The Problem of Good

[orangebox21]

So God is all-powerful except for when he isn't.

God is all powerful except when you ask Him to do nonsensical things.

There's a yes and a no to that.  God is limited to act in a manner consistent within His nature.  So God can't sin, nor does He tempt anyone, nor could He do something that is logically incoherent.  Apart from that God is all powerful.

Apart from that being pretty ad hoc, there's actually no reason to believe that's the case.  If I tell you it is not in my nature to lie and that I cannot lie... is the only logical conclusion you can draw from that that I must be telling the truth?

If someone cannot lie, then he/she can only tell the truth.  The conditional is self-evident.  I'm not claiming that I justify God.    

I don't want to get too off track here but I'll mention two things here.  First, the punishment is established by the law giver, not the law breaker.  Secondly, how do you know that sinning against God ends at death?  Some people have openly admitted that even if the Christian God proved Himself to them, they still wouldn't worship Him.  Why assume this isn't the attitude of the unrepentant sinner even after death?

Yes... and there's still no reason to assume that sin is necessary, at all. If sin isn't necessary, neither is the punishment. If God can do anything but sin or tempt people, there's no reason to believe that his "plan" requires divine law/sin.

Like I said before, sin and suffering are a part of God's decree to bring about His purposes.  And one of those purposes is the revelation of God's mercy and justice.

Just out of curiosity, would your opinion change if the child was going to grow up to be a warmonger unlike the world has ever seen?  What about a serial killer who would kill 20 people?  15? 10?  5000?  What about someone who would grow up to reinstitute the worship of Molech (throwing infants into a fire)?

If the child hasn't done it yet, then why should God punish it with hell? I thought the whole point of the free will defense is that we need to be able to make choices, and that's what justifies hell. If the kid hasn't made the decision yet, on what basis is God punishing it? I mean, yes, God is supposed to be able to see the future, but now we're getting into hard determinism.

I agree that it seems inconsistent that God would punish someone for sins he/she is going to commit.

Which man gave God his nature and declared what he can and can't do?  It must have been the con man that created the God character in his image.

Who is this man you speak of?

So God is all-powerful except for when he isn't.

Got it in one!

Whenever it's convenient, God suddenly has these arbitrary obstacles to work around, to make us feel sorry for him and that he's "trying his best". Some people won't make their mind up once and for all whether he made the rules, or whether he's working within rules that were already there.

Like most religious beliefs, it is malleable rather than consistent, so as to bend to any particular situation favourably.

What sense is made in expecting someone or something to be what he/she/it is not?