The Epicurean paradox. It still hasn't been answered by theists.
If God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, why does He allow bad things to happen?
If God is all-powerful then He cannot be all-loving. If God is all-loving then He cannot be all-powerful. Otherwise why does He allow genocides, famines, natural disasters etc?
I'll pre-empt those who will inevitably say "free will":
There wasn't much free will for the victims of Katrina or the tsunami.
2007-05-27 13:29:16 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
No theist will ever answer this question without using at least 2 logical fallacies. If God is who everyone says he is then he wouldn't allow these things to happen. There is NO FREE WILL! If God knows all then he knows what ur going to do, therefore you have NO CHOICE, it's all predetermined. What free will did the Jews have during WW2?
2007-05-27 13:43:02 · answer #1 · answered by Mega 3 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Allowing humans to die from the point of view of a supreme being is not cruel. It would be akin to saving someone from losing their baby teeth, because it hurts. Pain is fleeting, and so there is little motivation on the part of such a being to rescue us from it.
Now, imagine if you will a world in which before anything unpleasant happened, miraculous forces came down and rescued us. What agency would we have over our own lives? Would we ever feel we had accomplished something, or would we simply feel like the playthings of uncontrollable forces?
Also, realize that the psychology of love is more complex than you are giving it credit for being. Loving someone does not always being nice to them. Loving parents will allow their children to make mistakes and get hurt, because they know that the child needed those experiences to learn and develop into a responsible and functional human being. A supreme being, knowing everything, may actually have very could reasons for permitting the horrors we witness for reasons we have no way of understanding.
I understand where your coming from, because in such a universe there is no reason to assume the existence of a supreme being, but the fact that bad things happen to good people does not discredit the claim.
2007-05-27 13:47:26 · answer #2 · answered by Lao Pu 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
David, it has been answered by theists, or believers in God if you want. Belief in a religion is not a promise of wealth, glory, beauty, health or never to be hurt or to have someone you love be hurt or die. That is not at all what it is about.
God promises that he will see us through the bad times if we reach out for him, not that there will be no bad times.
Free will has nothing to do with Katrina or the Tsunami...those were natural disasters...and they did not pick and choose any religion or lack of religion to wipe away. I am not going to tell you that God made them happen, or Satan either, because I just do not believe that. Natural disasters happen, they are the anomolies of life and if at some point we do point fingers, it will be at those who denied the effects of global warming or that is existed at all.
The Ol' Hippie Jesus Freak
Grace, Peace and Love in Christ
Peg
2007-05-27 13:38:42 · answer #3 · answered by Dust in the Wind 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Bad things happen to EVERYONE......regardless of whether you're "good" or "bad". there is no real evidence to support the claim that "good" people experience more bad things than "bad" people do. Take Katrina for example. you can't say that the people who suffered from this were "good", but neither can you say that they were "bad"...........bad things happen to everyone and anyone. natural disasters are simply beyond human control, but what about those things that we humans can controll, yet we still allow to happen?.....like genocide. People always ask "why doesn't God do this" and "why doesn't god do that". well, maybe it's because there are some things that we humans can do for ourselves to make the world a better place. If God was not all loving, he's just push us aside and have things done his way. but he doesn't do that........he allows us to make mistakes, and he has given us the power to learn from them. it is up to us to learn, and to do what we can to make the world a better place for all.
~PhoeniX~
2007-05-27 13:49:49 · answer #4 · answered by Spurious 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
God makes it rain on the just and the unjust alike, the Sun shines on the evil as well as the good, Atmosphere is present for all, wicked and holy. God has provided a n umbrella for you to use to keep the rain and the heat of the sun off of you,It is up to you to avail yourself of this covering.All the oxygen in the world won't do you any good if you don't take a breath.All the food in the world cant help you if you won't eat.
2007-05-27 13:43:13 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
What? Bad things happen to the good and bad, ugly and the beautiful, rich and poor, young and old, smart and stupid, fat and skinny.
What kind of question is this?
Why do mothers leave their kids in cars when its 90 degrees outside with the windows rolled up, why do people who drink too much drive, why do people build in flood areas or live in Tornado Alley? Why does man build buildings too tall for the fire dept. to reach to put out the flames.
Natural disasters happen. Isn't this a scientific fact?
2007-05-27 13:39:19 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
God allows bad things to happen because if they didn't happen, there would be no way of being thankful and grateful for the good things. things like genocides, famines, and natural disasters are situations we are placed in that determine whether we truly believe in God, because if while under those circumstances, we chose to pray to Him, and not doubt his ways, then we are truly faithful to him
2007-05-27 14:17:46 · answer #7 · answered by Star108 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This question makes three glaring assumptions:
1: There are "good people" and "bad people"
2: There are "good things" and "bad things"
3: You know how to tell the difference
What constitutes a "good person" and what constitutes a "bad thing" are both subjective terms and you can't judge God by forcing Him to act according to your subjective interpretation of these two terms. You are applying your own subjective interpretation of "good" and "bad" to the actions of a God whose intentions and means you probably don't understand. Exactly what constitutes "good" and "bad" is all a matter of perspective.
If you're going to accuse God of allowing "bad things to happen to good people" then first you have to establish just how God defines the two terms. Until you do that your question is meaningless.
2007-05-27 14:19:51 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Gods Word says it will rain on the just and unjust.
BTW... a lot of us are blessed with gifts and talents and if we used those gifts and talents to bless others wouldn't you think that'd be the godly thing to do? P.S. God is all powerful and all-loving, to say the least. So don't pretend to know more or better than God because God is omniscient.
Oh and another P.S. we ALL get warnings it's a matter of whether you care to heed them or not.
2007-05-27 13:34:09 · answer #9 · answered by Gir 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
He allows a lot of pain and suffering but His promises are kind when you think of the big picture. His Word is the same for everyone. If we accept Him as our Savior, we will be with Him in eternity and He has the whole eternity to make it up to us if and when we suffer here.
We are here for His purposes. I believe our job is to love one another and help each other out where we can. : )
Free will never works outside of the God's plan. You can choose to love Him or not to love Him. That is the choice you need to make, not the one " I do not want to suffer". What comes to tsunamies and other disasters, it is more important to think where you are with your walk with God when this happen...instead of " What kind of God let this happen? "
2007-05-27 13:35:17 · answer #10 · answered by SeeTheLight 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋