This is a response I made to a Christian on the "Problem of Suffering".
The problem of suffering is really a
problem of victimization, where gods 'gift' of free will enables the stronger to victimize the weak, with god allowing it in some of the most horrible ways imaginable, and Christians blame humans for it. Effectively blaming the victim.
One persons free will impedes another. Obviously a SUBOPTIMAL design.
A lot of the 'sins' are committed because they are LIKED or are PLEASURABLE for people. This is a reaction that is built into people, conversely like the nausea reaction people get around vomit. If God had built the urge to vomit into people when they think of having sex with children the there wouldn't be so many church authorities wanting to molest children.
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This Project has been moved
here, please follow the link and resume at the new location.
This is a long term project intended as a collaboration with theists using shared documents with diagrams to Analyze the Concept of the Atonement as much as possible to assess its coherence.
STATUS 20100116
Currently coping with interpretability issues
INTRODUCTION
Project Documentation Index
[The questionnaire in the lower part of the article was an attempt to define some terms. Feel free to try your hand at filling in the questionnaire in the bottom portion and join the discussion. I'd like to get feedback from Adherents to other religions, Muslim, Hindu, Jewish, Buddhist, etc]
So now I ask you, how can God show any mercy at all if he is required by his own perfect state to be 100% just?
One of the theist commenters said
The atonement gives God the ability to have justice completely fulfilled while allowing him to be merciful. If we repent of our sins, the justice has already been fulfilled by Christ so God can fully forgive the transgression without the need for added punishment. You don't have to use the atonement, free agency, but it is available for all. Without the atonement it is impossible to have a perfect God.
so then Harlan Quinn said...
I'm trying to understand your answer to your question, so below I've tried to "unpack" it for closer inspection.
would you mind correcting and filling in the missing pieces please?
=====
God shows mercy
and is 100% just
because he is required by, or is a consequence of his perfect state
Gods perfect state depends on the atonement.
* The atonement is defined as _________________
* Mercy is defined as _________________
* The atonement is merciful because _____________
* The atonement is 100% Just because ____________
* Justice is defined as ____________________
if we repent of our sins
AND
the atonement has been done
There is no need for added punishment
* Normally there is a need for punishment because _________________
* Normally punishment for our sins is ___________________
* Our sins are described as _________________
* Repenting of our sins is not sufficient to fulfill the criteria for punishment because _________________
* Free Agency is defined as __________________.
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