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My personal answer would be it is a result of our own free will. As for making assumptions, the assumptions lie in the criticisms the non-religious users write. Nearly every example they give first relies on the idea that there is something that shouldn't exist in the first place.

I've noticed a pattern in the criticisms from the non-religious users: The problem of evil (PoE) argues that the presence of evil disproves the existence of a personal, benevolent God. My argument is that the type of evil presented in the PoE - which I call "diabolical evil" - does not exist...

I don't know if ALL religions have a concept of Heaven, but even the ones that do are different from the Judeo-Christian version. In Hinduism and Buddhism, heaven (and hell) can either be places or states of mind - but they are both temporary. The ultimate goal in these religions is not go to...

No, I am saying that we find the idea that we can learn from evil repulsive because our concept of "evil" is that it should not exist and should be destroyed. If we did not follow the this concept of evil (which I call "diabolical evil"), we would not be offended by the idea that we can learn...

Like I said earlier, instructions on how to make pigs edible probably would not have made sense to people living 3,000 years ago. Even if they were willing to follow what He said despite the fact that it didn't made sense (because He is God and we should do as He says), they simply didn't have...

I think part of the reason many of us (especially the non-religious users) find the idea that we can learn from evil and suffering abhorrent is because we are still clinging to the idea that "diabolical evil" is something that shouldn't exist and should be destroyed. If something that shouldn't...

For the sake of argument, let's say God has already done this: a lot of the (seemingly) bizarre and brutal laws in the Old Testament are now thought to be related to hygiene. Pigs for example carry far more parasites and diseases than other livestock, which is probably why it was forbidden to...

If I were to argue that we shouldn't do bad things because the have bad effects, I would be very hard-pressed to prove it: terrible things happen all the time and the world doesn't fall apart. It carries on. Human sacrifice is bad, of course, for the people who died on the alter of the Aztecs or...

If evil is defined as "something that should not exist" (as presented in PoE) the reason it should not exist is that it goes against the will of God, as SkyWriting mentioned. If it is against His will, then we would have to assume He does want us to be affected by evil - so He is not malevolent...

Saying that pain is subjective isn't the same as saying "It's all in your head, it's not real." It means the experience varies from person to person. Some people (including children) deal with cancer better than others. Because many of us simply don't listen. Rather than a child (who we could...

We can't based objective morality on subjective experiences. ...Or to put in less pretentiously, pain and pleasure are both subjective (one person might feel a lot, another only a little) so we can't say something is "objectively" right or wrong when the same thing affects different people in...

A lot of churches (of any denomination) deal with suffering: the distribute food and clothing, they collect money for charity etc. - but that's another topic. Suffering is very much a subjective experience. That's why both Christianity and Buddhism deal with the way individuals deal with...

There are ways to become closer to God without suffering: praying, giving to charity, singing etc. That said, you've pretty much answered your own question: suffering is also pretty subjective. A minor problem for one person would be a disaster for another. That means the problem is in our...

Arguing "I would rather have the world like this" is not the same as arguing "The world should be like this". The way we would prefer the world to be is entirely subjective - one person would prefer the world to be one way, another person would prefer the world to be another way. I would say...

The idea that evil must exist in order for good to exist is found in Eastern mystic religions such as Buddhism or Hinduism. That evil is something bad which needs to be destroyed, however, is found in the Abrahamic religions. So from a Christian POV no, there will not be evil in Heaven. Were...

On the contrary, there is quite a lot in the Bible (in both the Old and New Testament) where God or one of His followers emphasizes that the wicked will be punished unless they change their ways: Thus I will punish the world for its evil And the wicked for their iniquity; I will also put an end...

Anyone who actually bother reading my slightly-overlong post will probably have notice that my argument doesn't actually answer the problem of evil at all: why DOESN'T God take away evil? My only answer is the same answer that's been given hundreds of times: man has free will, and (as...

Or "How the Problem of Evil PROVES (Rather than Disproves) the Existence of a Benevolent, Personal God" Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he...

This example is not really a "flaw" in evolutionary this, more of a demonstration: In many species the infant mortality rate is very high indeed. The young are often killed for a number of reasons - they may be killed by roving males (or indeed, rival females), they may be snatched by...

Christianity is not Judaism 2.0. It is a separate religion with different beliefs - but those beliefs have their origins in Judaism. Ancient Judaism believed that in order to go to heaven, they needed to obey a set of laws dictated by God Himself. If they broke one of these laws they had to pay...