Epicurus on the coexistence of God and evil:
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?

1 comments

Anonymous Anonymous  said...

'Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.'

No -

As God is the most powerful force in existence by definition - then we must assume that he can can put a stop to all evil.

However

There are essentially two types of 'evil'

1 - Human evil

2 - Natural evil (Natural disasters ect)

-------

1 - By doing away with human evil God would be curtailing free will - and there arises the problem and why he allows evil to continue.

2 - Can something that is natural (something not human, intelligent, or of human creation) be accurately described as evil?

Another answer would be that God allows these things in order for there to be compassion in the world.

Peter Barker-Morgan

Tuesday, April 15, 2008  

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