It's perhaps THE big question that gets asked most often by people who aren't convinced God exists. At least it's a question that gets asked a lot in relatively rich western countries. (THAT should make us think!)
How can God and evil both exist? This video gets into it...
Summary
The logical problem of suffering argues:
Premise 1. It is impossible for God and suffering to both exist.
Premise 2. Suffering exists.
Conclusion: Therefore God does not.
But premise 1 contains 2 hidden assumptions:
ASSUMPTION 1. If God is all-powerful, he can create ANY WORLD HE WANTS.
But God can't FORCE people to FREELY CHOOSE what he wants. That would be logically incoherent.
ASSUMPTION 2. If God is all-loving, HE PREFERS A WORLD WITHOUT SUFFERING.
But how could we possibly know this? Isn't it possible God might allow suffering to achieve a greater good?
The logical argument fails to show that it's logically impossible for God and suffering to both exist.
Questions
1. For the logical problem of suffering to succeed, the atheist would have to show that:
It's logically impossible that free will exists
AND
It's logically impossible for God to have good reasons to allow suffering
Do you agree? If not, how else could the logical problem of suffering work???
2. Do you think it's possible there is a God who has perfectly good reasons beyond our current understanding for allowing the suffering and evil we see in the world?
If YES - then you already know the logical problem of suffering doesn't work.
If NO - Why do you think that God (if he existed) couldn't possibly know more than you? Have you misunderstood the word "God"? Or do you really think you have perfect knowledge?
3. Why do think prominent atheist philosophers have given up on the logical problem of evil?
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