I've always found it strange when atheists conjoin the nonexistence of God with a critique of the way the world is. A former coworker, quite sure God doesn’t exist, told me if they met face to face, he would “punch him in the nose for creating such a miserable existence.” Now of course he had to be kidding for several reasons, the least of which is the obvious contradiction between God’s nonexistence and an audience with Him to vent disapproval of His handiwork. Yet, this fellow’s demeanor was not at all like someone joking. He had a serious look of anger and disgust. Who was he angry with if God doesn’t exist? Joseph Stalin died on March 5, 1953, after suffering a stroke four days earlier. I read his daughter witnessed Stalin’s last moments in bed raising his fist towards heaven and shaking it in defiance. Was he shaking his fist at a nonexistent God? It seems to me those who critique the Author of the material universe in one breath while claiming to know He does not exist in the other are guilty of inconsistent thinking. Yet I’m sure there’s a nontheist out there who will correct me and explain the argument actually goes something like:
An all-good, omnipotent God would not create a universe like P
The universe is like P
Therefore; an all-good, omnipotent God does not exist
The problem is the typical atheist I’ve encountered betrays another perspective by their behavior and the way they argue the finer points.
An all-good, omnipotent God could create a universe like P
The universe is like P
I don’t like P
Therefore; I don’t like an all-good, omnipotent God who could create P
I wrote a poem for those who claim God should have gone about creating the universe differently:
Total Disclosure:
Parade across the sky
Intrusion of mind and eye
In fear recoil and hatred lash
A thunderous call, a blinding flash
The "Lord Almighty", on high!
Freely choose his only path
To pasture or wild of wrath
All creation, charged to love
An awkward decree; a cry from above
Quiet ranks split in half
Remember the perfect way?
An invitation day by day
Blatancy, a skeptic's plea
Perfect love he cannot see
Critic of the Author you say?
Freedom from Pain:
Farewell suffering and pain
Pleasure wax, sickness wane
Broken heart, a distant thought
Pleasant feelings, painfully sought
Greater measure, time and again
Weariness of pleasure, peak despair
Over the top and into the air
Ballast and net both discarded
Author forgotten; Spirit departed
And wings he did not share!
Remember the perfect way?
Suffering's shout and brilliant ray
Need arise, grace befall
Humility breach Destruction's wall
Critic of the Author you say?
Create No Evil:
No beast to be caged
Corruptible works are never waged
Through time's curtain, look ahead
To the furnace! Inexorable dead
Budding sin is gauged
Endless worlds thy hand hath made
Not did one make the grade
Freewill given in love return
To be the Author, each did yearn
Stars and dust, burn and fade
Remember the perfect way?
Thy or my, yea or nay
A love of darkness and inmost night
Or the one you critique and His glorious light
Critic of the Author you say?