Quote from CaptainObvious:
At this point in the thread we can conclude that:
Hardcore religous zealots, the God creates earth in 7days, earth is 10,000 years old, the Flintstones should be on the History Channel...those types cannot defend their position with any degree of intellectual honesty.
Hardcore atheists, the there is absolutely no doubt, we are certain there is no God, are also in a position that cannot be defended intellectually.
Then there are the rest of us. I'd like to think that most participating in this debate are in the rest of us catagory.
So let's take this to the question that even believers like myself have trouble making sense of...THE DEVIL!
If you believe as I do, and science has proven, that for every action there is a equal but opposite reaction, there is matter and anti-matter, there is positive and negative energy, then it must follow that if there is a God, and this God is everything positive, then a Devil, everything negative, must exist as well.
This is where religion fell/falls apart for me. I cannot, and do not believe in the whole, heaven/hell, rewards and punishment deal. It just doesn't hold up under even the slightest reasoning. A creator cannot create me, know everything about me, leave me with nothing but faith to rely upon, and then be disappointed when I fuck up. That just doesn't make sense. It is also accepeted among most believers that nothing happens in Gods world by accident. Well, that's cool for the good things, but what about the 6 month old baby that's being ass fucked right now, and we all know it's happening. What about the ruthless murders going on at this very moment. This is all part of Gods plan? Nonsense.
So where does that leave us? For me, as a believer in God, I must accept the fact that a devil also exists. To do otherwise would be intellectually dishonest, given my position. How do I expalin it? I can't! My only thought is that God is not as powerful as most claim and the outcome is still up for grabs.
I know many will mock this portion of the debate and it will come from both sides, but for me it's a serious question than remains unanswered, and it really, really weakens the postion I take as a believer in God when I can't give any rational explanation in response to the question I so often get when debating the issue with my agnostic friends. The question of, so what about the devil smart guy, explain that. I can't!