The argument from evil is one of the most overused arguments. I think it's not a particularly convincing argument because it really only applies to modern Christianity. I don't even think that early Christians considered their god to be all good. As frequently as this argument is made it is always directed towards the Christian God. It made me wonder and I genuinely don't know, but does mainstream Muslim thought consider Allah to be Omnibenevolent. I know there are several passages in the Qu'ran which call him all powerful and all just but is he ever considered to be all good? Is the argument from evil applicable to Islam?

Quote:Is Allah?

An even better question.

I think allah is referred to as all-merciful.

(August 31, 2013 at 2:21 pm)Minimalist Wrote:

Quote:Is Allah?

An even better question.

Well obviously Allah is as made up as all the other gods. I think the arguments against Allah are even easier than those against the Christian God. I'm just curious if the argument from evil even applies. I remember hearing a Christian saying they didn't believe in Allah because he is a Tyrant. Does that actually fit the way the universe is better?

(August 31, 2013 at 2:25 pm)CapnAwesome Wrote:

(August 31, 2013 at 2:21 pm)Minimalist Wrote: An even better question.

Well obviously Allah is as made up as all the other gods. I think the arguments against Allah are even easier than those against the Christian God. I'm just curious if the argument from evil even applies. I remember hearing a Christian saying they didn't believe in Allah because he is a Tyrant. Does that actually fit the way the universe is better?

Not claiming omnibenevolence or omnipotence appears to me to answer the problem of evil, insofar that such a deity would not be incompatible with the existence if evil. However, such a deity still fails the classic Epicurean paradox and would be unworthy of worship.

Quote:I think the arguments against Allah are even easier than those against the Christian God.

Picking a nit, here, but it's the same god.

On the question of being all-merciful, that sort of negates the notion of any god being just. In other words, a god who is always merciful is one who is going to ameliorate punishment levied against transgressors - you're not going to get the punishment you deserve.

On the flip side, a god who is always just - smiting those who merit smiting - can never be said to be either merciful or benevolent.

Just one more example of the nightmarish mental contortions religionist have to go through to make it seems as if the gods make any sort of coherent sense.

Boru

Allah...

God...

Beer...

Only one is real and has any power at all.

We don't consider Allah to be all-good, but He is the source of all goodness. He is not omnibenevolent, but He is just and merciful. Allah describes Himself in the Quran with attributes such as the Benign (Al-Barr), the Merciful (Ar-Raheem), and the Pardoner (Al-Afuw), and at the same time, the Afflicter (Ad-Darr) and the Lord of Retribution (Al- Muntaqeem).

But, even though we believe in a god that is merciful and wrathful at the same time, it is stated in an authentic hadith that Allah's mercy is greater than his wrath: "When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: 'My mercy prevails over my wrath.'" [Hadith Qudsi]

There is also another hadith which says that if the kafirs (non-believers) knew how great Allah's mercy is, even they would not lose hope of Paradise.

And the moment a person converts to Islam sincerely, all his past sins will be erased.

I never thought the concept of omni powers made any sense. An omnivore is comprehensible, though it is not literally true. We eat lots of things but we can't digest wood pulp and we can't live off of grass. Every omni power is subject to logical incoherence.

Quote:We don't consider Allah to be all-good, but He is the source of all goodness.

Well, if he is not all-good, then there are times and circumstances when he must be not-good (evil). Correct?

Quote:He is not omnibenevolent, but He is just and merciful.

He can't be both (seem my other posts on this subject). If he is sometimes just and sometimes merciful, then he is capricious.

Quote:Allah describes Himself in the Quran with attributes such as the Benign (Al-Barr), the Merciful (Ar-Raheem), and the Pardoner (Al-Afuw), and at the same time, the Afflicter (Ad-Darr) and the Lord of Retribution (Al- Muntaqeem).

It is nice to see that Allah is no more or less self-contradictory than other divine fantasies.

Quote:But, even though we believe in a god that is merciful and wrathful at the same time, it is stated in an authentic hadith that Allah's mercy is greater than his wrath: "When Allah decreed the Creation He pledged Himself by writing in His book which is laid down with Him: 'My mercy prevails over my wrath.'" [Hadith Qudsi]

Then Allah must be merciful always. If not, then there are times and situations when his wrath prevails over his mercy. So much for the Hadith in question, then.

Quote:There is also another hadith which says that if the kafirs (non-believers) knew how great Allah's mercy is, even they would not lose hope of Paradise.

Hard to lose what you've never had.

Quote:And the moment a person converts to Islam sincerely, all his past sins will be erased.

Plagiarism. But no worries - it's a common theme in religious babbling.

Boru