+93 If God opposes evil, why does he not strike it down? Is he able, but not willing? Then he is sided with evil. Is he willing, but not able? Then he is not all-powerful. Is he both able and willing? Then why does evil still live? Is he neither able nor willing? Then, what sets him apart from man? Confusing, amirite?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” -Epicurus "You're Doing IT Wrong" - Bliss

by Anonymous 14 years ago

well that's food for thought...IM FULL!

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Free Will - argument (nearly) over.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

God allows bad things to happen because he gave us free will. Therefore we get to sin and we get to feel the consequences of that sin. Specifically, (if you want a theological answer) the sin of man corrupts God's perfect creation and allows other evil to manifest.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Then to follow his will, we'd better not ban abortion, or gay marriage, or drugs, or anything else your religion might call immoral; if god intentionally gives us the chance to decide for ourselves, we need to make sure each individual chooses for himself.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Just because He allows it, doesn't mean we shouldn't try to stop it if we can.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

the government isn't as unintrusive as God when it comes to stuff like that

by Anonymous 14 years ago

This isn't confusing. It makes perfect sense to me.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Honestly, could not have said it better myself. And using that free will shit, isn't gonna end the argument. He's still an accessory to our evils. As in, evil himself. Anyone willing to argue, go right ahead. I'm waiting.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

why's he gotta be an accessory? i see a lot of bad stuff go down on the news channels daily -- I /could/ drop what I'm doing and dress up like a vigilante and go to work, but I haven't. that make me an accessory, too?

by Anonymous 14 years ago

if you want him to wipe out sin then your dead. we are all dead. we are all sinners, there for we ALL should be wiped out. thats why jesus died on the cross. so that our sins wouldnt get US killed because he knew that sin would be somthing humans and even animals couldnt help.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Without evil, there would be no good.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I prefer to be good without a reason, to be honest. Evil does not spur me into being good so I can prove there are semi-decent people in the world, because that is silliness.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Do people have problems accurately relating quotes? It's supposed to be: "Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is incompetent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?" God's inability to stamp out evil would not make him "not omnipotent" but "incompetent", as the original quote goes. You can still know all and not be able to do squat in the grand scheme of things. One does not affect the other. Humans are not omnipotent, but we are not then all, by default, incompetent. The two ideas are unrelated.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

it is much more satisfying when you are chosen over someone else... unless you are a sadistic person who likes to see your subjects suffer in being forced against their will

by Anonymous 14 years ago

If God made this world perfect, it would be like heaven right? and that would be fail.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

Without evil we can not appreciate the good.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

its because everything on earth is evil. we are all sinners, down to the kid who stole a quarter from his moms perse. gods not going to strike down some kid cause of a quarter. so if you want the evil gone, then we all die, nothing left, cause we are all sinners.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

How do you define sin? Something that is immoral in any way (such as stealing a quarter) or something that truly hurts other people or yourself? Personally, I think it's the latter. People do immoral things all the time, and still the majority of people in the world are decent and trying to be kind to others.

by Anonymous 14 years ago

I've heard that like cold is really the absence of heat, evil is the absence of God/good will, etc.

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Yeah. Controlling people is witchcraft and god is definitely not doing witchcraft...

by Anonymous 13 years ago

Omnipotent means "all powerful" not "all knowing". All knowing is "omniscient". In competent doesn't even work there.

by Anonymous 13 years ago