Subject:
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The Problem of Evil
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Newsgroups:
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lugnet.off-topic.debate
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Date:
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Sat, 2 Dec 2000 05:07:45 GMT
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Viewed:
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199 times
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Hey Y'all:
I see some of you exerting some considerable effort around the subject of
the problem of evil. I thought I might summarize the essentials if I might...
The problem of evil is normally worded in the manner of a theorem, as are
the following variants:
1. If God is good, he will want to abolish evil
2. If God is all powerful, he must be able to abolish evil
3. Evil exists
Therefore, an all powerful, good God does not exist
or:
1. God is the first cause and created everything
2. Evil is something
Therefore, God is the creator of evil
What I find interesting about this problem is that either conclusion only
matters if you happen to believe in good or evil to begin with -- which I do
not. I think the above "proofs" have an intended audience of Christian
believers, and are essentially meaningless to others outside that circle --
however large that circle may in fact happen to be. But the point is: the
Christian god cannot exist in the manner in which most Christians envision
him to exist. Whatever he may or may not be, God is other than what
Christians have imagined.
If you base your ideas on duality as opposing forces, rather than aspects of
the same thing you will always get the above results. To paraphrase
Shakespeare: There are more things in existence than are dreamt of in your
philosophy!
Me? I don't believe in good or evil -- I believe in adversity. I believe
that the universe is a place where things struggle, not necessarily in
opposition, but merely for survival. Every living thing, every energy,
strives for it's own position or niche. A fish might eat seaweed or
microscopic organisms, I eat the fish, something else might eat me -- none
of us the more evil for having done it. Evil is just a word, a conceit to
reify the asserted nature of human existence -- "O, woe is me!". Good is
just a word too, the sort of idea one wants to luxuriate in when one has
done something out of self-interest but wants to pretend otherwise.
-- Richard
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Message has 2 Replies:
 | | Re: The Problem of Evil
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| (...) Flawed. God is good and gives us free will to choose evil. Respecting this choice is a part of honoring our autonomy. (...) If God wanted to. See above. (...) Flawed. Explain how to quantify evil. (...) This goes without saying. (...) Maybe (...) (24 years ago, 2-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
| | | Re: The Problem of Evil
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| Mr. Marchetti: Concerning the problem of evil, you provided an outline of two arguments and then concluded: "But the point is: the Christian god cannot exist in the manner in which most Christians envision him to exist. Whatever he may or may not (...) (24 years ago, 5-Dec-00, to lugnet.off-topic.debate)
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