Gods Will

[nailit]

can any believer in religion please tell me why an almighty, omnipotent god needs people to do his bidding here on earth?
Had a conversation with a couple of JW door knockers a few days ago who were convinced that they were doing gods work, I asked them why he cant do his own work. if he wants me to know about the bible why cant he tell me himself? Its something that ive noticed with others....evangelical christians, mormons etc. Its the same with muslim fanatics who believe that commiting attrocities is doing gods work. If god's got a problem with infidels why cant he sort it himself?
I'd be genuinely interested to hear from anyone who believes that they are doing gods work and tell me why god cant do things for himself.

[ll_billym]

I have indeed read that post and your others but unfortunately I didn't see how the original post has been addressed. I posted the above as I thought you were offering to do your level best to rephrase things.

I've pasted your answer below so you can easily assist in the rephrasing. Specifically could you rephrase the words 'the real thing' so that I can understand what that is.

Thanks.

//Here we go again! People on both sides of the argument putting forward a worthless caricature of the real thing, rooted in a degree of ignorance and prejudice. The version of Christianity triumphantly dismissed here is, as usual, a version subscribed to only by seriously weird types.
God is NOT an interventionist. //

[Khandro]

^^ If you look for the 'real thing' you could do worse than study St Thomas Aquinas, have you ever done that?
If you had you would see why the question is such nonsense. God doesn't "Need people to do his bidding". Religion is about what YOU need not God, and what YOU need in your life is virtue.
Thomas defined the four cardinal virtues as prudence, temperance, justice, and fortitude. The cardinal virtues are natural and revealed in nature, and are binding on everyone. There are, also, three 'theological' virtues: faith, hope, and charity, all of these are qualities some of us wish to aspire to, and all our endeavours I suggest, are a matter of supreme unimportance to God.
Go figure!

[RATTER15]

Nonsense!

[Khandro]

"Talk sense to a fool and he calls you foolish". Euripides
You are not entitled to your opinion, you are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.

[ll_billym]

Thanks for the response. I haven't studied St Thomas Aquinas in any great depth however from the bits I have read the upshot is that he states that by aligning oneself with the values he (and therefore 'God') propose one will supposedly be rewarded with a happier and more fulfilling life as a by-product of doing so - because that way of living is better than any other.

In summary: God does not need us to do his bidding, however, should we choose to do so, it will benefit us in this life and the next.

Have I figured it out?

[Khandro]

ll_billym;//Have I figured it out?//
I don't mean to sound patronising, or condescending, but i think you have.
Relating to the original post; according to Aquinas, God is not a moral agent at all, there are no moral demands on him, and he is under no moral obligation to anyone or anything, in fact he doesn't take God to be a 'person' at all. (I'll say amen to that).
Ref. 'Thomas Aquinas On God And Evil' by Brian Davis. Oxford University Press

[naomi24]

Khandro, //You are not entitled to your opinion, you are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant. //

Apparently Aquinas was - or does that lofty criticism apply only to Ratter?

[RATTER15]

Khandro, you rarely talk sense, you are full of your philosophical, religious nonsense.

At least I talk in plain English and do not believe in ridiculous fairy tales!

You claim to be a Buddhist, I have known and do know a few Buddhist but never have I known one to be so unpleasant!

[naomi24]

Ratter, Khandro's a Buddhist - and I'm a Chinaman. ;o)

[RATTER15]

I know Naomi, 螾褾賹 綒 訰貥郪 "claim to be" 鞈頨 壾嵷幓 諙踣踙 螾褾賹 綒 訰貥郪 佹侁刵 嵷幓 僣, 殧澞 犌犐瑆 餈餖駜 踙 鈁陾 嵧 瘑睯碫

[Khandro]

ratter; Nothing in all the world is more dangerous than sincere ignorance.
With reference to all all these Buddhists you know, are they Mahayana, Theravada, Zen or what?

[maggiebee]

Absolutely agree with you nailit. Why do people believe they are doing God's work? Maybe he needs a little help now and again? Go heal the sick - well we seem to have plenty doctors and nurses doing this work. Save the children - well we seem to have plenty of charities doing this work. Maybe we should all just sit back on our a*ses and do absolutely nothing. And I think to myself, what a wonderful world. Not if populated with narrow minded people like you!

[zoe76]

I have no idea the answer to the original question but someone said "you can't believe something you don't understand" I actually don't agree with this, I watched something years ago about quantam psychics. I didn't understand it at all but I believe they were truthful. I guess this is the same for all the religious nutjobs out there

[RATTER15]

Khandro, again more nonsense!

[Khandro]

naomi; You wouldn't recognise a Zen Buddhist even if he slapped you in the face ;-)
zoe; Well I'm pleased that's quantum physics all sorted out!

[naomi24]

Khandro, keep taking the tablets. ;o)