You don't believe in "pure randomness"? I know a teacher of Chaos Theory (know OF him, not him personally) who would love to sit down with you.
I have debated 'chaotes' numerous times. The conclusion? Chaos theory is not actually about 'pure randomness' but resolves into 'well, we cannot see the mechanisms of cause and effect in certain situations so we call it chaos.'
I have debated 'chaotes' numerous times. The conclusion? Chaos theory is not actually about 'pure randomness' but resolves into 'well, we cannot see the mechanisms of cause and effect in certain situations so we call it chaos.'
Been there, done that.
So..... Just out of curiosity then, if in your opinion, there is no true chaos or randomness, then perhaps life could have sprung from lifelessness? After all, people who say it isn't possible use the idea of chance and "extreme unlikeliness" as reasons that it could not have happened.
So..... Just out of curiosity then, if in your opinion, there is no true chaos or randomness, then perhaps life could have sprung from lifelessness? After all, people who say it isn't possible use the idea of chance and "extreme unlikeliness" as reasons that it could not have happened.
True randomness is a denial of cause and effect. Life most certainly could have sprung from lifelessness (abiogenesis), but that doesn't mitigate the need for a cause for life to come about to begin with. For example, God could have said 'let the earth bring forth the green herb' and it would be so - abiogenesis?
But there is still a cause - God's creative act - and thus it wouldn't be 'random'. When people say creation ex nihilo could not be random because the 'chances are so astronomically against it' they are saying that relying on true chance to explain an effect is a chancy proposition.
I don't believe in luck, goods or bad. Nothing is by chance. God is completely in charge of our lives. All good comes from God and the bad is just God's way of teaching us a lesson or allowing us to learn a lesson. I've been known to say" if I didn't have bad luck I'd have no luck at all"., but only in jest. Since the death of my wife almost two years ago I have been writing my life's story. It has been good therapy for me because I can now see the pattern for the plan God has had for my life. Before; I couldn't see the trees for the forest, now I'm beginning to get the big picture.
I have a hard time accepting that "all good comes from God, and the bad is just His way of teaching us a lesson."
How many of us would bring immense suffering to the point of serious abuse upon our children, in order to teach them a lesson? It seems a big excessive to me.
Which is not to imply that I have any better explanation. If God tortures us for "our own good", then he is not good. If God completely protects us from suffernig (especially that caused by the hands of others), then there is truly no such thing as free will, and none of it matters.
Back when I believed, I had faith that God would protect me. Not from all suffering, or from everything bad. But I truly believed that he was in control, and that he would save me from the truly bad things, the things I feared the most.
When I lost that belief, I started suffering from anxiety attacks, because I suddenly realized that there is nothing standing between me and my biggest fears except the whims of a seemingly capricious God.
__________________
"I am a great and sublime fool. But then I am God's fool,
and all His works must be contemplated with respect."
I have a hard time accepting that "all good comes from God, and the bad is just His way of teaching us a lesson."
How many of us would bring immense suffering to the point of serious abuse upon our children, in order to teach them a lesson? It seems a big excessive to me.
Which is not to imply that I have any better explanation. If God tortures us for "our own good", then he is not good. If God completely protects us from suffernig (especially that caused by the hands of others), then there is truly no such thing as free will, and none of it matters.
Back when I believed, I had faith that God would protect me. Not from all suffering, or from everything bad. But I truly believed that he was in control, and that he would save me from the truly bad things, the things I feared the most.
When I lost that belief, I started suffering from anxiety attacks, because I suddenly realized that there is nothing standing between me and my biggest fears except the whims of a seemingly capricious God.
God allowing us to experience something, and God 'torturing' us, are very different things.
I have a hard time accepting that "all good comes from God, and the bad is just His way of teaching us a lesson."
How many of us would bring immense suffering to the point of serious abuse upon our children, in order to teach them a lesson? It seems a big excessive to me.
Which is not to imply that I have any better explanation. If God tortures us for "our own good", then he is not good. If God completely protects us from suffernig (especially that caused by the hands of others), then there is truly no such thing as free will, and none of it matters.
Back when I believed, I had faith that God would protect me. Not from all suffering, or from everything bad. But I truly believed that he was in control, and that he would save me from the truly bad things, the things I feared the most.
When I lost that belief, I started suffering from anxiety attacks, because I suddenly realized that there is nothing standing between me and my biggest fears except the whims of a seemingly capricious God.
That isn't anxiety attacks, that is "insecurity."
The big thing with God is that we in this humanity we have, will never fully understand God.
That is why we have "Faith!"
We see through a glass darkly but one day it will all be made clear.
Thing is, some things won't be made clearer until we "fully surrender" to him.
That isn't anxiety attacks, that is "insecurity."
The big thing with God is that we in this humanity we have, will never fully understand God.
That is why we have "Faith!"
We see through a glass darkly but one day it will all be made clear.
Thing is, some things won't be made clearer until we "fully surrender" to him.
Ummmm..trust me, that may be "insecurity" in your eyes, but they manifest into full blow anxiety attacks with heart palpitations, tunnel vision, dizzyness, tightness in the chest and trouble breathing.
It got to the point where I was could barely make myself go to work or leave my house, until I had no choice by to seek medical intervention.
So your telling me that I am just insecure, both hurts and angers me, and I don't think I should say anything else while I am upset.
__________________
"I am a great and sublime fool. But then I am God's fool,
and all His works must be contemplated with respect."
Ummmm..trust me, that may be "insecurity" in your eyes, but they manifest into full blow anxiety attacks with heart palpitations, tunnel vision, dizzyness, tightness in the chest and trouble breathing.
It got to the point where I was could barely make myself go to work or leave my house, until I had no choice by to seek medical intervention.
So your telling me that I am just insecure, both hurts and angers me, and I don't think I should say anything else while I am upset.
It wasn't meant to upset you and for that I am sorry, please forgive me.
Perhaps I also worded it wrong as well.
I should have said that it "appears" to me, and I could be wrong, that those symptoms are the result of insecurity.