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The Free Will Defence: A Good God vs The Problem of Evil
- Thread starter Massimo2002
- Start date
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
God is good because God has revealed laws that would completely eliminate all evil, if everyone followed God's laws.
God gave man free will to choose to follow His laws or not, so the buck stops with mankind, not with God. God is completely off the hook.
“God hath in that Book, and by His behest, decreed as lawful whatsoever He hath pleased to decree, and hath, through the power of His sovereign might, forbidden whatsoever He elected to forbid. To this testifieth the text of that Book. Will ye not bear witness? Men, however, have wittingly broken His law. Is such a behavior to be attributed to God, or to their proper selves? Be fair in your judgment. Every good thing is of God, and every evil thing is from yourselves. Will ye not comprehend? This same truth hath been revealed in all the Scriptures, if ye be of them that understand.”
Massimo2002
Active Member
Shifting the blame from God to humanity does not solve the problem of evil.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
God is not to blame because God did not do anything wrong.
AI Overview
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The problem of evil is a philosophical question that attempts to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the idea of God as all-powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good.
The assumption is that God since God is all-powerful, God would eliminate evil and suffering if God if perfectly good, but that is a false assumption because there is no reason to think that a perfectly good God would eliminate evil and suffering just because He is all-powerful. Evil is caused by humans who fail to follow God's laws and suffering has a purpose.
Massimo2002
Active Member
Wrong. Suffering has no purpose and God Is Morally Wrong.
Trailblazer
Veteran Member
You are free to believe that if you want to but it is not true.
Does suffering have a purpose?
AI Overview
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Yes, suffering can have a purpose
Evolutionary heritage
Humans evolved to experience suffering in certain situations, such as loss of loved ones, social rejection, or deprivation of food, water, or air. Suffering can motivate us to change our behavior to increase our chances of survival.
Resilience
Some say that suffering can make us more resilient and better able to endure hardships. It can help us develop character, strengthen our souls, and inspire ambition.
Respect for reality
Pain can remind us of our limitations and humble us.
Meaning in life
Research suggests that past suffering can be highly correlated with a sense of meaning in life. If we can establish meaning in our suffering, it can contribute to our well-being.
However, suffering can also have an ambivalent character. It can cause personality degradation, but it can also further personality development.