The Problem of Evil, Christians, and Inconsistency

[Mudhammam]

Great post, Mike. I think you raise some valid points but what I would want to ask is why do we consider something virtuous? Is there some universal principle that qualifies something as virtuous separate from the fact that happiness (whether our own or others) is the ultimate goal? To put it in another way, if I choose to act out of service to others, and this service requires a great deal of personal suffering for myself, cannot it still be said that I am achieving a level of happiness and peace of mind--through my service, and hence, suffering--because I know the context, that it's allowing others to reach a level of happiness that they would otherwise be unable to attain? I think this point becomes much more difficult to establish in favor of a deity's goodness and innocence if we're talking about a being that has it within his power to absolve all suffering. Not to mention, this being requires nothing, due to his self-sufficient essence, to achieve(?) any such quality or ideal. The requirement of suffering to attain maximal happiness or virtue appears to me completely arbitrary in this case--unless we're talking about a finite being, as drich pointed out, which I might add, I find much more plausible as a concept to begin with.

Children that die at birth are raised by angels in the spiritual world and prepared to take their place in heaven

Chad, where do you come up with that? I don't recall anything in the Bible stating that.