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From: rlr@pyuxd.UUCP (Rich Rosen)
Newsgroups: net.religion,net.religion.christian
Subject: Re: God and suffering
Message-ID: <1886@pyuxd.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 31-Dec-69 18:59:59 EDT
Article-I.D.: pyuxd.1886
Posted: Wed Dec 31 18:59:59 1969
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>>>Starvation, disease, storms, earthquakes, and so on, are a result, not 
>>>of a given sinful action (like rape or murder), but of sin in general.

>>	Whew!!!!  For someone who posted a logical argument you
>>certainly look silly trying to support it with  this kind of
>>evidence!  Haven't you ever heard of Occam's Razor?  [Hunter Scales]

> If the argument holds logically, what's your problem?  [CHARLI]

Obviously (unfortunately), the answer to Hunter's question in the
earlier paragraph is quite apparently a resounding "no".  For if she
had, she would know precisely what the problem is.

> Do you have a simpler explanation for evil in the presence of an 
> omnipotent and benevolent God?

Well, first, I might choose NOT to assume that "the presence of an omnipotent
and benevolent god" is a fact, which is that tack you take.   I could be an
atheist and say that there is no such thing.  I could be a "maltheist" and
say that there is such a thing but that it isn't either omnipotent or
benevolent.  Or I could assume nothing.  Neither assuming that a god exists
nor assuming anything about its nature if it does.  Furthermore, why have
any explanation for "evil" at all?  Don't you realize that when you presume
that what you call "evil" (can you really give an objective definition of it
that transcends your perspective or the perspective of your species?) has some
deliberate force behind it, you are engaging in the same act that Christians
seem to attack Paul Zimmerman for with such relish?  In a world where different
people and things exist with different perspectives and needs, and where
some of those perspectives and needs are bound statistically to differ with
yours, how you can you honestly attribute a label of evil to such actions
and claim that they are the result of some deliberate evil force?
-- 
"I was walking down the street.  A man came up to me and asked me what was the
 capital of Bolivia.  I hesitated.  Three sailors jumped me.  The next thing I
 knew I was making chicken salad."
"I don't believe that for a minute.  Everyone knows the capital of Bolivia is
 La Paz."				Rich Rosen    pyuxd!rlr