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Pastimes : Ask God -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Alan Markoff who wrote (17323)	6/9/1998 8:13:00 PM
From: Gregory D. John	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 39621

Alan, You've hit on a point that I've been thinking about. It has to do with the accountability of a creator to his creations. Let's look at one extreme: God as Creator. Most people who believe in this, respect God and do not hold Him accountable (and sometime, not even responsible) for the evils of his creations. This is clearly related to "the Problem of Evil", but I'm curious about what people think about another aspect; and, I think this aspect is best demonstrated by the another extreme. Consider Hitler the creator of Nazism. I know this isn't strictly or completely true, but he makes a good example since he is considered by most to be the epitome of evil. Hitler is held accountable for the evils of Nazism by exactly such an opinion. Is Hitler used as a scapegoat by those, who of their own free will, participated in Nazism? If so, does Hitler deserve this and should the accountability of those who participated be mitigated because of it? Should the most common of soldiers at a concentration camp be allowed the excuse, "Oh, sure... it was horrible. But, you know... Hitler made us do it." I realize this is the ol' "I was just following orders" ethical question, but can it (or even should it?) be applied to God? After all... a soldier can consider an order for a superior to be immoral and choose to disobey that order. But if God says to go smite those Aromites... who's to say, "No." Greg

To: Alan Markoff who wrote (17323)	6/9/1998 8:19:00 PM
From: Father Terrence	Respond to of 39621

Alan: You respond with circuitous logic and utter the plaintive cry of the typical mystic. Your brethren can be found as fanatical sheepherders, cowering tradesmen, and awestruck village idiots from the days of pre-history to the present. The god of the Hebrews was like many other gods of the day, and many of the miracles and signs the Old Testament spoke of -- of which the New Testament is built upon -- are understood today as natural phenomena. To declare this now is Science. To have declared that then would've meant Stoning. It is incredible how the majority of humanity today is very little different than the savages from Israel 6,000 years ago. It is humbling to admit that were it not for a relative handful of brilliant and brave men and women throughout the centuries who led a kicking and screaming mob of humans from the caves to the verge of the stars, that humanity would still be tending sheep, warring with swords and spears, and cowering every time a rumbling thunderstorm approached. God has done nothing to further Man. Man has ascended on his own. Father Terrence