Ahem, the riddle of Epicurus deals with initial conditions and...

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DBT9

23,061 Posts.

16/01/20

20:32

Post #: 42422419
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Originally posted by wafflehead: ↑

It's only a paradox when you apply an erroneous reasoning to the natural order of life.

Evil does not exist as a stand alone force.

Evil is not a force, it is a void and as a void it causes negative consequences. When education, morals, logic, empathy are removed, the vacuum remaining is what we call evil.

So evil is a personal and societal problem. It can in most cases be educated away via both moral and scholastic education. If God exists then it has nothing whatsoever to do with Him being willing or able. Evil is a phenomena of ignorance, it's a human phenomena alone and we have already have all the tools we need to reduce evil over time to a tolerable level.

Humans are a product of natural order. As such, if there is a God then He Creates via natural order. That means that humans are a work in progress. We are gradually being lifted out of being instinctive, habitual creatures to becoming thoughtful, educated, empathetic creatures. Natural order may have a long term designated outcome, but even if some force of God is directing natural order, it is a slow and laborious precess and humans are a work in progress. We have established rule of law. We have codified behaviour that will not be tolerated by society. We try to protect children, the aged, the weak and defenceless, but there will always be ignorance and therefore there will always be evil, but it can be greatly reduced over time as history clearly shows us.

Religion appears to have had a major influence on modifying human behaviour.

There is no gain always reaching for the lowest denominator of fundamental religion to try to explain why God and religion are fantasies.

If God was interventionist, as per this oft used paradox and He stopped evil by intervention, then we would cease to exist as viable creatures and our modicum of free will would be meaningless.

The OP paradox is based on an unsound understanding of reality and consequence.

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Ahem, the riddle of Epicurus deals with initial conditions and how things go ever after...that a benevolent, omniscient and omnipotent God is able to create a world without needless suffering, without evil, and if by chance evil arises, has the power to correct it....just like you'd expect from any good and decent parent who want the best for their children.
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