Solution to the Problem of Evil

[Jaded Sage]

What do you think of this as a solution. I think it's tops.


Niki Lauda: When do you start testing? Next week?
James Hunt: No. What, are you nuts? I didn’t just win the biggest thing in my life so I could get right back to work.
Niki Lauda: Why? You have to. To prove to all the people who will always say you just won it because…
James Hunt: Because of what? Because of your accident? Niki, is that other people, or is that you? I won, okay? On the all-important day, when it came down to it, we raced on equal terms, equally good cars. And I put my life on the line, and I saw it through.
Niki Lauda: And you call that winning?
James Hunt: Yes.
Niki Lauda: The risks were totally unacceptable. You were prepared to die. To me, that’s losing.
James Hunt: Yes, I was. I admit it. I was prepared to die to beat you that day. And that’s the effect you have on me. You’d pushed me that far. And it felt great. I mean, hell, isn’t that we’re in this for? To stare death in the face, and to cheat it? Come on, there’s nobility in that. It’s… it’s like being knights.
Niki Lauda: You English, you’re such assholes. You know my position. Twenty percent risk.
James Hunt: No, no, no, Niki, don’t bring the percentages into this. Don’t be a pro. The minute you do that, you kill what’s good about this. You kill the sport.
[Long pause, before James’ party calls him from his plane]
James Hunt: I’ve got to go.
[points at Lauda’s plane as he walks away]
James Hunt: Careful with this thing.
Niki Lauda: James.
[Hunt stops]
Niki Lauda: You know, in hospital, the toughest part of my treatment was the vacuum. Pumping the shit out of my lungs. It was hell. And while doing it, I was watching television. You winning all my points.
James Hunt: Your points?
Niki Lauda: ‘That bastard Hunt,’ I would say. ‘I hate that guy.’ And then one day, the doctor came and said, ‘Mr. Lauda, may I offer a piece of advice? Stop thinking of it as a curse to have been given an enemy in life. It can be a blessing, too. A wise man gets more from his enemies than a fool from his friends.’ And you know what? He was right. Look at us. We were both a pair of kids when we met. Hot-headed jerks in Formula 3. Disowned by our families. Headed nowhere. And now, we’re both champions of the world. It was not bad, huh?
James Hunt: No, it’s not bad.
Niki Lauda: So don’t let me down now. I need you busting my balls. Get back to work.
James Hunt: I will, Niki, I will. But I intend to enjoy myself first. Some of life needs to be for pleasure. What’s the point of having a million cups and medals and planes if you don’t have any fun? How is that winning?
[Hunt’s party calls him again]
James Hunt: I’ll see you on race day, champ.
Niki Lauda: You will, champ.
James Hunt: You look good, Niki. The only guy to have his face burnt off and it be an improvement.
[Lauda gives Hunt the finger as Hunt smiles back and walks toward his party]

- Rush

http://youtu.be/11p_KvPySzo


Edit: so evil is our rival, of course.

So all that is to say, "Evil is the ultimate catalyst for improvement."

[Hobbes' Choice]

Has anyone ever called you clinically insane?

[Jaded Sage]

It's that good, huh? I'm just personifying it.

[bobevenson]

"The evil that lurks in the minds of men is manifested in the collective evil of the beast. Understand the man and you cannot be deceived by his institutions." -from "The Ouzo Prophecy"

"For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled." -Revelation 17:17 (a description of the beast in chapter and verse - 7 heads and 10 horns)

[Jaded Sage]

I probably should have explained the problem of evil. Here's something I wrote:


Really bad stuff happens, evil stuff. but why?

the Christians like to paint a portrait of God as being:
-- All-knowing ~ All-powerful ~ All-loving --

Yet bad stuff happens every day...

- If he is really All-Powerful he could stop it.
- If he is All-Loving he would want to stop it.
- If he is All-Knowing he would know how to stop it.

so how can it be the case that God is omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolet (powerful, knowing, loving) while terrible things still happen to us, and other people, all the time?

either:
a) There really is no God
b) God is evil sometimes

Answer: B
He is evil in the same way that our Parents used to be evil...
when they told us "No" when we wanted a new toy sometimes.
when we went to time-out, or we got spanked when we were bad.

Toys = are the things we want but cannot have.
Timeout = is a moderate inconvenience (to guide us in the right direction).
Spankings = are the painful things that happen in life (physical & emotional).

A good parent (a Good God) teaches right from wrong. Once you learn, all good things happen.

[bobevenson]

My post stands on its own.

[Jaded Sage]

No, it doesn't.

I didn't explain it well enough.

God has three aspects, but He can only have two if evil exists. Evil essentially does not exist, for the reason of rivalry, therefore God is free to have all three aspects.

[bobevenson]

No, it doesn't.

Together, both quotes explain the nature of evil and how to overcome it.

[Jaded Sage]

But that has nothing to do with the Problem of Evil. It's a specific problem.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Problem_of_evil

[bobevenson]

No, the book of Revelation and "The Ouzo Prophecy" address the nature of evil and how to overcome it. God does not directly tamper with the universe as opposed to divine inspiration, guidance and intervention.

[Jaded Sage]

We're talking about two different things.

[thedoc]

We're talking about two different things.

Yes, J.S. is talking about belief in God, B.E. is talking about himself.

[Hobbes' Choice]

We're talking about two different things.

Yes, J.S. is talking about belief in God, B.E. is talking about himself.

Is it the blind leading the blind; or have I got my metaphors mixed up?
How about the insane controlling the asylum?

They seem happy enough?

[bobevenson]

We're talking about two different things.

Yes, J.S. is talking about belief in God, B.E. is talking about himself.

Do you have a hard-on against all prophets or just me?

[Jaded Sage]

Psh, I'm a genius, Hobbes.