God and a barber
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Just sharing a short post from guitar4christ. Nice analogy.
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The Barber Who Believed That God Doesnt Exist:
A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said:
"Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say so."
"Why do you say that?" - Asked the client.
Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God who permits all of these things."
The client stopped for a moment thinking but he didn't want to respond so as to prevent an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop.
Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he
looked so untidy). Then the client again entered the barber shop and
he said to the barber:know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How come they don't exist?"-asked the barber. "Well I am here and I
am a barber."
"No!" - the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did
there would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who
walks in the street."
"Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him that's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
...live passionately...laugh frequently...love extravagantly.. -
There is a glaringly fatal flaw in that 'analogy'...Originally posted by klydeer:Just sharing a short post from guitar4christ. Nice analogy.
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The Barber Who Believed That God Doesnt Exist:
A man went to a barber shop to have his hair and his beard cut as always. He started to have a good conversation with the barber who attended him. They talked about so many things and various subjects.
Suddenly, they touched the subject of God. The barber said:
"Look man, I don't believe that God exists as you say so."
"Why do you say that?" - Asked the client.
Well, it's so easy, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God does not exist. Oh, tell me, if God existed, would there be so many sick people? Would there be abandoned children? If God existed, there would be no suffering nor pain. I can't think of a God who permits all of these things."
The client stopped for a moment thinking but he didn't want to respond so as to prevent an argument. The barber finished his job and the client went out of the shop.
Just after he left the barber shop he saw a man in the street with a long hair and beard (it seems that it had been a long time since he had his cut and he
looked so untidy). Then the client again entered the barber shop and
he said to the barber:know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How come they don't exist?"-asked the barber. "Well I am here and I
am a barber."
"No!" - the client exclaimed. "They don't exist because if they did
there would be no people with long hair and beard like that man who
walks in the street."
"Ah, barbers do exist, what happens is that people do not come to me."
"Exactly!"- affirmed the client. "That's the point. God does exist, what happens is people don't go to Him and do not look for Him that's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
...live passionately...laugh frequently...love extravagantly..
God claimed to be omniscient and omnipotent. A barber does not. -
his point is that God does exist just like the barber.Originally posted by Beyond Religion:There is a glaringly fatal flaw in that 'analogy'...
God claimed to be omniscient and omnipotent. A barber does not.
being omnipotent or not is not the point of the story.
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Omnipotence will be limited by demanding free will, which means that the Omnipotent cannot ravage, but only woo.
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Some people have never heard of Jesus in their entire life. Is it fair?
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They will get a fair deal in the end, of that I have no doubt.Originally posted by chrisbenoit:Some people have never heard of Jesus in their entire life. Is it fair?
Try not to restrict one's viewing of the thing to the immediately obvious. -
that's the job of the christians, to preach the gospel to those who haven't heard them.Originally posted by chrisbenoit:Some people have never heard of Jesus in their entire life. Is it fair? -
Abraham never heard of Jesus.Originally posted by chrisbenoit:Some people have never heard of Jesus in their entire life. Is it fair? -
May i ask who might this "some people" be ?Originally posted by chrisbenoit:Some people have never heard of Jesus in their entire life. Is it fair?
How do you know they have "never" heard of Jesus in their entire life ?
Thanks. -
If God (being omniscient and omnipotent)is that barber, and that God wants everyone to know that there is indeed such a barber. Would anyone possibly not know?Originally posted by Gwangetto:his point is that God does exist just like the barber.
being omnipotent or not is not the point of the story.
The 'normal' barber is completely excusable if he cannot make everyone be aware of his existence. The 'God' barber unfortunately, cannot hide behind such impotence. -
Originally posted by Beyond Religion:
God can choose not to.
If God (being omniscient and omnipotent)is that barber, and that God wants everyone to know that there is indeed such a barber. Would anyone possibly [b]not know?
The 'normal' barber is completely excusable if he cannot make everyone be aware of his existence. The 'God' barber unfortunately, cannot hide behind such impotence.
[/b] -
"Threaten" is a more appropriate word.Originally posted by SingaporeTyrannosaur:Omnipotence will be limited by demanding free will, which means that the Omnipotent cannot ravage, but only woo. -
Man and religion threatens, God is cool.Originally posted by Beyond Religion:"Threaten" is a more appropriate word. -
Originally posted by Beyond Religion:
the barber could mean barbers in general.
If God (being omniscient and omnipotent)is that barber, and that God wants everyone to know that there is indeed such a barber. Would anyone possibly [b]not know?
The 'normal' barber is completely excusable if he cannot make everyone be aware of his existence. The 'God' barber unfortunately, cannot hide behind such impotence.
[/b]
there're certain kinds of metaphores or literal translations when reading any stories. just read between the lines lor.
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posting something in this forum has amazing and speedy potential to be stretched miles away from its original content and intent. Even if it is an analogy.
want to discuss about "omni-ness of God" ? Post a new topic on that and i am sure there are enough interest to generate many replies.
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hee hee, seems like this is a common problem with online forum, the tendency to goes off topic.Originally posted by klydeer:
posting something in this forum has amazing and speedy potential to be stretched miles away from its original content and intent. Even if it is an analogy.
want to discuss about "omni-ness of God" ? Post a new topic on that and i am sure there are enough interest to generate many replies. -
yawn~
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at times, it is of course unintentional. i just find it amazing at the "speed" and "rate" of it......Originally posted by vince69:hee hee, seems like this is a common problem with online forum, the tendency to goes off topic.
Becomes a problem when a post is hijacked based on intentional bone picking to show certain beliefs - even when the bone is not there. i was guilty of that here too until MC pointed out that mistake. and i appreciated him for that.
quite similar to how Pilates "ask" : "what is the truth..." (in a thread here) seemingly to himself ? or none...or not even a question. -
me guilty of this alsoOriginally posted by klydeer:at times, it is of course unintentional. i just find it amazing at the "speed" and "rate" of it......
Becomes a problem when a post is hijacked based on intentional bone picking to show certain beliefs - even when the bone is not there. i was guilty of that here too until MC pointed out that mistake. and i appreciated him for that.
quite similar to how Pilates "ask" : "what is the truth..." (in a thread here) seemingly to himself ? or none...or not even a question.
the irony thing is this, I have this feeling that we had just went off from the original topic -
haha...yes.Originally posted by vince69:me guilty of this also
the irony thing is this, I have this feeling that we had just went off from the original topic
better shut up esle kanna strokes of "righteousness" later. -
God claimed to be omniscient and omnipotent. A barber does not.
I agree with the above point. A barber is not there to prevent people from growing hair. He is there to cut hairs when it grow too long. Men growing hairs is beyond the control of barbers. However god being omnipotent has the means to stop sickness and evil etc. It is within his control yet he do not exercise it. A better analogy is when a teacher is in class, and he has control over his students, u will not see fighting in the class. If u did see fighting and the teacher did nothing, then the teacher is not doing his job
By the way the definition of omnipotence is tat it is not limited and can do watever he please -
so God isnt doing His job to stop sickness and evil ? hrmm...interesting.Originally posted by stupidissmart:I agree with the above point. A barber is not there to prevent people from growing hair. He is there to cut hairs when it grow too long. Men growing hairs is beyond the control of barbers. However god being omnipotent has the means to stop sickness and evil etc. It is within his control yet he do not exercise it. A better analogy is when a teacher is in class, and he has control over his students, u will not see fighting in the class. If u did see fighting and the teacher did nothing, then the teacher is not doing his job
how about men themselves ? Should they also stop doing evil ? Should God prevent them even if they insist on doing so? -
so why isnt God exercising the means as you mentioned ? Does it mean He didnt care ?
To me it is probably because he doesn't exists... Wat is your answer to your question ? -
sorry, i amended my question since a second reading of your post found u already answered. And i dont have that question because to me, God exists and He cares a lot about you and i. You want me to explain how come ? We can do through PM since it is mentioned before and readers here would be so bored.Originally posted by stupidissmart:To me it is probably because he doesn't exists... Wat is your answer to your question ? -
how about men themselves ? Should they also stop doing evil ? Should God prevent them even if they insist on doing so?
Stop evil acts is a good start. However sinning is a different story compared with committing evil. When u r born, u r already consider to have sin. When u did not think of god, u also sinnned. If u r a buddhistm no matter wat u sinned. In fact even if u can program a man, u can't stop him from sinning due to the impossible requirements of it (being borned = sinning).
Should god prevent ? I think he should. U can give away an arm and eye to prevent yourself from suffering hell (if your right arm cause u to sin, cut it out and throw it away etc etc etc). Why not just remove the possibility of committing evil from men so they will always go to heaven.sorry, i amended my question since a second reading of your post found u already answered. And i dont have that question because to me, God exists and He cares a lot about you and i. You want me to explain how come ? We can do through PM since it is mentioned before and readers here would be so bored.
Trust me, don't bother. I will turn out to be convincing u to become a free thinker while u will convince me to become christian. Chances r we r gonna remain as wat we r from the beginning. Tis is gonna take out too much time and frankly i can't afford the time...