Monday, February 4, 2008

Are some notions of God more absurd than others?

Let's say you were told that God had put man on earth so he could invite us up to heaven, after our deaths, and play endless games of Parcheesi with us. Most people, even believers, would find that notion absurd. But are there in fact any good reasons for rejecting such a conception of God? Could this not be God's inscrutable will? To the atheist it is not obviously absurd to postulate a totally arbitrary desire for God. We, as non-believers, do not know what it means for God to have a reason. God can be defended as unfathomable, yes, but then we are back to Parcheesi.

Can you think of a desire of God that would be even more absurd?