Oh my, I just went through reading an old heated discussion on the existence of God. This thread was back in 2004 so it's old. Although the argument does appear logical from the theist point of view, nevertheless, I'm still not swayed. Now, granted that I'm not smart enough to argue the point, logic isn't my motivation for belief in God.
They argue that because of the presence of evil, God does not exist. Here's the full rundown:
1) God, if exists, is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent.
2) If God is omniscient, he knows about a possible evil.
3) If God is omnipotent, he can fix a possible evil.
4) If God is omnibenevolent, God wants to correct a possible evil.
5) Nevertheless, evil exists.
6) Therefore God is either not omniscient, or not omnipotent or not omnibenevolent.
7) Therefore God does not exist.
I've never heard of the word omnibenevolent used to describe God before. Despite the logic I still believe he exists. I don't subscribe to logic because it has its limits. There are things that are unknown that science hasn't explained and perhaps cannot explain ever. There is a free will aspect that atheists refuse to acknowledge. However, if God does not exist because of evil... who then created evil? Why then is evil present? How then can one distinguish evil from good? What then is good? How do you know that something is good? Shouldn't there have been a source? Or even ask why is there good?
Learning from the Eastern-rite churches, they teach God to be unfathomable, unreachable, unknowable, incomprehensible, amazing, awesome, permanently transcendent... In other words, a MYSTERY. See, we can argue all we like but atheists will remain so because they only have logic to use and that's enough for them. And, I'll leave them to that. Keep thinking that. God revealed as much as much as we need through a man called Jesus (who's also God) within history. And people have died throughout the ages defending and preaching something they hold to be true. If this is not true, why then would they be willing and glad to die? Although the Western-rite church adopted Augustine's style to explain our beliefs, let us not forget that there is another aspect to God. To us believers, we're forgetting the mysterious aspect of God. He's beyond logic. God let us know what we need to know. He left the rest a mystery. What's life without a few mysteries?
One thing he does not acknowledge. If God is omniscient then this qualifies that he is also wise. Can't knowledge result in wisdom? God's wisdom is incomprehensible compared to ours. To do so is like collapsing the sea into a shotglass. To think we are smarter because we can do logic is a very big mistake. They also fail to acknowledge God's omnipresence but that's because they already believe he doesn't exist. But he must exist because there is still good even if evil exists all around.
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