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Persephonee · 22-25, F
This is almost a year old so not sure why it's appeared in my SW feed, but this flow chart is, at a charitable best, misrepresentative.
Firstly, we're working on the assumption that evil exists in the first place, which some philosophers (to say nothing of some contemporary progressive types who insist absolutely everything is relative!), might object to.
But more fundamentally, it misses the point that God works his will through all things, including things which seems pretty calamitous for individuals, or indeed mankind as a whole. (If you read the Bible, this actually happens again and again, where people do unspeakably awful things, but through other peoples responses, and God's response, to that, better things happen in the end).
Evil (however this chart is defining it, which is unclear!), is necessary. For a start it is logically impossible to have 'free will' without potential negative consequences.
God moreover made the universe because he wanted to share it. God was quite content, perfect, blessed, eternal, and merrily existing just on his own, needing absolutely nothing material or spiritual to make his existence even more perfect.
But the single thing a perfect being cannot do on his own, is to share in that blessed existence with someone or something else that understands and appreciates it.
And that's where we come in. And we cannot understand and appreciate the blessedness of living with God, without also being capable of choosing not to. Free will and the possibility of evil are needed.
Of course you might not agree with this view, and not believe in God anyway, but that's a different issue I think.
Firstly, we're working on the assumption that evil exists in the first place, which some philosophers (to say nothing of some contemporary progressive types who insist absolutely everything is relative!), might object to.
But more fundamentally, it misses the point that God works his will through all things, including things which seems pretty calamitous for individuals, or indeed mankind as a whole. (If you read the Bible, this actually happens again and again, where people do unspeakably awful things, but through other peoples responses, and God's response, to that, better things happen in the end).
Evil (however this chart is defining it, which is unclear!), is necessary. For a start it is logically impossible to have 'free will' without potential negative consequences.
God moreover made the universe because he wanted to share it. God was quite content, perfect, blessed, eternal, and merrily existing just on his own, needing absolutely nothing material or spiritual to make his existence even more perfect.
But the single thing a perfect being cannot do on his own, is to share in that blessed existence with someone or something else that understands and appreciates it.
And that's where we come in. And we cannot understand and appreciate the blessedness of living with God, without also being capable of choosing not to. Free will and the possibility of evil are needed.
Of course you might not agree with this view, and not believe in God anyway, but that's a different issue I think.
