The Horrors of Evolution (Evolution)

by dhw, Friday, September 12, 2008, 13:51 (5714 days ago) @ edinburgh4

Edinburgh4: "God has chosen that both angels and men should have freewill. The Bible says one third of angels rebelled against him and that humanity also fell. God knew this would happen, but he did not create any evil." - I have no problem at all with the concept of free will. If God wants us to love him, then it would indeed be meaningless if it wasn't voluntary. By the same token, it would be meaningless if he knew in advance exactly who was and who wasn't going to love him. This discussion is all about the possible nature of God and our relationship with him, so here are the problems: - 1) Do you believe that God is the omnipotent prime cause, there was nothing before him, and he created everything? Your presumed answer: yes.
Theological problem: If he created everything, then he created evil. (I suspect your "he did not create any evil" is an equivocation, so what I mean is he brought the concept of evil into existence, i.e. it was his invention. That, of course, has enormous implications with regard to the nature of God.) - 2) Is he omniscient? Your presumed answer: yes.
Theological problem: If God, who created man, knew that man would fall, man was predisposed i.e. programmed to fall, in which case it can't be called free will. - Possible solution: God wants us to love him, and it has to be of our own free will. Therefore God created evil in order to test man. It wouldn't be a test if the result was preordained, therefore God set it all up to see what would happen, i.e. he didn't know what the result of the test would be, and so he is not omniscient. At least that scenario makes sense. The one you offer is riddled with inconsistencies. - There is clearly no point in yet again raising other anomalies, such as the incompatibility of unconditional love with eternal damnation, and with the condemnation of all those who do not believe in Jesus, since you will only circumvent them rather than face them. However, in an earlier post you wrote: "Don't take my word for it that this is the Christian position." Thank you for that good advice.