Theodicy: solution lies in definition of God (Introduction)

by dhw, Monday, September 13, 2021, 12:09 (918 days ago) @ David Turell

dhw: I’m only surprised that you consider cancer to be an extremely rare awful disease.

DAVID: I said rare errors!! Cancer is all too common as result, but thanks to a God-given brain we are curing over 80%.

dhw: What do you mean by “rare errors”, if the errors cause a disease that is common? Every instance of the disease is the result of an error! Your second comment reinforces your theory that your God could not prevent or correct some errors, and therefore left it to us humans to do what he couldn’t do. And yet you think he is all-powerful.

DAVID: You will remember molecular errors are rare when viewed against the constant high speed turnover of molecular shapes in trillions of cells in over seven billion humans. When cancer happens it all adds up to 20% of illnesses.

Our subject is theodicy – if God is all “good”, why is there so much “bad” in the world? If one of the many forms of “bad” is an awful disease, you are not answering the question by telling us that the disease is only 20% of illnesses, or that the “bad” is only rare compared to the “good”.

dhw: I have always agreed that God, if he exists, works with purpose. But unless you tell me what his purpose was for producing humans, his production of humans becomes pointless! Your certainty that he enjoys creating, and watches his creations with interest, suggests to me that his purpose was to give himself the enjoyment of creating and to provide himself with interesting things to watch. And we humans, with our vast potential, must be very interesting to watch. Does Adler tell you what was God’s purpose for creating humans and all the life forms not connected with humans?

DAVID: You have listed my guesses, and Adler gives none except the obvious. God produced human consciousness and we are so unusual God must exist.

So please stop hiding behind Adler. For the sake of all these discussions about theodicy, and about the possible nature and purposes of a possible God, we have to assume that God exists! And yes indeed, among your guesses was your certainty that God enjoys creating and that he watches us with interest. Why do you think this excludes the possibility that his purpose for creating life was to give himself the joy of creating, and to provide himself with something interesting to watch?


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