Théo d'Or ’s Reviews > How to Prove There Is a God: Mortimer J. Adler's Writings and Thoughts about God > Status Update

Figure it out BUT following all my rules otherwise you lose.

Adler: Haha ! It seems you don't lack a sense of humor either.

Nietzsche : You know, Mortimer, I've always found the idea of an all-knowing, all-powerful being to be rather ridiculous.

Adler : Do you find your " superman" less ridiculous ?

Nietzsche : That's something else entirely, Mort. Think about it. If God is all-knowing, then He must have known that humans will sin and cause suffering. And yet, He went ahead and created us anyway. Either He's not all-knowing or not all-loving. And either way, that's a pretty big flaw for a supossed perfect being.

Adler : But Fred ! You're forgetting the idea of free will. Humans have the ability to choose between right and wrong. God doesn't force us to sin.

Nietzsche : Ah, free will...the ultimate cop-out..
Let me get this straight, Mortimer. God creates humans knowing full well that we will choose wrong at some point. And then, He punishes us for doing exactly what He knew we would do ?

Adler : It's not about punishment, Fred. It's about redemption and the opportunity to turn towards righteousness.

Nietzsche : Redemption ? More like manipulation. God creates the problem, and then swoops in to offer the solution. It's classic power play.


Adler : Listen, Fred...It's all about faith..

Nietzsche : Ah, faith...the opiate of the masses..

Adler : I disagree, Fred. Faith is a source of strength and comfort for many people. It gives them hope and purpose.

Nietzsche : Perhaps, but I prefer to focus on the tangible world, here and now. I believe that we should make the most of our time on this earth, rather than worrying about some imagined afterlife.

Adler: I respect your perspective, but for me, there is something greater than just this life. Something that transcends
the limits of our mortal existence..

Nietzsche : Well, I guess we will just agree to disagree on that one, Mortimer.

Adler : Fair enough, Fred.
We don't have to see eye to eye on everything.

Nietzsche : I'II read your book, anyway, Mort. It remind me of my Superman.

Well rhymed, Sebas. You can even develop a poem, ha !

😁. I have to cede a point to adler but instead of calling it faith, we can call it hope. A human being without hope is an empty shell or dead. Nothing in the world moves us more than the hopes we have, not even money. We move for money in the hope that money helps us acquire what we need or want. It's undeniable that even if you didnt believe in any entity, you have hoped at one point in your life that something, whatever it may be, goes well. A trip, a business, a test, etc. No one in the world is free from hope. Faith is the religious version of it BUT it is based on something intangible as Nietzsche puts it. So the question is, do you choose to have hope without attributing it to a certain religion/entity/set of rules or do you want to adhere to them and turn your hope into "faith"?

I don't know if we can call it a draw? I still feel Nietzsche has a better control of the ball, we will see...

Yes, you have pointed out a duality that is worth debating, Sebas. When it comes to religion, I have always struggled to find my place. I think I'm somewhere between Adler and Nietzsche.. Though, I couldn't shake the feeling that there is something greater than just this material world, something beyond our comprehension. But at the same time, I could not bring myself to embrace any particular religion or belief system. I saw too much hypocrisy, too much dogma, too much intolerance..I see a God who maybe created the universe, but did not meddle in our affairs or require worship or sacrifice. I know that this view may seem flimsy or wishy-washy to some, but to me, it is a way of balancing my rational mind
with my intuitive sense of wonder and awe. So, in a sense, I am a believer, not in the classic sense, but in a way that allows me to live a life of meaning without compromising my principles or my intellect.

Well said Theo, thank you for a great in good-faith debate (pun intended 😁). My thoughts and feelings on the matter are exactly the same as you described. I have to admit that resentment towards the hypocrisy you mentioned takes a hold of me and it comes out as lashing out against the whole subject. I still like to keep questioning everything so we can keep digging and discovering new perspectives and possibilities.

It seems like this, Hachi.
Though I have the feeling that you treat Nietzsche as a character of the book, which is not, the dialogue is imaginary, conceived by me, haha ! Or, you referred to my next updates ? The ball is at me,
I can raise them or lower them as I please. It depends on my mood, haha !!

Yes, I referred to your next updates, let's see how you'll give the ball next time 🤭

It is hard, quand-même. I'm somewhere between them. Like Potter when he's in a dilemma. But he's always in dillemas...🤣

HAHAHAHA,You need a Dumbledore then

I think it will always depend on how someone would like to see life regarding the matter of responsibilities mostly.
Sometimes I feel believers let all the responsibilities of their life to a God, because that way it's easier to cope with life itself

In simple words, you have right. People, by their nature, have that strange need for a Big Brother, to simplify their decision-making power, so frail most of the times.

I don't need a Dumbledore, I'm a Lord ! 💀☠👿👽😜