(July 5, 2015 at 12:06 pm)Randy Carson Wrote: Let's say for the sake of argument that God did prevent the rape of one person...or prevent a murder of another. If He does that for one or two, wouldn't He be obligated to prevent every murder? Every rape? Divorce hurts people, too...what about preventing every divorce? Unemployment is bad....should God be obligated to prevent anyone from losing their job? Or falling on the playground and skinning their knees?
If God intervened in every situation that conceivably causes us pain, our lives would be so free from suffering that we would consider a hangnail to be a great injustice requiring God's intervention.
But at what point would God have to eliminate free will in order to accomplish this utopian existence? As disgusting as it is, God cannot stop the rapist or murderer without impinging on the free will of all mankind. Consequently, He allows the pain in order to respect the greater good.
And if we are not morally free to choose to rape or not rape, to kill or not kill, and we are forced to serve and obey God, why would we love Him since we had no other choice?
'But if I'm benevolent to one person, I'm gonna have to be benevolent to them all!'?
Have to? I thought god does what he wants
And I'm asking why is free will the greater good than no suffering?