In other words, deities should be powerful enough that they do not require mere mortals to carry their water for them.
(deities should be powerful enough that they do not require mere mortals to carry their water for them.)
I totally agree with the spirit of this. That's why I think muslims are pathetic to think that Allah would really need them to kill the infidels. Had Allah not wanted free will, he would have killed the infidels himself.
However, in this instance, we're not talking about a movie that mocks God. What I have a problem with is fabrication of facts knowingly, and waiting for the gullible to fall for it. We do need the other side to use the truth to counteract the falsehood and not allow it to stand; except that the falsehood is much better publicized through a book and a movie, both well distributed because they are "entertaining".
I agree. Although technically the one true God did give man dominion over the earth. So it's really up to society to decide what we are going to allow and not allow.
However, that said, our ancestors learned from the dark ages and from European Christian theocracies that failure to protect freedom of speech and freedom of religion means that someone elses interpretation of how to worship God get's forced down your throat. Frankly, we'd rather put up with people mocking God, than with people telling us how to worship Him.
Besides the whole Garden of Eden thing was about God giving man a choice. And if God chose to give man a choice, who are we to refuse him that choice, even if we don't want to hear it.
"In other words, deities should be powerful enough that they do not require mere mortals to carry their water for them."
Generally True, but nothing prevents a Diety from voluntarily setting aside their power and choosing to live as a man if said Diety sees fit. He might do that so as to provide an example of how to live and to pay a substitute payment so that the law (sin results in death) be fulfilled.
Phillipians 2:5 Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. 6He had equal status with God but didn't think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. 7Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! 8Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn't claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death--and the worst kind of death at that: a crucifixion. (The Message)