Direct Intervention From God Is Worse Then Rape

Since we have two rounds to go and we share the BOP, I will use this time to state my case. Rebuttals will come next round. A Case for ConversionAt the beginning of the debate, I described myself as a non-theist. As such, I hold no faith in Christianity or its teachings. Believe it or not, this is not because I desire eternal torture or I think myself too good for faith. Instead, my beliefs are based in the same reasoning that everyone uses when making a claim: I have weighed the options and not been convinced otherwise. People hold true that which they think are true, and when one’s beliefs are challenged with sufficient evidence to the contrary, their beliefs change. So, what happens if I’m wrong and Christian elements such as God, heaven, and hell exist? Then my view on spirituality is utterly false, I am working from a perspective of complete ignorance, and after death I will experience the worst of all possible worlds. Not a pleasant result and one any informed individual would actively avoid. However, I am not currently informed to the extent that my beliefs have been sufficiently challenged, and thus am doomed to eternal torment. That is, unless my false beliefs are corrected. God has the capacity to change my mind and in doing so, save me from myself. Is granting such a gift worth overriding a free will choice not to believe? Of course! Seriously, is there any question? If God exists, the beliefs of those such as myself would be worse than meaningless, they’d be extremely detrimental to our well-being without us even knowing it. This isn’t a situation in which the individuality of the choice holds merit regardless of its correctness. This is a right or wrong scenario and given the eternal consequences of one’s decision, there is no virtue in clinging to an incorrect choice. By now, you might be asking, “Well, what if someone doesn’t want to go to heaven? What if they’d prefer hell? ” To that I say, “That is a nonsense question and shame on you for asking it. Shame! ” Each of us acts in accordance with that which affords us satisfaction, so if an all-perfect God offers with certainty an opportunity for eternal bliss, it would necessarily be one’s highest desire. It is logically impossible to want more than the greatest possible satisfaction, regardless of how one derived satisfaction on Earth. Similarly, experiencing hell is equivalent to the greatest possible suffering and equally repulsive to all, regardless of how one defines suffering. A true understanding of these elements and the nature of God, as would be granted by this conversion, would therefore be a benefit to all and nothing short of the utmost gift. Conversion vs RapeTo believe God’s direct intervention is worse than rape is to believe that it causes more harm, on balance, than rape. If that seems absurd to you, that’s because it is. Three elements of both acts - intent, impact, and outcome - outline this fact clearly. Rape is selfishness, bred from an attacker’s desire for sexual gratification, psychological superiority, physical dominance, or some social or emotional frustration. They either have no insight into the victim’s desires, specifically the universal certainty that one does not wish to be violently and traumatically victimized, or pay them no heed. Instead, their thoughts are only for themselves and their own immediate needs. Compare this to conversion, in which God literally owns us, has every insight into our desires, acts to infinitely improve our satisfaction, and is saving us from unimaginable torment. Rape is also agony, with physical, mental, and psychological injuries guaranteed. Victims often experience cuts, bruises, genital tearing, sexually transmitted diseases, pregnancy, and chronic injuries, assuming they survive the attack. Feelings of fear, helplessness, and confinement abound throughout the attack, and disorders such as depression, PTSD, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies are common afterward [1]. Direct conversion, on the other hand, actually improves one’s psychological well-being. Their faulty beliefs have been expunged harmlessly, their future happiness has been assured, and they now experience a loving relationship with the one true lord. Following a rape, the victim and all who love them suffer. They will forever have the knowledge and memory of victimization, and all of their pain, shame, and scars will have continuing personal and social repercussions. There is no upside to this act; it is pure maliciousness that harms everyone around it. Direct intervention from God could not be more different in its outcome. While on Earth, the individual has the opportunity to bask in their new found spiritual perfection and share the means of certain salvation with others. In the afterlife, they enjoy impossible joys and avoid tortures that put rape to shame. So Which is Worse? This section would be harder to write if I could fathom any negatives to direct conversion from God. As I said, there is no virtue in being wrong, especially when one is so vastly ignorant of the truth and its unending consequences that their choice is more a product of their lack of appropriate knowledge than their individuality. Removal of false beliefs by God in this case is not an attack, an insult, or even inappropriate. It’s an acknowledgment of the differences in information and perspective between the divine and the mortal, as well as the obviousness with which one prefers happiness to sadness. Rape, of course, is just harm through and through. I believe the choice is clear. Indeed, it is intuitive; rape is an assault on every aspect of an individual without a single redeeming quality, whereas conversion so that one may enter heaven and avoid hell is tantamount to a divine favor. Sign me up, in fact. References1. . http://en.wikipedia.org...