Theodicy: solution lies in definition of God (Introduction)

by dhw, Thursday, September 09, 2021, 11:40 (1169 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: Wonderful! Thank you for accepting the concept of a free-for-all as a solution to the problem of theodicy.

dhw:I think it’s important not to lose sight of this agreed solution to the problem of theodicy before we move onto your preferred subject of mistakes in the system your God designed.

DAVID: As long as free-for-all refers to freedom of action, and not evolutionary advances.

dhw: Of course the problem of good versus evil has nothing to do with that of the causes of speciation. However, in the context of your God’s nature, if he is happy to allow freedom of action, it is clear that he is willing to give up control of his creations, and so in principle there is no reason to suppose that this willingness to give up control does not apply to the way in which life evolves.

DAVID: I knew you'd sneak it back in. I don't accept that thought. My God knows what He wishes to create by design.

So does a God who wishes to design a free-for-all. I “sneak it back”, because if God exists, it is only natural that we should wonder about his nature and his purposes. Theodicy is only one aspect of the great mystery.

DAVID: The mistakes are actually exceedingly rare, but the consequences are so awful they seem to result in a problem bigger than it really is. If this s the best God can do, there can be no better.

dhw: […] It might be useful if you would name some of the “awful” consequences for us, so that we can decide for ourselves how rare these diseases are. Meanwhile, I suggest that maybe he WANTED a system that would make mistakes. You are always saying that a God who experiments, gets new ideas, wants a free-for-all etc. is “weak” and “namby-pamby”, but frankly a God who designs a system with errors that he is incapable of controlling seems a little odd for a God who is all-powerful and all-knowing.

DAVID: The system comes with mistakes as we agree. I'll stick with my statement above, not your skewed take.

dhw: Your statement above tells us that mistakes are exceedingly rare. Please tell us what “exceedingly rare” awful diseases are caused by the errors in your God’s design, and please tell us what is “skewed” in my take.

DAVID: I don't have any figures of incidence, but from my thirty + years of medical practice I saw almost none. Read about them, in the medical journals to be aware.

I am clearly out of touch, then. I thought cancer was one of the diseases that was caused by disorder among cells (= errors in the system). And do please tell me what was “skewed” in the bolded sentence above.