If there is a God, why is there evil?

Discuss philosophical questions regarding theism (and atheism), and discuss religion as it relates to philosophy. This includes any philosophical discussions that happen to be about god, gods, or a 'higher power' or the belief of them. This also generally includes philosophical topics about organized or ritualistic mysticism or about organized, common or ritualistic beliefs in the existence of supernatural phenomenon.
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Sculptor1
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Sculptor1 »

LuckyR wrote: September 25th, 2019, 5:53 pm
Sculptor1 wrote: September 25th, 2019, 5:04 pm
Babies are not always the simple result of the sexual combination of germ cells. IN fact most reproduction in nature is asexual. A teratoma is more like "budding" which is a common enough method of reproduction in jelly fish and many plant species such as cacti.
Teratomas do IN FACT have teeth and hair can can grow from the eye of a adult, but often can the result of tumours growing directly from the gonads of children.

You ought to make some attempt to educate yourself if you are going to take the trouble to contradict a post.
Maybe you should start here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Teratoma
Uummm… I have removed teratomas professionally for the entirety of my career, don't need Wikipedia, but thanks.
You've obviously not removed all types, or not bothered to keep up with your CPD.

DO you also think that God has a good reason for tumors?
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LuckyR
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by LuckyR »

Sculptor1 wrote: September 25th, 2019, 6:05 pm
LuckyR wrote: September 25th, 2019, 5:53 pm

Uummm… I have removed teratomas professionally for the entirety of my career, don't need Wikipedia, but thanks.
You've obviously not removed all types, or not bothered to keep up with your CPD.

DO you also think that God has a good reason for tumors?
You're out of your depth, son. Stick to something you have practical experience with, like gods, for instance. On that score, myths don't need reasons.
"As usual... it depends."
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LuckyR
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by LuckyR »

...AITF...
"As usual... it depends."
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Sculptor1
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

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LuckyR wrote: September 26th, 2019, 11:21 am...AITF...
YASFCWDOG
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jjstet
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by jjstet »

As many have said here, humanity has free will. If humanity did not have free will, all would simply be robots, slaves to the higher power from which they (assumedly) came.

Here is a short snippet of what Biblically thinking people would say. Feel free to differ in thought:

God created mankind (originally two people) with free will. These people, Adam and Eve, were perfect, created in the image of God. (Note: not necessarily the same as God, but rather holding the image of God, to which some refer as being the soul.) When presented with a choice between good and evil, they chose evil, being deceived into thinking that this would allow them to know all. Rather, it actually opened their eyes to the knowledge of good and evil. From then on, humans have had to choose between good and evil, along with many other consequences.

The evil mentioned above was presented by a fallen angel, Lucifer. He once had been a perfect, angelic being, one of three [higher-up] archangels. However, he desired to be greater than God, and thus was cast out of Heaven. He took a third of the angels with him, and is in some way responsible for the evil that happens in this world. While he does not have the power to force anybody to choose evil, he is a very effective tempter.

It is much more loving of God to allow humans to choose, as apposed to forcing them to do a certain thing or think a certain way.

Natural disasters almost always have explainable, natural causes. Most often it is human ignorance that allows these occurrences to have such a detrimental effect.

Conclusion: Humans are not robots, allowing free will, or choice between good and evil. And the existence of God is not contradictory.
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

Floyd wrote: February 27th, 2007, 10:30 am If there is a God, why is there evil?
Because what is evil to you is good to some other living thing. ... Unless you think God is devoted to you alone???
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EricPH
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

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If there is no god; then why is there evil?
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Sy Borg
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Sy Borg »

EricPH wrote: December 29th, 2021, 7:24 pm If there is no god; then why is there evil?
Evil is chaos, immaturity, a lack of development. I agree with Pattern Chaser that conflicts of interest make clear how so-called evil is perspective-dependent.
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LuckyR
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by LuckyR »

EricPH wrote: December 29th, 2021, 7:24 pm If there is no god; then why is there evil?
Because behaviors, when measured on the goodness/evilness scale, have an even distribution that folks arbitrarily give the labels of "good" and "evil".
"As usual... it depends."
Belindi
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Belindi »

LuckyR wrote: December 30th, 2021, 3:55 am
EricPH wrote: December 29th, 2021, 7:24 pm If there is no god; then why is there evil?
Because behaviors, when measured on the goodness/evilness scale, have an even distribution that folks arbitrarily give the labels of "good" and "evil".
Sure. But grief, loss, and unbearable pain, affect all sentient creatures and most often are not caused by human agency.

To answer Eric's question: that old Biblical Arc of the Covenant was painstakingly carried by a nomadic tribe through dangers and hardships. A reasonable faith is moveable and contains an enduring moral code as revealed by Jesus of Nazareth.

The enduring moral code is unharmed when we understand that God is merciful, absolutely good and just, absolutely honourable, and absolutely true. This reasonable faith omits the traditional idea that God is absolutely powerful. Like the old Arc of the Covenant , truth, mercy, justice, honour, and goodness are ours to protect and nurture despite all our wanderings in the world.
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Greatest I am
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Greatest I am »

EricPH wrote: December 29th, 2021, 7:24 pm If there is no god; then why is there evil?
Nature and our ongoing evolution demand we compete, and that is the source of all human caused suffering.

Regards
DL
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Pattern-chaser
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Pattern-chaser »

Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 7:43 am Grief, loss, and unbearable pain, affect all sentient creatures and most often are not caused by human agency...
...or by God's???
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Belindi »

Pattern-chaser wrote: December 30th, 2021, 12:48 pm
Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 7:43 am Grief, loss, and unbearable pain, affect all sentient creatures and most often are not caused by human agency...
...or by God's???
For all we can know. Personally I choose not to believe in the sort of God that is intentional , like a living creature is intentional.
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Greatest I am
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Greatest I am »

Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 5:05 pm
Pattern-chaser wrote: December 30th, 2021, 12:48 pm
Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 7:43 am Grief, loss, and unbearable pain, affect all sentient creatures and most often are not caused by human agency...
...or by God's???
For all we can know. Personally I choose not to believe in the sort of God that is intentional , like a living creature is intentional.
Then nature, that created and sustains you, should be what you hold as your highest ideal.

All that comes from nature is good, as she inadvertently creates for the best possible end of all that has life.

Regards
DL
Belindi
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Re: If there is a God, why is there evil?

Post by Belindi »

Greatest I am wrote: December 31st, 2021, 12:58 pm
Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 5:05 pm
Pattern-chaser wrote: December 30th, 2021, 12:48 pm
Belindi wrote: December 30th, 2021, 7:43 am Grief, loss, and unbearable pain, affect all sentient creatures and most often are not caused by human agency...
...or by God's???
For all we can know. Personally I choose not to believe in the sort of God that is intentional , like a living creature is intentional.
Then nature, that created and sustains you, should be what you hold as your highest ideal.

All that comes from nature is good, as she inadvertently creates for the best possible end of all that has life.

Regards
DL
No, because nature(not supernature)is what is the case . Nature is not an ideal. Ideals are embedded in nature but they are projections into unknown future of nature.
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