Is this a fair description of God?  (see Details)?
610900
Hmm.  I wouldn't say this is a full description, but definitely an important part.  At least of the god that I believe in.  One that wants us to question everything, since that's how we learn.
919088
The God of the Old Testament appears to have more than one personality. The identity of God seems to vary with the author. I see religion as an evolutionary process.
1070249
"If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist in this world?"\n\nTime to bust out the big words:  Theodicy.\n\nTheodicy:  "an explanation for the presence of evil and suffering that is consistent with the nature and character of God."\n\nBoy, I'm not sure where to start.  There's so many points to make and I'm not sure how to organize my thoughts....but here goes nothing.  This is my theodicy:\n---------------------------------------------------------\nFirst, let's start by defining "evil."  Evil is not a force or a created thing, so it would be faulty to use the circular logic that either God created evil (meaning God isn't good) or that God isn't the Creator of everything (since He didn't create evil).\n\nEvil is the absence of good, much like rust on a car.  God, by giving us free will, allowed us to "create" evil by choosing against Him.  For, if God is good, then to choose against Him would by evil and the consequences would be death (since God gives life).  Just as darkness is the absence of light, so evil is the absence of good.\n\nSometimes evil is the perversion of good.  Cancer is a good non-moral example.  It's a harmful mutation of otherwise healthy cells.  Whether evil twists good or flat-out rejects it, the results are the same.\n\nEvil is not God's fault.  He created only good and we distorted it, which is evil.\n\nEnough on this topic.  I'm leaving a few loose ends and there's much more to say on this, but I would be getting off track.\n\nSecond, let's point out a major implication of the question.  Anyone who asks our topic question for today is demonstrating the influence of Christianity on western thinking.  Hindus don't ask this question.  Animists don't grapple with it.  To them, the gods themselves are evil and corrupt and evil is to be an expected, embraced part of this world.  Suck it up and live with it.  It's the ying and the yang.  The Dark Side and the Light Side of the Force.  It's still the same Force.\n\nBut by asking the question, you are saying that there is a definite "evil" in this world that can be defined and identified.  There's something wrong and not right.  There is injustice.  And you presume that whoever this God fellow is, it's supposed to be His job to oppose this stuff and He's doing a lousy job.\n\nThis is a Christian worldview:  that evil is not normal and should be opposed.  The Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. are Christian influences in our society.  There is something in us as human beings that desires to fight injustice, help the suffering, etc.  This would make sense if we are made in God's image... but I'm getting off track again.  Let's move to the third point.\n\nThe question is usually vague and impersonal.  What I mean is that people who ask this question usually have in mind for God to go over and fix that mess in Iraq, or do something about sweat shops and child labor in China.  Why doesn't He oppose child pornography, or hold to account genocide in Africa?\n\nBut they don't want God to interfere with the sin and evil in their own hearts and lives.\n\nSee, for God to come in judgment, He would have to be fully just and judge all...  and this brings me to my final point.\n\nThe question neglects another key element of God's character.  Yes, He is good.  Yes, He is omnipotent.  But He is also merciful.  This may seem like a contradiction (i.e., why would He then allow suffering?), but let me explain.\n\nGod holds back His judgment with patient love in order to give us time to repent and be set right.  The painful side of this is that we also then have more time choose evil.  But the day will come when He will judge the earth.  The sweat shop owners will be held to account...and so will you and I.  God is good.  He is perfect, holy, and righteous.  He is pure.  He opposes evil.  We all have evil in our lives:  the t
1001297
I'm with you.  "God" is either evil or incompetent.  Take your pick.
708500
God? Well the bible depicts him as a murderer over and over again.  So I guess the word God means to me a descriptor of a ficticious murderer in the best selling novel in Earth's history.
929913
An argument could be made -- a yin yang comparison.  Even from a more traditional Judaeo-Christian perspective, since god is omnipresent, couldn't he be both god and satan?  A method of introducing free will, perhaps.
714148
God is capitalized. That sounds a little narrow  minded
1159840
As an undergrad student that focused on neurophysiology, I decided that science will probably never fully understand the brain- because we are using the very organ we are studying to attempt to gain enlightenment. I say this in reference to this question so thoughtfully posed before us because we are even more skewed on this subject because we as imperfect mere mortals are attempting to comprehend the full meaning of a perfect God. \n\nFirst it must be determined what "perfect" means? Should perfect be defined as always being "good"? I don't think that infallibility means always doing what is "happy." In our justice system, is imprisoning bad people bad? If we say that it's not bad, than how can a flood that wiped out the bad and corrupt be considered evil- could it not be justified as being considered good? Some things just "Are" no matter how bumming they may seem to us. God has choices just as we do, there are many ways up the mountain- none of them are wrong or right- easier and harder maybe- but not wrong or right. I couldn't begin to comprehend what it would be like to be the "original Father" and have to wipe out your creation because they were so consumed with sin. It couldn't have been an easy decision to make and carry out. Even in the old testament- Sodom and Gomorrah- he gave ample opportunity for people to cast out "evil" and kept lowering the needed number of good people before he punished his children. It’s not a fair comparison to put God up against Hitler or Stalin…they killed because of characteristics that aren’t sinful and their purpose for killing was sinful.\n\nSomething else that should be taken into consideration when thinking of perfection, all knowing, and the creation of Satan…take the Far Eastern philosophy of balance- yin and yang for instance. If, for perfection to exist, there must be balance- then wouldn’t there have to be an evil to balance out the good? As depressing a concept as it is, for us to know good we must also know evil. Parents teach us right from wrong by applauding our good behavior and punishing/ correcting our bad behavior- why should this lesson not also be taught by a spiritual parent?  It’s from the very contrasts that we become capable of reasoning. To truly have free will, we must be given all options- not just those that are “happy” or “right.”\n\nAs far as “omnipotent” is concerned, that- like everything else- is subject to interpretation. I agree that if you already know the beginning, middle and end of something- there would be no purpose for the experiment that is humanity. Maybe it is instead knowing all the choices and resulting consequences that could happen with each decision we make but allowing us to make them with our own reasoning. By giving us free will, the Supreme Being has allowed us to write the story instead of it being dictated for us. Maybe humanity is like an ant farm- you decide if and when you put in food, water, and something to make an anthill out of- you know that the healthy will eat and drink to survive and create shelter – but instead of doing it for them, you watch to see the how they do it. Humanity, and not just the women, reserves the right to change our minds with each decision we make- maybe God likes surprises .\n\nYou are not an evil person for questioning faith and religion- don’t let anyone make you feel that way. To question is to grow- both mentally and spiritually. My advice to everyone is to not judge others by their beliefs because those can be most easily misunderstood- instead form opinions of them by their actions for and against humanity. A person doesn’t have to be a Christian to love thy neighbor- they just have to be a person that puts the greater good above their own wants. But especially to those who are Christians, strive to remember Compassion, Understanding and Tolerance- they aren’t just lessons to be taught
689652
I have spent some time think about this, and I have al so spent a lot of time reading the Bible, and after a lot of thought I find that God is not fair.\nThere is too much blood shead an death, that is not realy need for him to be fair, and when you see what is going on in the world to day, you would be MAD to say he is a just God.
944478
Nope, though i guess it depends on your idea of "God" in the first place. I guess i believe in a non-interventionist god; the guy (or gal, or whatever!) is far too busy dealing with the infinite nature of the universe to be bothered with one measly town of pretty measly people/animals. One of the greatest fallacies in the human conception of god is that we are the guy's greatest priority. We're soooooo vain!!!!!!
350405
NO, because if there is God. He is just. Then he rewards the good and punishes the evil. The way he rewards is to spend eternity in heaevn; the way he punishes is to spend eternity in hell. So it is not strange. And fot a Christian, it is not unpredictable.
852256
It's interesting because I use the same thought process as you to arrive at a totally different conclusion.  For me it is like, God doesn't fit into my "nice neat little box" so he can't exist.  That might sound close-minded so I'll elaborate.  In my eyes, science is beginning to understand more and more of the world and our origins.  Now when I look at the overwhelming evidence of evolution and even just the happenings around me, I form a general understanding of the world that I am comfortable with.  Now when something enters my world view (God) I have to examine the evidence and tinker with the idea to see if it fits.  The problem with God is, I've seen no evidence and he just plain does not fit.  With science, no matter what your mindset, the evidence is right there for you to see regardless of your bias or what conclusions you draw from it.  Basically, if I saw real evidence of God, I could attempt to rearrange the rules and see if he fits, but I don't believe I should have to break the rules to even see evidence of him.  That makes it sound like the first step to becoming a Christian is to delude yourself.
792826
Yes, God is good, God is love and God is HOLY. \n\nSince God is not a human (God the Father is in no way a human) this would be akin to saying that the Judge who sentenced the child rapist to the chair is not good, unfair, etc.
996856
I understand that the thing that people have called "God" doesn't exist and it is really a small portion of something so great that it is all encompassing. Knowing that it is all encompassing I know that I cannot comprehend it and no word can describe it.  Therefore, any text about it is incorrect and makes it less than what it actually is.  What it is is just meant to be observed and appreciated but never spoken about.
710846
I yes, I can accept this picture: God is an old senile elder, who did some great things in the past, but recently he lost contact with the world, can do nothing, listen to nobody, helps nobody. He is far from omnipotent. Only his children thought - years ago - he can do anything, but since than even they grow up.\n\nOhh, he looks like and behaves like m grandfather...
764489
Cool.  \n\nI don't have to suppose that - the Divine Source doesn't do judgement.  Or punishment or reward.
590373
Doesn't that description sound amazingly like Christianity?\n\nBy the way that is a statement not a question.