Is God evil?

[Compassionist]

There are many verses in the Bible about God's predestination. https://www.openbible.info/topics/predestination Why would a good God predestine anyone to do evil? Surely, a good God would predestine all to do good? Does the existence of evil prove that God is evil? Surely, a good God would have made all living things to be autotrophs instead of making some autotrophs, some herbivores, some carnivores, some omnivores, and some parasites? Here are some examples of evil events which caused or are causing suffering, deaths, and injustices:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_extinction_events
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_epidemics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_n ... death_toll
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_famines
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_g ... death_toll
https://thevegancalculator.com/animal-slaughter

[Compassionist]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #279]

We should not assume anything.

Agreed.

I don't know if God or Gods exist or not. That's why I am an agnostic.

Understood.

I don't know if the universe was created or not. I have lots of unanswered questions.

Acknowledged.

I wish all living things were all-knowing and all-powerful. That way we could all be forever happy.

We should not assume anything.

Do you think being all-knowing and all-powerful does not make one forever happy? I wouldn't know as I am not all-knowing and all-powerful. I imagine it would make one forever happy. After all, all-knowing and all-powerful beings can't be harmed by anyone or anything.

[William]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #281]

Do you think being all-knowing and all-powerful does not make one forever happy?

I don't know. What makes you imagine that it would?

I imagine it would make one forever happy. After all, all-knowing and all-powerful beings can't be harmed by anyone or anything.

How would something all knowing not know it could be harmed, or what it would be like to be harmed, or even what harm was?

It appears to be a contradiction, leading to the logic that an all knowing being would have to have somehow experienced or imagined these things, otherwise it wouldn't be all knowing.

[Compassionist]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #281]

Do you think being all-knowing and all-powerful does not make one forever happy?

I don't know. What makes you imagine that it would?

I imagine it would make one forever happy. After all, all-knowing and all-powerful beings can't be harmed by anyone or anything.

How would something all knowing not know it could be harmed, or what it would be like to be harmed, or even what harm was?

It appears to be a contradiction, leading to the logic that an all knowing being would have to have somehow experienced or imagined these things, otherwise it wouldn't be all knowing.

All-knowing and all-powerful beings can't be harmed because they can protect themselves from everyone and everything e.g. murderers, rapists, torturers, natural disasters, diseases, accidents, etc.

Talking about this is entirely speculative. I am not all-knowing and all-powerful. I don't know anyone else who is all-knowing and all-powerful. It may not even be possible for any being to be all-knowing and all-powerful.

[William]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #283]

That is why I say that the question of 'good' and 'evil' are beside the point. It adds unnecessary complications to the question.

[Compassionist]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #283]

That is why I say that the question of 'good' and 'evil' are beside the point. It adds unnecessary complications to the question.

I still think we should try to discover if Gods exist and if they are good or evil.

[JoeyKnothead]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #283]

That is why I say that the question of 'good' and 'evil' are beside the point. It adds unnecessary complications to the question.

I still think we should try to discover if Gods exist and if they are good or evil.

That question's been answered, and gods didn't fare too well.

Alas, given the multitudes continue to oppress others in the name of their imaginary god, we gotta keep explaining to adults that no, the Tooth Fairy doesn't exist.

[William]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #285]

I still think we should try to discover if Gods exist and if they are good or evil.

As previously mentioned, that is the cart before the horse.

I should first try to discover if I exist within a created thing. In that, I should also approach the question without the additional baggage of "good" and "evil" - if you like - take an "agnostic" position on the matter rather than complicate my experience of this reality by superimposing notions about good and evil on top of that, even that this is difficult to achieve.

[Compassionist]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #285]

I still think we should try to discover if Gods exist and if they are good or evil.

As previously mentioned, that is the cart before the horse.

I should first try to discover if I exist within a created thing. In that, I should also approach the question without the additional baggage of "good" and "evil" - if you like - take an "agnostic" position on the matter rather than complicate my experience of this reality by superimposing notions about good and evil on top of that, even that this is difficult to achieve.

How can we discover if we exist within a created reality or not?

[William]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #288]

How can we discover if we exist within a created reality or not?

The answer to that question remains a work in progress for those working on it at the "coal face" and currently consist of individuals who are altogether largely working in their own subjective interpretation of their existence and any accompanying meaning which might be derived from that.
We are truly each alone in that.

[AquinasForGod]

[Replying to Compassionist in post #1]

This is just the argument from evil, which Thomas Aquinas addresses as do I am many others. Here is my basic answer - https://www.freelymeditate.com/single-p ... y-for-good