UniversalWolf said:
What kind of being would create weaker beings and then torture them for eternity if they don't constantly suck up to him and follow strictures that contradict the fundamental nature he gave them, all without giving them the slightest shred of tangible evidence that he exists?
I am not exactly responding to what you said but more to the idea that a lot of people bring up: why God would allow suffering, weakness and diseases. It seems that it's related a bit.
Some religious people view life as a test. If humans were simply born into Heaven, it would either be just like Earth, with all its' man-made problems; or for the lasting utopia to exist, humans would have to completely lack individuality and free will, making them something else entirely. Thus, some believe that freedom of choice is the central point of our existence, as we are.
We live in a very organic world, in which we constantly make choices, even if they are to allow various forces (trends, ads, etc.) to influence our ultimate decisions. These choices and decisions have far-reaching consequences. If a person suffers, it's usually due to something he/she or someone else did. If a person is sick or weak, it probably has something to do with the environment or the personal lifestyle or that of his/her parents. We ourselves help or hurt uh... ourselves and each other.
Even natural disasters are something that we need to address and prepare for because they obviously aren't magic but are processes that brew over time and appear due to existing elements, including human elements. Instead, some blame God for making the bad stuff happen. Well, an alternative view is to say that we did something to cause it or we could have learned about the way things worked and we could have taken measures to prepare. As Quran, for example, says: "man shall have nothing but what he strives for" (53:39, same idea in different translations). Basically, Earth is one big boiling pot of cause and effect entrusted to us from 'above' to see what we can do with it, given the freedom.
The question is then why does God not constantly interfere and stop all these bad things or why did He not create a world where such things could not occur. After all, it is a world designed and ultimately governed by Him. In such a case though, some believe that this life would fail to be an adequate test. Difficulties would not arise and it's in hard times when people really show their colors, don't they?
One may think that necessitating difficulties that cause suffering is evil but in some philosophies, it is up to an individual whether to suffer. A person can hate his life for not having an iPhone and someone else can lose a fucking face to a crazy chimp and still find enjoyment in life. In some religions, God's mercy is helping one achieve that peaceful state of mind, and His intervention is not to magically lift obstacles from one's path but to guide
the person toward the best way around them. Basically, when we pray for help, we really pray asking for that inner guidance that will be the force influencing our ultimate choices in a manner that could cause the most beneficial reactions for us in this world.
This may make no sense to you but it is one way to look at things for some. Overall, I find that theism makes somewhat more sense and can have a place in the modern world, when we think of it a little more logically and scientifically, and avoid using words and imagery that they used centuries ago to explain things that are not explainable to an average human being, possibly ever. But I'm rambling before bedtime. Don't judge too harshly at this hour.
