Christians: How do you reconcile the problem of evil?

[Sunshine Locket]

Maybe see it as the contrast of omni-benevolence.

As it is logically impossible for an all-loving (or all-good) and all-powerful God to exist in the presence of mass suffering or mass calamity, how do you reconcile this?

Do you change your construct of God such that he either isn't all-loving or all-powerful?

OR

Do you just not think about it?

 

[2PhiloVoid]

As it is logically impossible for an all-loving (or all-good) and all-powerful God to exist in the presence of mass suffering or mass calamity, how do you reconcile this?

Do you change your construct of God such that he either isn't all-loving or all-powerful?

OR

Do you just not think about it?

No, actually, I throw away the Philosopher's gOD, and I appropriate the Hebrew GOD, and I take into account that the attribute of Holiness plays a primary role in considering what God does and how He does it. We get confused because we love to play the game of "reductionism" and pin the concept of "love" as the all-in-all attribute that we think we have to engage.

But it just ain't so...it just ain't so.

 

[Joshua260]

So God would prefer to allow the rapist to rape the child than to stop the rapist in a method that wouldn't interfere with his free will.

We've been over this enough. God gave us the power to make free-will choices and unless that evil is allowed to happen, then that gift to make free-will choices was not really given.

The Epicurean argument is independent of what abilities the one presenting the argument has. It's a static argument that reads the same if read by an omnipotent God or a man made machine. Why do you think an argument is different if read by two different people - when the argument still reads the same?

You're missing the point of why the argument fails. Your argument is:

1. If an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent god exists, then evil does not.
2. There is evil in the world.
3. Therefore, an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent God does not exist.

and the argument fails to make the case because premise 1 is not provable. Why? Simply because it is possible that God may have a reason for allowing the evil to exist. We don't even have to know what that reason is. So long as it's possible that God might have a reason to allow it, then the argument fails. In order for you, or anyone, to prove that the argument succeeds, that person would have to know for sure that God does NOT have any possible reason for evil to exist, and the only way that person could do that is if that person were omniscient. Like I said before, this argument only appeals to other atheists. I doubt any of the rest of us here are buying what you're selling.


Your "God is twisted and sadistic" comments aren't worth replying to.

Not trying to prove anything. Just trying to understand how Christians reconcile the problem of evil.

I think you're the only one who considers it to be a "problem".

I may not respond anymore on this thread. We've hashed this one out enough. The Epicurean argument fails to make it's case and there's not much more that can be said about it. Time to move on.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Akureyri. You asked in one of your replies, " how can God allow a rapist free will, to rape a child?" God has given us all free will, and it is up to us to live as God wants us to live, Or to do as we want to. Look at the rapist and the child. The rapist does his evil deed, and will reap for what he has sown, or pay for what he has done, God will NOT BE MOCKED. The child will not suffer as we might think, God`s Love will be with the child. This horrible deed will not end here, God`s Law of Justice, ( we know it under: what man sows, he will also reap) God`s Law will mete out FITTING CONSEQUENCES. God sees the whole picture, and again: GOD WILL NOT BE MOCKED. We only know God as our Loving and Righteous God. ( In Galatians 6: 7-8) we are told:
" Be not deceived, God will NOT be Mocked. Our God is Almighty, and He is all Loving and Forgiving, if the need arises. God wants our Love, freely given and NO conditions tagged on. We all will get Blessings and Rewards, but ALSO
fitting consequences if the need arises. I say this with love, Akureyri.
Greetings from Emmy, sister in Christ.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Akureyri. God is Almighty, God can do everything. As for the rapist, raping a child, the rapist has free will, but there is also God`s Eternal Law:
What ye sow ye will also reap, and we know that the rapist will get his punishment/ fitting consequence. But our God is also a God of Love, and we may be sure that the child in question, will not suffer fully from the evil deed.
Galatians 6: 7-8: " Be not deceived, God will not be mocked." God is Love.
I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Scott1979]

So you seem to think that there should be no evil in this world if there is a God? That about right? You seem so focused on a child rapist which disturbs me but there are so many more questions that can be asked. Why did God allow Hitler to slaughter so many people? Why did God allow 2 nuclear bombs to be dropped on Japan? Why does God allow good men and women to die in defense of this country?

How do I reconcile the problem of evil? Humans. Humans can be greedy, evil, power hungry, and just down right bad. I've always looked at God as kind of having a parental role with us. He offers guidance and points us the right direction but it is up to us to go the right way. There are parents out there who raise their kids the right way and the kids still choose to grow up and do bad things.

You ask how can God allow a child to be raped? God is not allowing it. A human is choosing to do it. Children are supposed to be protected by adults. There is supposed to be a special kind of trust between adults and children. The kind of trust where the child knows the adult will do whatever it takes to protect a child. That trust is broken quite often I am sad to say.

You seem to want to blame God for all the evil things that humans do and that's just not right. If a parent tells their child don't touch the stove it's hot and the kid does it anyway and burns them self should the parent be arrested for child abuse? A person makes the decision to do bad. Plain and simple. It's not God's fault about the choices we make.

 

[Emmy]

Dear Akureyri. God is Love, and God is not responsible for evil, and we have been given two Commandments how to resist this always lurking evil. Jesus Himself tells us in Luke 10: 25-28: A Lawyer asked Jesus: " Master, how do I inherit eternal life." Jesus told him: " you know the two Commandments: Love God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, also Love thy neighbour as thyself. DO THESE AND YOU WILL LIVE." We also know the two Commandments, Jesus told us in Matthew 22: 35-40: The first and great Commandment is: " Love God with all our hearts, with all our souls, and with all our minds. The second is like it: Love our neighbour as we love ourselves." Jesus also told us that on these two Commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. God wants our Love, freely given and No conditions tagged on. In Matthew 7: 7-10: we are told to Ask and Receive. We ask for Love and Joy, then we thank God, and share all Love and Joy with our neighbour: all we know and all we meet. We keep asking God and thanking God for Love and Joy, and then sharing all Love and Joy with our neighbour.
God will see our loving and caring efforts, and God will Bless us. Love is a Christian`s great weapon, with love we can overcome all evil and wrong-doings. Love will change everything we say and do, into overcoming all obstacles, nastiness.
The Bible told us to " Repent," and to " Be Born Again." we have to give up all our selfishness, and use all Love and Care to overcome evil and wrong-doings. Love will change us gradually into the men and women, which God wants us to become. Satan and all satanic-beings will flee from Love and Compassion, and our Love will overcome all EVIL. Day after day we will have enough Love and Care for our neighbour, to keep Satan and his followers at bay, life will be filled with Love and Joy. Just REMEMBER: ASK AND RECEIVE,
then thank God and share it all with our neighbour. Jesus our Saviour will help and guide us: JESUS IS THE WAY. I say this with love, Akureyri.
Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ..

 

[theophilus777]

Then why call God all-loving if the type of love he has isn't enough for him to stop a rapist from raping a child?

This is a HUGE misunderstanding.

God GAVE certain things to our species, which includes what we do in our lifetime. If you want to see God stop a rape in progress - go catch someone red-handed, and put a stop to it.