this post was submitted on 31 Oct 2026
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“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?”
Whoever originally wrote this, I want to be their friend! Thank you for sharing. It's beautiful.
I think they're called the Epicurean paradoxes because Epicurus originally stated them.
Marcus Aurelius, if I recall correctly. Good dude.
i think the common argument for this (not that i agree with it) is that God just see evil differently? i.e. you mere mortals think something is evil doesn't mean god does too.
(and this argument then becomes circular and unfalsifiable, that's why i think it's dumb).
God's a Taoist. There is no good, there is no evil. There is only his way, or the highway.
The highway:
Not currently religious, but my understanding at the time was not that he didn't think things could be evil, though obviously we might see things like death as "evil" and he might not. It's that in order for us to "deserve" good things, we need to prove we are worthy. The only way to prove that is to allow us to do the wrong thing so that we can of our own free will choose the right thing instead. The question would then be why would you create beings with free will knowing some of them will inevitably suffer forever and the answer is generally "I'm god, who the heck are you to question me?" or some stupid explanation about how free will existing is itself a good that god did and therefore even if we choose evil every time we make a choice we are still engaging in a universal "good". Religions do obviously differ though, so everyone likely learned things a little differently.
It is somewhat shocking to me, the simplistic religious thinking, people are indoctrinated into. Children (if not indoctrinated) realize the inherent unfairness of having a punishment (eternity in hell) for 1 life lived; especially when a person did very little wrong in their life; except not believe/be saved, etc., by the correct God.
What do the morals of ants mean to man?