(June 7, 2016 at 10:11 pm)SteveII Wrote:(June 7, 2016 at 11:15 am)Mister Agenda Wrote: So you've conceived of a possible situation where God would have morally sufficient reasons to permit suffering, despite his tri-Omni super powers. I'd like to hear what it is.
Only an infinite (or nearly so) mind can calculate all the outcomes of a storm or one earthquake--not just in the near term but from that point on through eternity. Just a few possible "good" outcomes from such an event:
An omniscient god wouldn't have a problem with that. It would be able to eliminate evil without unforeseen side effects.
Quote:1. Community grows stronger in time of crisis.
An omnipotent god could achieve that strength without the crisis.
Quote:2. Neighbors helping neighbors. Recipients lives are touched/changed by compassion. Those giving aid or compassion are themselves changed.
A tri-omni god could do that without any pain or suffering.
Quote:3. Outsiders helping. Some results as #2 but they go back to another place a changed person.
A tri-omni god could achieve that (or just achieve the benefits of that, if it preferred) without evil.
Quote:4. People's lives are refocused on things that matter. More introspection.
Who made the rule that people can't have refocused introspection without suffering? Not a benevolent god, that's for sure.
Quote:5. Possibly as a result of #1-4 people gain a knowledge of God.
A god could give us all the knowledge it wanted, for free.
Quote:6. People from #5 live lives, come in contact with others, have families, possibly affecting hundreds, thousands, or even millions of future lives.
A powerful god could do that for everybody, not just millions of people.
Quote:I'm sure you are familiar with Chaos Theory and the butterfly effect. It cannot be fathomed what effect one little change can have on the rest of eternity.
It could be fathomed by an omniscient god.
Whatever benefits your god desires could be attained without cost, and without unknown side effects, by an omnipotent omniscient god. If that god was also omnibenevolent, it would achieve these effects without evil.
