Why Does God Let Really Bad Stuff Happen?

[Fife]

I purposely worded the question in this way, to show what (I think) is wrong with the usual framing. People will often say, “Why would a good God have permitted institutional slavery, children dying from cancer, the Holocaust…etc.?” But nobody says, “Why would a good God have allowed me to stub my toe this morning?” unless the person is cracking a joke.

Now thus far it seems like I’m not contributing anything, but I’m being dead serious. If you go back and re-read the above, I think we have our answer. WHY would it be goofy for an atheist to demand, “Why would a good God let me stub my toe?” It’s because we easily recognize, “That’s a silly argument. In the grand scheme of things, stubbing your toe is no big deal, and so if a God existed we could imagine there is some reason that would trump you avoiding a toe stubbing.”

And there’s the answer.

https://consultingbyrpm.com/blog/2016/0 ... appen.html

[SuburbanFarmer]

So the equivalency is being made with a parent that left his kids a confusing note, and then abandoned them for 2,000 years. And they shouldn’t complain if they suffer.

Sounds like a God I should worship.

[Okeefenokee]

Better to just worship yourself.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Better to just worship yourself.

Or nothing at all.

I marvel at the beauty of nature and the universe. I don’t need to imagine that some magical future awaits me after, or place some importance on my existence - I just accept my tiny place in it.

If anything, the magic sky-man myth is more about being unable to accept that you don’t matter.

[Okeefenokee]

Everyone here knows you think you're god.

That ship has sailed.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Everyone here knows you think you're god.

That ship has sailed.

Cool story bro.

[MilSpecs]

Why the assumption that there is any answer to that question, or any one answer?

[Speaker to Animals]

Every liberal thinks he is his own God. That's the core of what it means to be liberal, really. It's a rejection of rightful authority, including God himself, and a replacement with personal authority, which ironically always leads to tyranny.

E.g. Show me the "Christian" who dissents from Christian theology and dogma in some way, and I will show you a liberal.

[SuburbanFarmer]

Every liberal thinks he is his own God. That's the core of what it means to be liberal, really. It's a rejection of rightful authority, including God himself, and a replacement with personal authority, which ironically always leads to tyranny.

E.g. Show me the "Christian" who dissents from Christian theology and dogma in some way, and I will show you a liberal.

Protestants are all liberals?

[Speaker to Animals]

Every liberal thinks he is his own God. That's the core of what it means to be liberal, really. It's a rejection of rightful authority, including God himself, and a replacement with personal authority, which ironically always leads to tyranny.

E.g. Show me the "Christian" who dissents from Christian theology and dogma in some way, and I will show you a liberal.

Protestants are all liberals?

More like a stepping stone to it. Without the Protestant revolt, there would be no liberals as we know of them.