The problem of evil/suffering when it comes to children

[God of Mr. Hanky]

Right, for a perfect designer and lord to allow free will would be an oxymoronic weakness. For a trifecta, all-great and perfect deity to allow evil is also impossible - this would make him either not so powerful or not perfect.

[robvalue]

Yup. It doesn't make theism inconsistent, but it does make many popular portrayals logically impossible.

It is also, in my opinion, a strong argument for not being part of one of those religions even if you thought it was "true". Especially if you thought it was true! There are strong parallels with Stockholm Syndrome. It makes me wince hearing theists make excuses for god after he causes/allows something horrific to happen; just like covering up for your abusive spouse.

Of course, I don't believe he is causing or allowing anything. But it's the fact that they do, and still worship it, that is painful.

[Reforged]

Evolution; whatever survives passes on its genes. Thats it. Remove this idea that it is a designed process with the purpose of making a perfect being. It is not and you are operating under a false assumption. It is natural selection. Whatever works, works. 
Needless to say that father will not be passing on his genes and other species do kill their children and mates. This does happen in other species but it doesn't happen often percentage wise in any species, including our own, because the genes responsible for that are not conducive to survival or offspring.

Wiping out the human race doesn't work, use your brain, wiping out all other species doesn't work either, that's one reason why evolution holds no water.
Most abused children survive and go on to abuse their children at some point evolution wise this will destroy mankind, why because it's getting worse and man desires material things over loved ones, just look at the top reason for divorce, money honey.

GC

Someone who has genes that make them more prone to violence doesn't indicate an absolute certainty they will submit to those instincts.
There will be a varying small percentage who through a combination of nurture, experience and strength of will learn to curb those tendencies. However, the genes behind those tendencies will remain and be passed onto their offspring. These are a minority in a minority however.
Either way the vast majority of human beings in Western society do not abuse their children and the "increase" is proportional to the expanding population. The reason why you are seeing more reports than you would have in the past is that it is no longer an accepted behavior in mainstream society. It is no longer permissible to turn a blind eye, we are forced to look at it where it is present and it is still present. 

So how about you "use your brain" or failing that; your manners.

[Drich]

Something horrible happened recently in my town.


A six-year-old boy was taken to the hospital at the behest of his father, who claimed that the boy fell in the shower. Once he was in the care of medical professionals, he did not survive long. To put it bluntly, his injuries and overall condition were not synonymous with someone who fell in the shower, but with someone who suffered a recent severe beating in a string of beatings that likely took place for a significant portion of this boy's short life.


Needless to say, the father and his woman (not the boy's mother, from what I understand) are being charged with a laundry list of things, including murder, but a child is dead after a short life of horrible suffering, and no amount of "justice" will reverse that.


Sadly, this story is not unique. Things like this happen every minute of every day. Children starve every minute of every day. Children die of both preventable and incurable diseases every minute of every day.


When religious people are trying to explain why suffering and evil are allowed to exist in a Universe created by a loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful god, they generally default to some combination of "it's all our fault" and "the Lord works in mysterious ways," claiming that hardship makes us stronger and brings us closer to god.


All of that breaks down when we come to the issue of innocent children who suffer and die. Those of you who serve a god who is omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent somehow have to grapple with the fact that your god was in the room with that boy and his father every single time he was hit, and he did nothing about it. He did not intervene himself, and he did not send anybody to save the child. The abuser realized the boy was dying and took him to the hospital in hopes of saving himself from a murder charge, and that little boy died of his wounds in front of your god, who was apparently all tuckered out from making sure Denver won the fucking Superbowl.  Sure, the justice system has the perpetrators now, but so fucking what?


That little boy will not become stronger because of what happened to him. He's dead. Honestly, I don't think anybody else will, either, and even if somebody was supposed to have a positive experience or learn a lesson from what happened, that still means that your god's perfect plan involves the suffering and death of countless children. If Superman saw what was happening to that child, what would he have done? Isn't Superman supposed to be good? What about Captain America? Would he have stood by and watched that child suffer and die? If these characters, who are supposed to be good, would have had no choice but to directly intervene when confronted with these things, what does that say about your god, who literally witnesses every bad thing that ever happens and does practically nothing about any of it? How can you call him good?


If saving children is less important to your god than pretending he doesn't exist to preserve free will, then let me ask you this: what if he isn't pretending? What if he actually doesn't exist?

How can you explain 3 dimensions to a being who only will ever except 2?

You and your kudoed followers are those two dimensional beings. Those two dimensions are only life and death. Even in your best 'what if senerio' allowing for a God you will not allow for the Life promised after death.

So let's say one of your two dimensional hero's saves this kid, now who will save this kids kid from him? or do you not get these types of anger issues are passed down? that the dad was a kid beaten the same way...

So now what if the beating was bad enough, and did enough mental damage that if he lived he would have done something far worse??? Hitler's Dad was supposed to have beaten little boy hitler with in an inch of his life several different times.

At what point is it better to 'reset' the child's life than to force him to live it?

But, again to 'rest' is not an option for you all therefore you see death as being a 'bad' thing. because again you all are two dimensional only.

The limit God promises all of us is to not test us beyond what we can bear. For this boy, what his Father did was more than he could bear, so God called him home.

In the light of a 3 dimensional reality, how is being called home a 'bad thing?'

[Silver]

For this boy, what his Father did was more than he could bear, so God called him home.

If a god can do something about a situation where an innocent child is being harmed but does nothing except watch, then that is not a god worth acknowledging.

[Angrboda]

So let's say one of your two dimensional hero's saves this kid, now who will save this kids kid from him? or do you not get these types of anger issues are passed down? that the dad was a kid beaten the same way...

So now what if the beating was bad enough, and did enough mental damage that if he lived he would have done something far worse??? Hitler's Dad was supposed to have beaten little boy hitler with in an inch of his life several different times.

At what point is it better to 'reset' the child's life than to force him to live it?

But, again to 'rest' is not an option for you all therefore you see death as being a 'bad' thing. because again you all are two dimensional only.

The limit God promises all of us is to not test us beyond what we can bear. For this boy, what his Father did was more than he could bear, so God called him home.

In the light of a 3 dimensional reality, how is being called home a 'bad thing?'

The idea that abuse victims typically go on to become abusers is a myth. So much for your answer.

[abaris]

If a god can do something about a situation where an innocent child is being harmed but does nothing except watch, then that is not a god worth acknowledging.

You see now why it's an excercise in futility to even talk about it?

[Godscreated]

Go read the replies I've given to others, then ask yourself why am I not helping, why am I setting on my butt blaming instead of taking action.

I didn't know it was happening you little prick. The difference between me and your god is if I saw a child being abused I would stop it.

You didn't know children were being abused, you live in a cave or something. If so get out and join an organization that helps these children.

GC

[Godscreated]

Once again you show off your childish ignorant ways, ranting till it makes you feel good, read the post above this one and use it to help those children instead of setting on you lazy butt.

GC

I love the smell of christers with a persecution complex in the morning. Their whining smells like victory.

When are you ever going to get it into your thick head GC that a) I don't believe in the bullshit you're peddling, b) that I've copped on to the fact that the god you believe would be by his very nature, immoral (if he ever existed) and c) that your whining every time your bullshit is torn a new one makes you look worse? While it is entertaining to see you hoist yourself by your petard, it is beginning to get a bit tedious.

Once again you show the childish attitude that consumes your being, grow up if you expect a conversation from me.

GC

[Old Baby]

God's just up there shrugging his shoulders and reminding us of how Adam ate the apple.

But, that little boy is in heaven now singing with the Angels' choir, so take heart.