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Why does God allow evil and suffering? (lemmy.ml)
submitted 2 months ago by to c/atheistmemes@lemmy.world
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[–] 9 points 2 months ago (9 children)

Evil and suffering wasn't in God's plan

Did God create the universe? Did he know evil and suffering would occur before he created the universe? Could he have created the universe another way?

If the answer to all 3 is yes, everything must be according to his plan. If the answer to any is no, you have to get rid of either all-knowing or all-powerful.

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  • [+] -7 points 2 months ago (8 children)

    I say no to the last one. But that doesn't mean he's not all-powerful in the proper sense of the word, because he can't do impossible things.

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  • [–] 6 points 2 months ago* (7 children)

    I guess my next question would be why would it be impossible? I'll accept that he can't do logically impossible things, like make a square circle, but the idea that he could have made changes to nature is not logically impossible.

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  • [+] -8 points 2 months ago (6 children)

    He can change nature. But not in a way that would preserve freedom and make nature obey all his wishes at the same time. That is the squared circle.

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  • [–] 7 points 2 months ago (5 children)

    I'm not talking about obeying his wishes, I'm talking about unnecessary suffering. Could he make a world with free will and no baby cancer?

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  • [+] -7 points 2 months ago* (last edited 2 months ago) (4 children)

    His wish is for the creation to be free of suffering. If he forced that, there wouldn't be freedom. And by freedom I'm not speaking about human agency, but the metaphysical capacity of the cosmos to be something God doesn't want.

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  • [–] 4 points 2 months ago (3 children)

    metaphysical capacity of the cosmos to be something God doesn't want

    Either God created that capacity (literally nothing can exist if he does not will it), or there are higher metaphysical concepts than God.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 months ago (2 children)

    I wouldn't call logic a metaphysical concept. But yes, God can't go against it.

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  • [–] 3 points 2 months ago (1 child)

    metaphysical capacity of the cosmos to be something God doesn't want.

    I mean that. So God is constrained by something other than logic.

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  • [–] -3 points 2 months ago

    No, this metaphysical capacity is the universe's, not God's. Freedom is the human form of a cosmological reality : the capacity not to be what God wants. God is the one who created the word that way, because he wanted a universe he doesn't control. Because if the universe can't not love God, then it can't love it. Love must be free.

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