God and the Devil

That is some can of worms, I agree.

Disease isn’t considered the absence of health. Disease is caused by something…bacteria, virus, etc.

When physics considers something the absence of something (the classic is that cold is the absence of heat) they show that heat is caused by something (i.e., thermal energy). There is nothing that causes cold, it is merely a lack of thermal energy.

When ancient Greeks first began discussing evil, they ran into the same type of dilemma. Like cold being an absence of thermal energy, it appeared to them that evil (here we are speaking of moral evil, not to be confused with physical hardships) was a lack of knowledge–i.e., ignorance. I am not sure if it was the Greeks who brought up lack of goodness or whether Augustine or Aquinas made that transformation. They saw that God made everything good, which would then follow that evil is the lack of goodness.

It’s best to be clear on what it is people want to discuss: Are we discussing moral evil? Or, are people asking about physical hardship? It is my understanding that the argument about physical hardship is that even physical hardship is not bad in itself because good can come from it.

We’re discussing why God created evil.

Ok, and so what? Evil is a lack of good. You havent even explained why. You’ve just asserted it and then talked about thermal energy. I can make the same argument that good is just the absence of evil, because hey look at thermal energy. It’s an empty argument that might play well during a church sermon or Sunday school, but has no substance.

And what do you mean by your last sentence? What good will come from the yellowstone super volcano erupting? What good came from the black plague? What good comes from a 4 year old getting leukemia? What good will come from the next asteroid that hits the Earth?

Theres also the question of whether or not evil exists in heaven - if evil is merely free will causing an absence of good. Surely we have free will in heaven? And if we do, and evil doent exist in heaven, then it was never necessary to begin with.

As @AZslim mentioned, we are discussing why God created evil. If evil is the absence of good, then surely diseases like polio, or the black plague, or massive natural disasters are evil. And even if they arent “evil” I’d still like to know why God would create a world with such massive amount of suffering caused by disease and natural disaster.

Here’s the logic I don’t understand as well. We had a friend survive a really bad car accident. Punctured lung, damaged internal organs, broken bones, etc. weeks in the hospital, months and months of PT. She is doing well, but will be in pain the rest of her life.

She kept saying how God was looking out for her. I kept thinking “what the hell?” If God was really looking out for her. Why didn’t He just stop the accident?

I of course, didn’t say anything because she is a sweet lady, but man oh man, with friends like Him, who needs enemies?

For the most part, our physical lives are up to us and the world around us. Someone said we are spiritual beings having a physical experience. We rely on God for our spiritual strength and well-being as we journey through the physical world with all that is good about it, as well as undergoing some of its perils.

Been out of the loop for a while…have we come to a conclusion on whether or not God is actually omnipotent or not yet?

That question is kinda important, since if Hes actually as all powerful as He alleged to be, then the discussion is over, as you would be correct, He could just prevent horrible things from happening.

Alas, He chooses not to.

Ok that completely dodged @AZslim post

Also, if he is all love, how did hate arise out of his creation? How does a hot dog arise out of a tree?

If the Democrats take the house, that would be the Devil’s work, I assume.

No. It means angels will have their work cut out for them. :wink:

Why wouldn’t God just make Republicans win?

Why should He do that?

Murdered babies…his creations

To save the Angels some work.

Are we bound to keeping our answers in the response to the presented trilemma or should it be addressed as a pentalemma adding God is all knowing and there is an eternity?

Speak yo mind

Did I read this correctly? More than 700 replies about God and the devil? I suppose I’d better get reading.

Knowing if it the trilemma or pentalemma(not sure if that is the correct nomenclature for 5 choices) would help answer the question. Seems like the thread is a game of whack-a-mole.