When asked by Naehring, ‘Do you believe in God, marshal?… I’m quite serious’, Daniels answered (“in part German”), ‘”I am sure you are.” You ever seen a death camp, doctor? “A concentration camp? No? Well… I was there for the Liberation of Dachau.”‘ Here, Daniels’ reply with a rhetorical question also went unanswered.
Was he impying that he did not believe in the existence of a perfect ominiscient, omnibenevolent and omnipotent creator since horrendous death camps were allowed to thrive? Or was he implying that being able to be help in the ‘liberation’ meant he was giving such a diety a helping hand, albeit also with much violence?
The warden later comments to Daniels after a destructive storm, ‘God loves violence… Why else would there be so much of it? It’s in us. It’s what we are. We wage war, we burn sacrifices, and pillage and plunder, and tear at the flesh of our brothers. And why? Because God gave us violence to wage in his honour.’
Was the warden being serious or sarcastic? With so many horrible storms, battles, robberies and murders in his name, did he truly believe or not believe in the existence of a perfect ominiscient, omnibenevolent and omnipotent creator? Who are more terrifying — moderate atheists or extreme ‘theists’ like the warden?
Daniels asks, ‘I thought God gave us moral order.’ He replies, ‘There’s no moral order as pure as this storm. There’s no moral order at all. There’s just this: “Can my violence conquer yours?”‘ Here, Daniels still did not say he believed in God or not, but expressed doubt that such a being would endorse chaotic and nihilistic violence.
Was Daniels in two minds about the existence of such a diety? If there is such a diety, is he also with two minds? But if he is, how can he be a perfect ominiscient, omnibenevolent and omnipotent creator? These scenes illustrate how who and what we believe can make peace or wage war. This is surely no arbitary matter at all.
Related Articles:
How To Solve ‘The Problem Of Evil’ With Buddhism
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2021/03/how-to-solve-the-problem-of-evil-with-buddhism
Are Buddhas Omnipotent, Omnibenevolent & Omniscient?
https://thedailyenlightenment.com/2013/11/are-buddhas-omnipotent-omnibenevolent-omniscient
