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 - (341–270 BC)
10
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Feel free to reply to any comment by clicking the "Reply" button.please take this as sincere advice and not hostile criticism, but this has been posted a gazillion times here already. you may wish to search for tags before posting something like this. we all know about epicurus already. and i have answered, not quite a gazillion times, but often enough, that none of this disproves the existence of god, not that there is any need to do so, and if there was a need, which god would be disproven first (or should we start with the tooth fairy)? the possibility of there being a malevolent god, for example, doesn't disprove the existence of a god; it just disproves the existence of a GOOD god. and why call him god is kind of silly, since the religion prevalent in epicurus' lifetime had a whole pantheon of gods, most of whom behaved pretty badly. there are no gods and they do not need disproving. there just aren't any and no one has put forth any reason why i should revise that statement. epicurus thought he was logicking out proof that there is no god, or are no gods (though he speaks in the singular). it wasn't necessary.
g
genessa
Level 8
Dec 14, 2018
1
Atheists believe there is no God and many claim that the belief in God is illogical. However, most do not attempt to prove this. This is Epicurus’ attempt to prove atheism. His literary style presents it as a series of rhetorical questions and leaves it to the reader to draw the atheistic conclusion. But put in standard premises and a conclusion it becomes:
- If there exists a God, it is both all powerful (omnipotent) and all good (omnibenevolent).
- An all powerful being is able to prevent all evil, and an all good being is willing to prevent all evil.
- If there exists a being who is both able and willing to prevent all evil no evil would exist.
- But some evil does exist.
Therefore, there does not exist a God.
This is a formally valid proof--and every seminary student knows it; so to get around the conclusion they have to hold that at least one of the premises is false.
Wallace
Level 7
Dec 14, 2018
1
The two answers I'm aware of state that evil is a privation of Good (Augustine), god's did not create it; also if god prevented evil, man could not be free
cava
Level 7
Dec 14, 2018
2
Yeah, I just read your comment after I posted mine above it. I think the two answers you suggest are the most frequent responses by theists. As I have it stated, I see the privation view as denying premise 4 that evil exists (because it is an absence of some existence-like poverty, weakness, etc.), and the free will defense as denying the second conjunct of premise 2, since an all good being would be unwilling prevent free will since (supposedly) it results in more good than evil and so the creation is better off with it.
Lots of ifs... But, there is no god
Cutiebeauty
Level 9
Dec 14, 2018
1
exactly, but I am wondering how people before 2500 where wisdoms. and talk. but todays people refusing to think .
People seem to equate God with good. Tell them to read the bible and they soon see a different God.
Jolanta
Level 9
Dec 14, 2018
3
But those devoted to the Bible seem to skip over, or ignore those passages - don't they ? It's all heavenly and full of miracles n'shit.
Classic Old Testament vs New Testament. God was a cruel dickhead in the older times. Then Jesus came along to teach kindness and some rules were adjusted. So say the baptist shitheads that taught me my religious stories.
it depends which God man looking for !!
@ForesterJenny the Old testatmen, hasben writen in Babylon during the Babylonian captivity
@ForesterJenny And they still worship god.
To me, Jesus seems more like the anti-god. Everything he taught was in contrast with the god of the Old Testament. He was a good person if he existed, trying to get everyone to love everyone else, particularly the weak, and his message is completely lost on modern Christians.
@ForesterJenny Yes he must have been a disappointment to his father.
Which non-existent entity are you referring to?
Uncorrugated
Level 7
Dec 14, 2018
1
You taking to me? My notifications said you tagged me in this post but it doesn’t look like you did lol
@ForesterJenny - Not as far as I am aware.
Maybe the computer thought us compatible!!! It's a pity that I'm married, only here for community and 6000 miles away! Otherwise, we'd be perfect form each other. 
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