Could A Good God Permit So Much Suffering?

[Hume]

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil:

God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions, so that if any two of them were true the third would be false. But at the same time all three are essential parts of most theological positions: the theologian, it seems, at once must and cannot consistently adhere to all three.

Could A Good God Permit So Much Suffering? A Debate

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil: God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to...

ndpr.nd.edu

 

[SmarterthanYou]

God is also the supposed lover of his creations, yet the greatest gift he gave us is free will. Maybe, instead of asking God to stop evil, we should do it as a human being

 

[Hume]

God is also the supposed lover of his creations, yet the greatest gift he gave us is free will. Maybe, instead of asking God to stop evil, we should do it as a human being

Why would God want humans to commit evil?

 

[SmarterthanYou]

Why would God want humans to commit evil?

God wants humans to be good, I believe, but in order to see how his experiment would work, he gave us free will. If God wanted humans to commit evil, he would not have punished Sodom and Gomorrah or flooded the world for 40 days and nights.

 

[Hume]

God wants humans to be good, I believe, but in order to see how his experiment would work, he gave us free will.

Then God is faulty.

 

[SmarterthanYou]

Then God is faulty.

how so? be specific

 

[Hume]

how so? be specific

Why create a universe where people kill and rape each other?

 

[SmarterthanYou]

Why create a universe where people kill and rape each other?

thank you for showing that you have zero understanding of biblical creation.........

 

[T. A. Gardner]

Two words sum this up: Free will. Any omnipotent deity would have the ability to force someone to do whatever they demanded. By doing so you create nothing but puppets and autonomations.

God works best when you think God has done nothing at all...

 

[Hume]

thank you for showing that you have zero understanding of biblical creation.........

I certainly do not care what the Bible says. Thread is not the Bible.

 

[Hume]

Two words sum this up: Free will. Any omnipotent deity would have the ability to force someone to do whatever they demanded. By doing so you create nothing but puppets and autonomations.

God works best when you think God has done nothing at all...

So, just a game for God?

 

[SmarterthanYou]

I certainly do not care what the Bible says. Thread is not the Bible.

you're especially triggered and stupid today. Do you need some help?

 

[Hume]

you're especially triggered and stupid today. Do you need some help?

bye

 

[Cypress]

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil:

God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions, so that if any two of them were true the third would be false. But at the same time all three are essential parts of most theological positions: the theologian, it seems, at once must and cannot consistently adhere to all three.

Could A Good God Permit So Much Suffering? A Debate

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil: God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to...

ndpr.nd.edu

The correct theological position is that God gave us free will, and the agency to freely choose.

I don't think God is omnipotent. God cannot create a square circle, or a triangular square.

 

[Hume]

The correct theological position is that God gives us free will, and the agency to freely choose.

I don't think God is omnipotent. God cannot create a square circle.

If God CAN give us free will why can't he give us freedom from evil?

 

[SmarterthanYou]

If God CAN give us free will why can't he give us freedom from evil?

the sad thing about you is that you actually think this makes sense

 

[T. A. Gardner]

So, just a game for God?

Who knows? If we knew the nature of God and what God wanted, it'd be game over in any case. You toe the line, or God does whatever God does to people who don't toe the line. Hell, since God is omnipotent, maybe God does that before you won't toe the line because God knows in advance what you're going to do before you do it.

 

[T. A. Gardner]

If God CAN give us free will why can't he give us freedom from evil?

That would violate giving us free will.

 

[gmark77]

God is also the supposed lover of his creations, yet the greatest gift he gave us is free will. Maybe, instead of asking God to stop evil, we should do it as a human being

It's fine if God gives us the opportunity to screw up, but the real problem is that the possible punishment depending on the variant of God can be up to and including infinite punishment for a flawed imperfect being without all the information and a limited (finite) time.

That version of God (quite common) would then be exceedingly cruel (like getting the death penalty for a parking violation).

 

[Dutch Uncle]

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil:

God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions, so that if any two of them were true the third would be false. But at the same time all three are essential parts of most theological positions: the theologian, it seems, at once must and cannot consistently adhere to all three.

Could A Good God Permit So Much Suffering? A Debate

As J. L. Mackie (1955, 200) formulated the so-called logical problem of evil: God is omnipotent; God is wholly good; and yet evil exists. There seems to...

ndpr.nd.edu

Free Will.

Those who have faith in an afterlife understand. Those who think humans are simply walking meat robots fear death.