people - in more ways than one.