How Does God Exist If There Is So Much Evil And Suffering?🎭

in philosophy β€’Β  7 years agoΒ 

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There Is So Much Evil

Some people look at evil and use it as their main argument against the existence of God. It seems like some will never deny that suffering exists, however they will deny that "gratuitous suffering" exists.

They look towards natural disasters, infant mortality, just needing to eat itself is an incredible burden and we suffer from this burden our entire lives, the same can be said for needing water or sleep. We sink into this constant pain just for our survival and some may argue how can God exists if this misfortune follows us.

An argument some propagate is that If they were in the position of God they would do away with needless pain, world hunger, etc. If God does exist, he is already in that position, yet has done nothing. I am more moral than this God and I don't consider myself the kindest person I know.

The fall in this argument for me is that we have been given free will and the ability to make choices in life. I don't think our lives are dictated. It is more of a test in my eyes.

Why God Through This Evil Can Exist

  1. To emerge into existence, God must generate his potential because he is completely self-contained.
  2. This potential is free to be out of sync with God's morality
  3. God ultimately preserves only that which is in line with his morality so that suffering never existed.

Omniscience is good with this view, it just requires that we consider time in a certain way e.g., while we see reality in terms of locally creative moments, God sees one total act of creation, so there's no minute in which God was genuinely ignorant. As it were, from God's viewpoint, he comprehended what the expression of his will should resemble the minute he brought the universe into being.

God must create his potential self. Before considering a given design, God can't know whether it meets his morality. Accordingly, God retroactively self-configures keeping in mind the end goal is to maximise self-utility. At the end of the day, suffering and evil are retroactively removed from reality.

God is self-determinative (self-defining), and in light of the fact that we are a part of God, we have the potential for free will. God must choose the option to self-configure such that evil and suffering go into the equation temporarily.

As such, God can't remove evil suffering without first recognising what he's ruling out. Therefore, he must think about evil and suffering (ergo they should briefly exist), since he can't rule out what he hasn't yet defined.

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Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

We came here to study. Evil and good they are connected with each other. If there was no evil, we would not be able to grow spiritually. And only then, when we learn to respect everyone who does not offend or offend, we can go to a better world. All evil in the world is done by the hands of people!
Good and Evil are two sides of the same coin.
In the world, everything is perfect, everyone is in revenge and there is nothing superfluous!

You cannot create an up without a down, or light without darkness to contrast it. An existence without suffering likewise contains no pleasure. There are elements of existence which give it intrinsic value, and if removed would make life as we can conceive it to be completely pointless. Things like surprise, risk, consequence, and collective purpose make this ride we're on more of a roller coaster than a monorail.

In this understanding, I don't see an objective difference between suffering and pleasure. Subjectively, there is a vast difference; one in which drives our actions. But, if we can assume that whatever the Source of our existence manifested this garden for the sake of experience itself, then there would be no preference for pleasure or suffering. In the true infinite, all experiences exist in equal proportion to one another.

Interesting post.

In my opinion, God is us. God is both Good and Evil. Its the whole. We are God yet we have forgotten this. We disconnect from God because of our perception of individuality.

Evil is ignorance created by our ego which is part of God. We as humans create all the evil in the world because of our ignorance.

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

I was going to comment but this sum up everything I believe. The evil is the product of lack of love. About dying, diseases, etc, that's nature. Everything alive shall one day die.

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

The concept of GOD is associated with "life after death"

This world is nothing but a temporary thing for human beings.. Humans are given everything and they are allowed to compete with one another in life and gain power and wealth.. The idea of evil things are for human.. it's not God who is doing evil things.. It's one human waging war against another human.

Murder, rape, theft, fraud and all other evil are being done by a human being.. Law, justice, police, court, kings, politicians, are all human beings..

God gives rain for human prosperity but when it rains a lot we have floods..but it floods because we have created damps and our drainage system gets jam because we blocked it by littering plastics..

But God is there and he will do justice to everybody.. Good souls will be granted heavens and people who did evil will go to hell..

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ (edited)

Good souls will be granted heavens and people who did evil will go to hell..

I don't believe this is truly the case. The only thing one can be judged on is whether one can adapt to fit into the collective of heaven; whether one is teachable or not. In this, God's forgiveness is absolute. The specific things you've done in life do not matter. What matters is whether you have started walking a path of light - one of forsaking the ego/devil in favor of love and forgiveness and collective goodness.

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

dude.. what I said and what you said are the same thing.. I just used very simple words and you used bigger words.. conveys the same meaning πŸ˜‘

There is a difference though in what is implied with the phrasing. You say "people who did evil will go to hell," which implies if you made a certain mistake in life, that's it you're going to be thrown into the fire. I was clarifying it's not what you've done that makes that distinction, it's what you will do if your life were to continue after death.

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

God is always willing to forgive those who are ready to repent for their sins.

And now you're repeating what I said ;)

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

you need to write an essay to say things which I say in a single line 😎

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ (edited)

It always makes me sad when I am reminded that our culture makes people who think a few sentences is an essay.

Here's something you might not be considering:

Points to the random passerby of this conversation well after it's over

Do your words reach them? If you were standing at the gates of an ancient city, which is a place with a lot of different faces coming and going, do your words inspire and give insight? As a poet, I'm constantly aware of how much power words have. The right string of words in the right place, and humanity is nudged to a different future.

A butterfly is flapping its wings somewhere....

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

So god is retro-actively omniscient? Apart from being a weakening of omniscience, this slso gives rise to one other problem: this view of god does not transcend time. A god that doesn't transcend time also has weakened omnipotence.
I wonder what your thoughts are on Molinism? It seems you're talking about something similar, but not quite.

Life is suffering... but the real crime is when we have the ability and intelligence to live in peace but we choose to live with ancient, primordial anger. That sloth like tendency is the evil i think.

When everyone in the world sees beauty,Then ugly exists.When everyone sees good,Then bad exists.
Therefore:What is and what is not create each other.Difficult and easy complement each other.Tall and short shape each other.High and low rest on each other.Voice and tone blend with each other.First and last follow each other.
So, the sage acts by doing nothing,Teaches without speaking,Attends all things without making claim on them,Works for them without making them dependent,Demands no honor for his deed.Because he demands no honor,He will never be dishonored. '' Lao Tzu

Thanks for your wonderful post.

Really excellent post @arckrai. I'd never thought about it quite like that.

At the end of the day, suffering and evil are retroactively removed from reality.

What would happen the next morning in your view? Would we still be here? In a world without suffering and of a perfectly moral design?

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

To be trusted is a greater compliment than to be loved. Have a nice day :)

Β  Β· Β 7 years agoΒ 

Interesant opinion about god bro. Upvote and I am following you πŸ‘Œβ€

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