I also want to ask something along the lines of how do we know that the good in this world doesn't simply make evil worse, e.g., by raising our expectations and hopes and then dashing them? — Michael Cunningham
Although I think that ultimately humans have a significant degree of free will, it's a lot more limited--by genetics and environment--than is apparent on the surface. Thus the free will defense defends God against being the cause of evil to a much lesser degree than many would think. — Michael Cunningham
. If an atheist presents a large number of examples of natural evil, shouldn't it be incumbent on the theist to at least make a prima facie case that it's plausible to think there are compensating goods for a substantial portion of those evils? — Michael Cunningham
You argument above has an implied premise that if there was a compensating good, we would see it, and recognize it as such. That may not be true. — Rank Amateur
As many have said, it's critical to define what is meant by "God." I could define "God" as the laptop I'm using right now and prove to myself that "God" exists. — Michael Cunningham
I think I would consider myself an agnostic with regards to the existence of an omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, omnibenevolent, creator of the cosmos.
If you think you have a refutation to either of these I will be happy to crush you. — GodlessGirl
The omnipotence paradox is a straw man, since it requires that God have a logically incoherent power. God could only be omnipotent if he lacked the power to do something that was logically possible. Demanding God do the logically impossible is like demanding he design a square circle. — darthbarracuda
The omniscience paradox is once again a straw man. For one, if God is omnipotent and omniscient, then the capacity for God to change his mind would be logically impossible. But for classical theists, God is eternal and outside of time, so it is inappropriate to speak of God "making choices". — darthbarracuda
There are lots of reasons. I will give you 2 for now.
1)Omnipotence alone is incoherent because of the omnipotence paradox. Can an omnipotent being create a rock so heavy he cannot lift it.
2) Omnipotence and omniscience together is impossible. If the god knows every true proposition about the future then he already knows everything he will do and cannot do otherwise. The omnipotent being cannot does not have the power to do anything different in the future then he already believes he will do. — GodlessGirl
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