Woody2006 said:
JJ85 Reveille said:
Simple questions. Who defines what is Good? Who is the definition of Good? If you disagree with the definition and definer of Good, what are you? You don't have to like it, but until you create a universe and become the very definition of Good I'm not much interested in your labels.
There was a reason for the commands given, and it was good. Don't like it? Tough. Repent.
In what way is god the definition of good?
Other than a silly circular definition, I mean.
If there is a God he must be infinite in his perfections.
He must be infinitely strong, knowing, good, in all times and places, just, righteous, etc. There can only be one God, and he can't need anything.
Atheists say he doesn't exist. Jews and Christians say he is our God. Other religions will not participate in this logic debate.
This God must be the First Cause, the uncaused Cause. He can't be created, he just IS, and always has and always will BE.
This God created the universe.
He is the definition of good, because he is infinitely good. He can not do anything that is not good.
So if he says to kill these women and children, speaking through his anointed prophet, it is good.
He is so beyond our understanding that we can not judge him, and especially not by the arguments you would apply to a human.
This isn't a circular argument, it's a definition.
To say God isn't good is to miss the definition. Saying God isn't good, or did something evil is like saying 2+2 is 5, it's just not possible.
You may not like what he commanded. I don't, honestly, because I don't understand everything that was behind it. You don't either. If a human ordered this we'd probably agree it was very bad. But it wasn't a human that ordered, but a being so incomprehensibly good and beyond our ability to judge that all we do is say "Yes Sir." It's not like God ordered this as a pattern, or asked his people to do this on a continuing basis. It was a specific command for a specific occasion for reasons we aren't privy to. I suspect those reasons have to do with the trouble those people spared have been causing throughout history, but that's conjecture on my part.
Anyway, that's why God is the definition of good. If you don't believe in him you will have to find your own definition. It's interesting that those that understand logic at the deepest level, atheist or Jew, agree on what God's character must be. You should try to understand that before you make a choice on which way to go.
I pray that you wil choose to believe.