Theodicies (justifying the ways of god): which type do you subscribe to?

[Capernicus]

Mystical Participation Theodicies: the self is merged with others, and the wellbeing of the group or "tribe" is considered to be of greater importance than the individual's. ex: totemism in primal societies

This-Wordly Theodicies: eschatological; the "utopian" age will be realized in this world in the near or distant future. ex: Nation of Islam in black society (Elijah Muhammad and Malcom X)

Other-Worldly Theodicies: recompense for evil and suffering to be found in life after death. ex: Judaism, Christianity, Islam, some Mahayana Buddhism schools

Karma-Samsara Theodicies: Karma - law of cause and effect; architect of our own actions; yin/yang. Samsara - wheel of rebirth (reincarnations), and the doctrine that each soul passes through a sequence of bodies, and for which each successive life pays for the mistakes of the last. ex: Hinduism, Burmese and Theradava Buddhism

Monotheistic Theodicies: God is omnipotence (all powerful), omnipresence (everywhere all at once), and omniscience (all knowing); suffering teaches us moral virtue and builds character. ex: Christianity, Judaism, Islam

Process Theodicies: God limits Godself and allows human beings to make our own decisions, occasioanlly exerting force (but not forcing) towards the directions that God wishes us to go; God operates within the law of nature that He created. ex: philosophers Alfred Whitehead and Charles Harthshorne

Protest Theodicies: not trying to explain the ways of God, but believing God to act in a blasphemous and narcissistic manner; voicing complaints against God rather than denying the existence of God. ex: writer Elie Wiesel

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Whew. Thanks for sticking it out this far. ^_^ So, which one/ones do you feel you adhere to most closely? Not all of them are mutually exclusive. I find myself to believe in a mixture of process and protest theodicies. I don't deny that God exists, and that he is all powerful, but sometimes I find myself bouncing between "Well, I'll never understand the ways of God" and "God is a masochist!"

Oh, and please DO NOT preach about your religion. In fact, there is no need to mention exactly which religion (or lack thereof) that you belong to. I only added them into the definitions as examples, to help you understand what the definitions mean. PLEASE DON'T GET THIS THREAD CLOSED. If you can't play nice, then don't post at all.

[International 4-8818]

Hmm well i like this thread. Boy it must have taken you a long time to write that. Brovo to you. Anyway I think i am monotheistic theodicies and Process thodicies. Mainly because well that is what I believe and that I make my own decision and don't make all decisions based on the book and WWJD. Yeah...........

[-Shinigami-]

Process and monotheistic, I guess.

[Buruku]

None of these really say exactly what I believe in, but I'm putting down Monotheistic Theodicies, because that came closest.

[Eris]

I don't justify the way of god, since he doesn't exist. Likewise, I don't try to explain the ways of the tooth fairy or Santa Claus (since they don't exist either).

[Ami~chan]

I don't justify the way of god, since he doesn't exist. Likewise, I don't try to explain the ways of the tooth fairy or Santa Claus (since they don't exist either).

Copy and paste. I don't try to justify anything I don't believe in.