2 questions...

[shunyadragon]

1. Our definitions of “good” and “bad” cannot be applied to something as grand and unknowable as god. God is simply god, and they have decided it necessary to create such things. One may further argue that it’s ultimately to create a better appreciation of the good. Can one know how good warmth feels without having been cold? Or the joys of love without having heartbreak?

I believe in God, but the problem with above I do not believe we can make the above anthropomorphic assumptions about God.

2. Evolution, at least in my eyes, is most definitely a guided process, made to bring about beauty and balance. We are a result of such work, and god has given us the ability to recognize them, and that was planned from the start, from the moment ‘brush touched the canvas’, so to speak.

It is OK to believe this, and I as a Theist believe God Created all of our physical existence as it is. . . . but to believe this can be supported by science is a problem.

 

[Avoice1C]

Two questions I can't answer:

1. The origin of pain, suffering, evil. It can't be from God because God is all good.

from the complete Jewish Bible for e-Sword:
Before Jesus This is the kind of interchange that occurred for evil to take place.

Job 1:7 Adonai asked the Adversary, "Where are you coming from?" The Adversary answered Adonai, "From roaming through the earth, wandering here and there."

Job 1:8 Adonai asked the Adversary, "Did you notice my servant Iyov, that there's no one like him on earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and shuns evil?"

Job 1:9 The Adversary answered Adonai, "Is it for nothing that Iyov fears God?

Job 1:10 You've put a protective hedge around him, his house and everything he has. You've prospered his work, and his livestock are spread out all over the land.

Job 1:11 But if you reach out your hand and touch whatever he has, without doubt he'll curse you to your face!"

Job 1:12 Adonai said to the Adversary, "Here! Everything he has is in your hands, except that you are not to lay a finger on his person." Then the Adversary went out from the presence of Adonai.

Once Jesus had begun His ministry, The Adversary (Satan) The Tempter of God and humankind was cast out of heaven he is the ruler of this world spoken of here:
Luk_10:18 Yeshua said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.

(Jesus says the following)
Joh 14:30 "I won't be talking with you much longer, because the ruler of this world is coming. He has no claim on me;
Joh 14:31 rather, this is happening so that the world may know that I love the Father, and that I do as the Father has commanded me.( taken from the Complete Jewish Bible for e-Sword.)

Satan brings with him consequences for sin which we call evil, pain, and the like. Taxes are not listed in the Bible lol except by Jesus who said "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's."