I never said the problem of evil is a reason not to believe. I said that the free will defense does not account for it.
I am not conflating moral and natural evils, because the problem of evil is only a problem due to the suffering it causes. Since both evils produce suffering, both evils are pertinent.
Man's finite knowledge is not a defense, because god could have easily designed us in a way that would allow us to circumnavigate our environment without pain and suffering. But this doesn't really matter due to your next claim about the value of pain and suffering, which also fails. What benefits do we gain from pain and suffering? Nothing that an omnipotent god couldn't have bestowed upon us sans the pain and suffering. Claiming that it is necessary to partake in the blessings of heaven negates god's omnipotence by implying that god could not have created us in a manner that would already allow us to partake in those blessings.
Finally, your claim about justice being served in the afterlife also fails. Punishment does not right what has been wronged, nor does it negate evil. It merely causes the perpetrator to reap the negative consequences of his/her actions and has no effect on the pain the perpetrator caused. Putting someone in prison does mean the person they raped no longer feels the effect of that rape. Reward for suffering also does not right what has been wronged, nor does it negate evil. Otherwise, you would be forced to accept that crimes like rape are acceptable to commit as long as the perpetrator gives the victim a sufficient reward, like enough money to live on for the rest of his/her life.
Thus, you are left to conclude that there is no reason that god would allow suffering except for the purpose of making us suffer.
I am not conflating moral and natural evils, because the problem of evil is only a problem due to the suffering it causes. Since both evils produce suffering, both evils are pertinent.
Man's finite knowledge is not a defense, because god could have easily designed us in a way that would allow us to circumnavigate our environment without pain and suffering. But this doesn't really matter due to your next claim about the value of pain and suffering, which also fails. What benefits do we gain from pain and suffering? Nothing that an omnipotent god couldn't have bestowed upon us sans the pain and suffering. Claiming that it is necessary to partake in the blessings of heaven negates god's omnipotence by implying that god could not have created us in a manner that would already allow us to partake in those blessings.
Finally, your claim about justice being served in the afterlife also fails. Punishment does not right what has been wronged, nor does it negate evil. It merely causes the perpetrator to reap the negative consequences of his/her actions and has no effect on the pain the perpetrator caused. Putting someone in prison does mean the person they raped no longer feels the effect of that rape. Reward for suffering also does not right what has been wronged, nor does it negate evil. Otherwise, you would be forced to accept that crimes like rape are acceptable to commit as long as the perpetrator gives the victim a sufficient reward, like enough money to live on for the rest of his/her life.
Thus, you are left to conclude that there is no reason that god would allow suffering except for the purpose of making us suffer.
Even if the open windows of science at first make us shiver after the cozy indoor warmth of traditional humanizing myths, in the end the fresh air brings vigor, and the great spaces have a splendor of their own - Bertrand Russell
