A Civil Religious Debate

Was it "good" for Switzerland to declare themselves "neutral" in the early 19th century, progressing through the World Wars? They stood by idly while Nazis tortured and annihilated Jewish people. After the war they assisted the allies persecute German war criminals.

Neutrality is neither good nor bad. It is exactly that, neutral.

As for you, a non-omnipotent, non-omniscient, non-omnibenevolent, single mortal, standing by as a man commits a terrible crime on another human being is not equal to an entity that knows the products and outcomes of this act and everything thereafter.

Hypothetically speaking, if the bible was true and there was a heaven and a God, the benefit of punishing one with an eternity of hell for what they had committed during their short time in this life is obvious; it shows them, finally, that they were cruel and unnecessarily malicious. It gives them an eternity to consider their crimes and the atrocities they had inflicted on others.

In life it hold a benefit to imprison people because it isolates them from committing similar acts, and grants time for them to change.

In life, yes it does benefit the individual in this manner. However, are you ignoring 25 years - natural life sentences? I don't see how this sentence would allow an offender time to re-integrate into society. Especially since they won't be re-integrating.

Why bother creating those in need of "weeding out"? Why not just create those that will be admirable?

If there is a God, I am not him. Thus, I do not know. However, there are many possible reasons, such as:

1. The hope that those "evil" individuals will change and regret their actions. God is still capable of "hope", no matter how powerful or wise.

2. The implementation of unsavoury events to test individual's reactions. is it impossible for a man to test the loyalty of his beloved woman, knowing that she would prove unfaithful?

3. If God is all powerful, would he not have the ability to surprise himself? Could he not allow humans the ability to "change" their destiny?

When the Police know an individual is about to commit a crime, they do not arrest them immediately. They conduct "sting" operations and allow the offender to incriminate themselves; just in case the offender does not commit the crime.

The existence of evil is not an adequate argument against the existence of an all knowing, all powerful, infinitely good entity. There is very little evidence for or against the existence of God, and none conclusive. If God were real, he could not be explained by even the most brilliant humans, nor could he be disproven. If God isn't real, what do you really have to lose? You've lived a good life, helped many people and enjoyed your time.

Either way, I don't think God is as menacing and spiteful as the bible says, nor do I believe you must have faith in him to gain access to heaven. If you do good deeds and appreciate your fellow man, I doubt you will have any problems in life or death.

The definition of "Omnibenevolence" is as follows:

All-loving, or infinitely good, regarding an individual's persona or character, usually in reference to a deity or supernatural being, for example, 'God'. It's use is often with regards to the divine triad, whereby a deity is described to be simultaneously omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent. This triad is used especially with the Christian god, Yahweh.

The definition of "Omniscient" is "all knowing and ever wise."

Likewise, the definition of "Omnipotent" is "almighty, all powerful with unstaggering force."

These definitions are provided per "The Oxford Dictionary of English", 1989.

I believe it is you, sir, who has failed to consider these three properties in conjunction. The bible stated what God is; omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient. Since the information on God strictly comes from the bible, it is the only logical reference that is relevant to combining these properties.

Simply because God is all knowing, all powerful and infinitely good does not compel him to restrict human liberty, which would be the act of a janus God. Even if humans "choose" to behave in absurdly malicious and insidious manners, God will not confront them and prohibit their will. The presence of so called "evil" is not a viable argument against the Judeo-Christian God.

If God were to stand idly by and watch a man rape a little girl, it is clear how most atheists would consider this "impotence" as "evil" and contradictory to his professed "omnipotence."

However, God is unwilling to dictate his "creation's" actions and thus waits to judge those individuals. If human life on this side was perfect, why would there need to be a "heaven"? The scriptures state that this life is necessary to judge and test our reactions and contributions in a form of "weeding out" those who are most unsavoury and insidious.

Are courts of law considered heinous for sentencing hardened criminals guilty of murder in the first degree? Not likely. Those individuals are guilty of their crimes and must pay for them.

You seem to have omitted a number of concepts in your argument:

1. If a god is omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient, then evil cannot exist.

On the contrary, evil can exist. I fail to recall at any place in the bible where it says God is the Universe's police officer. He is the judge, when the evil doers have passed on, God will judge those individuals and punish them. He will not stop them, nor does it say anywhere in the bible that he will.

2. If evil exists, said god could not exist.

If evil exists, it is the product of the free will endowed on humanity, not by "choice" of God. God gave humanity free will and the ability to choose; if humans decide to choose evil, (hypothetically) God will not stop them, he will simply punish them once they have passed on.

God is omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient. God created the world, therefore the world is perfect.

- This is a logical fallacy. Just because evil exists does not mean God is not omnibenevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient.