An Evil God

The Riddle of Epicurus

Is god willing to prevent evil but not able
then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able but not willing
then he is malevolent.

Is god both able and willing
then whence cometh evil?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/24649-an-evil-god.html

Is he neither able nor willing
then why call him god?

Epicurus 341 - 270 bce

 
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He is the Lord, creator of so called good and evil (good and evil are relative, not absolute). He got it figured out since first action in universe until last one (if any). Why would he want to stop any evil (not evil for Him,but us mortals.)?
Epicurus paradox is for Abrahamic God only, God described (or tried because He cannot be described fully) by Gurbani is beyond this logic.

Sinister Ji, nice to see something from you, here are my comments, like them or not

The Riddle of Epicurus

Is god willing to prevent evil but not able
then he is not omnipotent.
All is God’s show, good or bad, why would he stop it to please this writer

Is he able but not willing
then he is malevolent.
Any one call Him whatever one wishes, He is everywhere, tomorrow they will ask him to control earthquakes, then storms then this and that

Is god both able and willing
then whence cometh evil?
It depends how it is looked at, law of change surpasses everything damn thing

Is he neither able nor willing
then why call him god?
Call Him God or not He is not interested in it, the fact remains, an umbrella cannot stop the rain

ABSOLUTELY !! Tu Sultan kahon hon meean teri kavan wadayee !!

He is both able and willing but loves his creation so much that he gives it the opportunity to make conscious the decision to choose Truth. These questions -- from philosophy class -- are answered by Sikhi -- we just have to refresh our memories.

I love the riddle of Epicurus.
Another riddle of God is this:- Is God really Omnipotent - that is can he really do anything? If God can do anything, can he die? If he can, then why say he is omnipotent? If he can't then he is also not omnipotent. Either way God loses. Ha, ha, ha, ha.....
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649
Bindi

Dear Khalsa Ji,

Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649
Many scripture pass the responsibility on to God to do things for them. God has equiped humans will all the mental faculties, sense organs and the organs for action that they need for evolved life. It is for the individuals to make use of them properly.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649

As I understand, God is 'One' there is no duality in it - there is no Good or Bad.

God does not do things for us, we alone have to do. God is not our servant.

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh

Do you know bindi means "a dot" in other words nothing. Nothing can not talk about absolute. God is not about good or evil, it is we humans who look at things through our own reasoning. Every thing has two sides e g a coin has head and tail without two sides it can not be used as a coin. beauty comes with ugliness youth comes with old age victory comes with loss. Actions and reactions are equal and opponent that is the law of physics. God is not intresred in good or evil HE just plays his game. How you take it is up to you.

Dear All,


The Primal Good is good (God), pure and simple, not by virtue of connection with some thing else, because there is nothing else above it. All things are below It, and receive good from It. It is further more an agent, whose action is intellect (The Higher Self), life, and every thing in which there is life and intelligence. It should not be supposed that evil/bad is opposite to the Primal Good, because there is no intermediary between them. The Primal Good has no opposite. Good either does not exist, or if it does exist, it has no opposite what so ever. But it is impossible for the Good not to exist, because it is the cause of causes and Creator of all things, through the generosity thereof.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649

ਕਰਣ ਕਾਰਣ ਸਮਰਥੁ ਅਪਾਰਾ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=24649

Karaṇ kāraṇ samrath apārā.

You are the Cause of causes, Almighty Infinite Akal Purkh.-----Guru Nanak, Raag Maru, AGGS, Page, 1035-7

ਹਾਹਾ ਹੋਤਹੋਇ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਾ॥ਜਬ ਹੀ ਹੋਇ ਤਬਹਿਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਾ ॥ਹੈ ਤਉ ਸਹੀ ਲਖੈਜਉ ਕੋਈ ॥ਤਬ ਓਹੀ ਉਹੁ ਏਹੁਨ ਹੋਈ ॥


Hāhā hoṯ ho­ė nahī jānā, Jab hī ho­ė ṯabeh man mānā, Hai ṯa­o sahī lakẖai ja­o ko­ī, Ŧab ohī uho ėhu na ho­ī.


HAHA: God exists, but also is not known to exist. When God is known to exist, then the mind is pleased and appeased. Of course the God exists, if one could only understand It. Then, alone It exists, and not this mortal being.-----Kabir, Gauri Bawan Akhari, AGGS, Page, 342-16 & 17

First creation is the primordial matter, then the intellect, then the conscience, then the nature and body. When the human body is immersed in the desires, he does not ascend rapidly, but if one is unattached to these things, and has taken to intellect then natural disposition cannot entice any one.

Finally Primal Good is the Creator and secondary good is what It has created-the intellect/ਬਿਬੇਕਬੁੱਧੀ. The tertiary good is the conscience by its arrangement of winding in the body, so the good is the conscience which makes the individual to decide between right or wrong. The intellect became all things only because its Creator does not have any attributes and not resemble anything what so ever, because all things come from It, but is present every where but unattached (ਅਲਿਪਾਰੀ/ਅਲਪਨਾ/ਅਲਿਪਤੁ/ਅਲੇਪ). The true One is the creator of the things, but It is not remote or separate from them. It is with them as if It were not with them. Its togetherness is evident only with those things that have the power to know It. It is this intellect that does not need to know another knowledge, because It is pure ultimate knowledge, comprehending all knowledge as well as the cause of sciences. The action is intellect, life, and Higher Self, and every thing in which there is life and intelligence.

The One is great, greater than all things, not in terms of mass, but in terms of power (ਕਲਾ). Thus when we say infinite (ਅਪਾਰਾ) we do not mean in terms of mass or number but power. And that is because It is above all possible imagination, existing by virtue of Its own essence (ਸੈਭੰ)

Some one asked Socrates, What is God the Exalted like?

Socrates answered, “Hidden but not concealed, evident but not visible”.

Conclusion;

“There is something above the substance of the firmament, nothing is greater than It, and there is no way to quantify or measure It. It is beyond change in any manner or mode. There is no limit to Its power. Therefore It performs Its acts outside time, and space being by nature effective and thus always in action, with out Its action effecting It. Nothing comes from It in a state of potential, rather, things come from It in action, while Its potential always pervades the universe.” “By the arrangement of things, their connectedness, their control, and their order, we know that their Maker is One.”

Cordially,

Virinder S. Grewal