Everyday, horrible things happen in this world that we call our home. Countless "good" people are killed, raped, stabbed, smacked, slashed and are troubled by other numerous violent actions every day. One might begin to wonder exactly why bad things do happen to good people. However, this question is a very difficult one to answer and in order to do so, an individual must truly assert their own belief in the following: Is there really a god?
Firstly, the terms "good" and "bad" must both be understood to have multiple meanings. For example to a terrorist who has been taught his entire life to go out and sacrifice himself in the name of his god would consider what he would be doing as "good". However, to a normal Canadian citizen such as myself, what this man considers as "good" is considered "bad" to me. Therefore, when a "bad" thing happens to someone it could be considered "good" to someone else. However, one question still remains. Regardless of whether something is considered "good" or "bad", why do these things happen?
According to the philosopher John Mackie, the reason for all the suffering in the world is simply that there is no god. This is a belief known as religious skepticism. Mackie classified his solutions as to why there is suffering into two categories, Orthodox and Unorthodox. Orthodox solutions usually preserving the traditional characteristic of god and Unorthodox usually disproving certain characteristics of god. One rather interesting Orthodox solution is known as the "Freedom Response". This view establishes that suffering is the price individuals pay for their own freewill. This is because other humans cause suffering not god. Essentially, suffering and evil is caused by humans having their own freewill. Now, after understanding and reading about this theory as an individual who believes in god I must admit this is the only theory that could explain all the suffering and pain in the world to me.
In conclusion, although Mackie has argued against the "Freedom Response", I must admit that this is the only solution that can truly make sense to me. As someone who does believe in god I must state that although there is a lot of pain and suffering in this world, it is not because there is no god it is because it is self-inflicted suffering. Only through this view can I truly comprehend and grasp the idea of why bad things happen to good people.
Good job.
ReplyDeleteI believe you understand the concept of orthodox and unorthodox very well.
Your exmaple with the terrorist about the "good" and the "bad" is a great support for your points.
I agree with you that sufferings comes from in ourselves not by GOD.
Good job!
This is amazing! I really like how you start off by asking the question,"Is there really a G-d?" because it really does originate from that concept. If anything, you should have added in a bit more opinion than just the facts of other people's beliefs. But, otherwise, its very interesting.
ReplyDeleteGreat blog. I really like how you took ideas from other philosophers (John Mackie), and how you expanded on the topic of orthodox and unorothodox suffering. It shows that you really understand what you are talking about. Even though it was great, I as well think you should have added a bit more opinion to this. Aside from that, it was great.
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ReplyDeletei'll assume you read so far. but there's still the question - why is bad happening to good people. now this is going to be very hard for you to swallow because i don't have any proof at all. i can only tell you what happened to me during so many years.. and err?.. i have no reason to lie ok? what i think is that.. they are trying to eliminate us.. i don't know who "they" are but err?.. from the looks of it, the society is like a pyramid. everybody who is connected to society from the bottom to the top, they all feed "them". i think they're trying to eliminate all good people in order to make everybody corrupted so that nobody would ever oppose them? or maybe there's even a bigger purpose? like NWO etc? that doesn't really matter, what matters is they want us gone. i'd have lots of other things to say, like personal experiences and stuff but err?.. i'm not sure yet if you want to listen or if at least you even care. and as i see it, even IF you'd care, we can't do sh!t about this. i'm sorry to say but it's REALLY hopeless.. and err?...... it's already 16:43?.... and i should've began learning for university since 12:00...
ReplyDeleteanyway... if you feel like "saving the world or something"?... my email is stefanian.liviu@yahoo.com what a crap.. "saving the world".. the one and ONLY sollution would be destroying the whole "human" race - if it can still be called human..
wait.. i didn't talk about god.. pff.. do i really have to waste my time with this?... i mean?... can't you think a bit for yourself?... ok so i made a video on youtube where i clearly demonstrated that either there's no god, or god simply doesn't care about us anymore - if he ever did. my theory uses the noah's flood event which is described in all abrahamic religions - islam, christianity etc. so guess what.. if there was no great flood, then there was no religion and we can all go to the nearest church and decorate it with our own freshly made feces. ok?.. also religion is just a tool for mass control. in the past there were no security cameras, no police, no lawyers etc.. thiefs criminals would get caught very hard so they needed to create a belief which would make the thiefs fear that they'll burn in hell forever just because they want to steal a bread.. i don't know what happened in the past because history is not something which i give a sh!t for - history is always written by the winners so how can you tell what is true or false. so i don't know what happened in the past but today religion is definetely used at least in US to replace and twist morality. a good people is defined for many as someone who believes in god.. that's facking re7arded.. but anyway.. if you still want to dream of santa claus, god and other fairy tales, then i won't wake you up.. sweet dreams my friend..
ReplyDeletehey and who is that kurt cobain?.. i know he was a singer in nirvana who shot himself in the head or something after his girlfriend left him or what happened.. i also read he accused stomach pains, that he participated in some kind of "something" against suicide, whatever.. but why you put his quotes here - was he a "good" guy? i mean was he a thinker?.. his face looks kind of simple - which i think is a characteristic for all reasonable persons. he looks almost like me with some little exceptions: his hair, his eyebrows and his nose. but his cheeks are identical to mine. i don't know much about his personality thou but i think he was different. i'm the kind of guy who's fair, righteous and good but only with good people.. and if you ever insult me or do me the slightest wrong in intentionate ways, i'll pretend like it's ok and nothing happened, then at the first chance i'll get, i'd rip the guts out of you.. there was a punk in my neighbourhood when i was 14. he kept asking me for money and because i was generous to everybody back then, i gave him when i could. but he was simply using me and err?.. when i stopped giving him for the first time, instead of thanking me, he insulted me! so yes.. i had to beat him up real good.. after i put him on the pavement i took the key from my pocket and i sticked it in his left eye. now his eye is made out of glass because after surgery his eye infected and had to be removed. hehehe... that showed him... ;)
ReplyDeletelmao.. i read a quote from that dead dude?.. he said "the worst crime is faking it"? so what is that suppose to mean.. if i call police and i say i killed JFK then i'm the worst criminal? i think he was on drugs.. for my curiosity i read more about cobain.. such a long name for such an unimportant person.. so err?.. he was with this b!tch courtney love, they had a daughter and her mother was using cocaine while she was pregnant. also i saw a picture where he was arrested for vandalism.. i got no respect for him..
ReplyDeletehey i'm that guy Satanic Funeral with the pen!s photo don't remove me ok?
ReplyDeleteso cobain says in the quotes he won't eat anything green? but did he eat brown things? you know, like second hand chocolate? i make chocolate in bathroom almost every day
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