David wrote:
"Much later it occurred to me that, in my response to you, I had
overlooked another theory about the deity, a version of neo-Platonic
emanationism. The "true" or "ultimate" deity produced a lesser deity
which is the god of this world or a member of a series leading to him or
it. The imperfection of the final being in the series explains why the
world is not as perfect as Griffin would make it were he in charge. ;-)"
Yeah -- this option is still another in what must be almost an infinite
string. I did not previously have a name for it -- thank you.
Like a number of plausible answers, it is not satisfactory for it seems
to have no other purpose than to solve the theodicy problem, and no
particular evidences outside of that area to suggest it.
I think an old episode of "The Twilight Zone" treated that possibility --
the lesser deity being a five year old in a cosmic playground.
I still reject your assertion that Griffin (or me) finding something
terribly wrong with the Lisbon earthquake event has anything at all with
"making a deity in our own image." The obvious fact that either of us --
and you too, would have "done things differently" simply points out that
the event is an inconsistency. An apparent inconsistency, we Christians
must argue. But an inconsistency for all that.
Burgy
www.burgy.50megs.com
(source data on issues of science/theology, quantum mechanics, ethics,
great sports cars, a story of God's intervention into the natural
causation of the universe, etc.)
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