Is God evil?

Is God evil?

  • Total voters
    10
Mott the Hoople said:
You sure about that? If God is omnipotent and omniscient wouldn't God deal in everything?
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Yes, but not in the way we think. If a being is omniscient that being "knows" much more than humans, and thus to consider something "evil" is likely not a valid concept.
 
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent.

Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent.

Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?

Epicurus
 
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent.

Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent.

Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?

Epicurus


thanks


I never ran across this one
 
Jarod said:
In as much as good is a human concept, yes. God simply is.
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I believe that human kind's concept of the universe is so minuscule that understanding about an omniscient existing is very difficult for us to comprehend in human terms. Its more a feeling that we know deep inside when we are in touch with our soul than something that can be expressed in human terms.

I believe that is what Christianity is getting at with the idea that Jesus was sent by God to bring a connection to God. The message of Jesus is a mystical connection to God and eternal life beyond what our human brain can comprehend, the spirit that joins with God when we leave our body and are no longer separate beings.
 
Epicurean paradox[edit]
The "Epicurean paradox" or "Riddle of Epicurus" is a version of the problem of evil. Lactantius attributes this trilemma to Epicurus in De Ira Dei:
God, he says, either wishes to take away evils, and is unable; or He is able, and is unwilling; or He is neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able. If He is willing and is unable, He is feeble, which is not in accordance with the character of God; if He is able and unwilling, He is envious, which is equally at variance with God; if He is neither willing nor able, He is both envious and feeble, and therefore not God; if He is both willing and able, which alone is suitable to God, from what source then are evils? Or why does He not remove them?
 
evince said:
Epicurean paradox[edit]
The "Epicurean paradox" or "Riddle of Epicurus" is a version of the problem of evil. Lactantius attributes this trilemma to Epicurus in De Ira Dei:
God, he says, either wishes to take away evils, and is unable; or He is able, and is unwilling; or He is neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able. If He is willing and is unable, He is feeble, which is not in accordance with the character of God; if He is able and unwilling, He is envious, which is equally at variance with God; if He is neither willing nor able, He is both envious and feeble, and therefore not God; if He is both willing and able, which alone is suitable to God, from what source then are evils? Or why does He not remove them?
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"He" is not human and does not operate on human terms. That's the answer to your paradox.
 
Jarod said:
I believe that human kind's concept of the universe is so minuscule that understanding about an omniscient existing is very difficult for us to comprehend in human terms. Its more a feeling that we know deep inside when we are in touch with our soul than something that can be expressed in human terms.

I believe that is what Christianity is getting at with the idea that Jesus was sent by God to bring a connection to God. The message of Jesus is a mystical connection to God and eternal life beyond what our human brain can comprehend, the spirit that joins with God when we leave our body and are no longer separate beings.
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Then you're saying we are incapable of understanding the nature of good and evil?
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Then you are concluding one of three possibilities;
#1. Good and evil do not exist.
#2. God is neither omnipotent or omniscient.
#3. God is indifferent to good and evil.
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The human concept of good and evil does not exist from the perspective of An omniscient being. Good and evil as a human concept is based on human ego and human emotion.
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Then you're saying we are incapable of understanding the nature of good and evil?
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If good and evil exist to a being that is omniscient, I believe it is beyond our grasp. It is clear to me that good things are often the result of things we perceive as evil, for example.
 
Another basis for my belief is that I have never experienced anything that was pure evil or pure good. There is a ying and yang to everything
 
domer76 said:
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then He is not omnipotent.

Is He able, but not willing? Then He is malevolent.

Is He both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is He neither able nor willing? Then why call Him God?

Epicurus
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Free will, you dumb ass; but then you don't believe in people being able to think and act by themselves, because you're a sheep.

:evilnod:
 
Mott the Hoople said:
Then you are concluding one of three possibilities;
#1. Good and evil do not exist.
#2. God is neither omnipotent or omniscient.
#3. God is indifferent to good and evil.
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You left out the idea of free will and therefore WE are responsible, regarding good and evil; but that would mean that people would have to act and accept responsibility for what they do or don't do.
 
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