Theodicies. Have the Christians any answers to the problem of evil? (Page 3)

zeffur: Then ask yourself why you decided as you did...

harpalycus47: It's a HYPOTHETICAL question.
Why have you not answered it?

zeffur: I don't make decisions for anyone except for myself. Your hypothetical question is about what YOU would decide--not what I would decide--therefore, you should answer your own question & then state the reason/s why you made such a decision.

harpalycus47: Yes Zeffur. You dare not answer the question. I get it.

zeffur: I could answer it for myself--but, I cannot answer it for you.
Some of your decisions in life are not rational. Why would anyone reject God? It's completely irrational--yet, that is what your type have decided to do. How do you rationalize that decision??

harpalycus47: So, if I'm not rational, why is that?

harpalycus47: Did I choose to be irrational?

zeffur: Only you can answer that question. How do you rationalize your rejection of a perfect God??

harpalycus47: OK, I'll answer the last one. I never chose to be irrational. So why am I irrational?

zeffur: Of course you chose to be irrational. Why does a smoker smoke cigarettes? It's not like s/he doesn't understand the consequence of smoking.

harpalycus47: Wouldn't it be irrational to choose to be irrational, Zeffur?

zeffur: Rejecting God will result in your loss of eternal life in God's kingdom. That's not rational.

harpalycus47: That's not an answer.

zeffur: It is an answer. You asked me why such a decision is irrational & I explained why it is irrational. How is that not an answer??

harpalycus47: No I asked if it would be irrational to choose to be irrational. Yes or no.

zeffur: No you didn't. You reject God & the consequence is loss of eternal life in God's kingdom. That is an irrational decision. Now the question is why would you make such an irrational decision if you claim that you never make irrational decisions?

harpalycus47: No. The question is there for all to see. Wouldn't it be irrational to choose to be irrational, Zeffur?

harpalycus47: btw I haven't claimed I never make an irrational decision. Please check for yourself.

zeffur: Follow the bouncing ball properly:

"zeffur: I could answer it for myself--but, I cannot answer it for you.
Some of your decisions in life are not rational. Why would anyone reject God? It's completely irrational--yet, that is what your type have decided to do. How do you rationalize that decision??"

"harpalycus47: So, if I'm not rational, why is that? Did I choose to be irrational?"

"zeffur: Only you can answer that question. How do you rationalize your rejection of a perfect God??

"harpalycus47: OK, I'll answer the last one. I never chose to be irrational. So why am I irrational?"

"zeffur: Of course you chose to be irrational. Why does a smoker smoke cigarettes? It's not like s/he doesn't understand the consequence of smoking."

harpalycus47: What's that got to do with it.
The question is wouldn't it be irrational to choose to be irrational, Zeffur?

zeffur: That's not the question that I asked you. I asked you why you choose to reject a perfect God. "zeffur: Only you can answer that question. How do you rationalize your rejection of a perfect God??"

You avoided answering that question, then later falsely claimed that you always make rational decisions. "harpalycus47: ...I never chose to be irrational. So why am I irrational?"

harpalycus47: Wouldn't it be irrational to choose to be irrational,?

harpalycus47: Zeffur, saying 'I never chose to be irrational' does not mean 'I always make rational decisions'

harpalycus47: Now, do I put you down as 'won't answer the question' or 'can't answer the question'.

zeffur: Ordinarily, choosing to be irrational is irrational by definition. There is however a possible scenario in which you could rationally decide to be irrational by telling a crazy person what he wants to hear even when you know it is irrational (e.g. being force by threat of blowing your brains out with a pistol, if you didn't say that he is the king of the USA).