“If he is infinitely good…”

Just got this in my Quotation of the Day email list, and thought I’d pass it on:

“If he is infinitely good, what reason should we have to fear him? If he is infinitely wise, why should we have doubts concerning our future? If he knows all, why warn him of our needs and fatigue him with our prayers? If he is everywhere, why erect temples to him?”

– Percy Bysshe Shelley (1792-1822), from The Necessity of Atheism.

Damn. Leave it to a Regency poet to state the “Omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent — pick two” paradox in such a beautiful, eloquent way.

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“If he is infinitely good…”
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2 thoughts on ““If he is infinitely good…”

  1. 1

    I like this quote! Even though I am a theist, I really do enjoy this quote because it challenges the same notions that I challenge. Prayer is, in all honesty, more for the pray-er then for the pray-ee. The same can be said about temples and church…
    Thank you. 🙂

  2. 2

    I once read an article written by an executive with Focus on the Family in which he confessed to sincerely praying for God to open up a parking space for his car so he could buy a donut on his way to work. After he circled the block, he found an open parking space. So he gave thanks to God for answering his prayer.

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