Why does God permit evil????

A contradiction is a contradiction. Good allowing evil is a contradiction. Allowing is the word that confirms it is a contradiction. I wont let you get wet but I wont stop others getting you wet. We are not examining anything else but the contradiction. If there is a contradiction, there is, we have to explain why it is.
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---------- Post added 01-15-2010 at 07:47 AM ----------

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But what looks like a contradiction need not be a contradiction. A good Jehovah's witness may allow his child to die because he believes that God will cure the child. Is that a contradiction of good allowing evil? Or, in the novel, Sophie's Choice, the good mother, Sophie, chooses one of her children to go to die in a Nazi gas chamber in order to save the other child. Is that a contradiction?

You decide, you can give me examples that you consider are or are not but that's not my concern. Im saying a god who is good could not allow evil,it would be a contradiction.

But it is not a contradiction in the case of people, then why would it be in the case of God? People who are good can allow evil without contradiction. So why cannot God? You really need an argument. Saying something is so does not make it so, however many times you say it is so.

When you can put up a reasoned response I will answer differently. You cant compare the actions of mere humans with the proposed ability of an all powerful god. Those examples, if those people had more power they would never have made the choices they did. There is no contradiction in their action only a lack of ability.

It depends on if you are a religious person or not. If you are a religious person then evil is more of a religious problem than a logic problem and you are more interested in religious solutions than formal logic solutions

For those who struggle to maintain faith evil is not just a logical problem it is a problem that begs for a different conception of the divine.

Evil is only a formal logical problem not a religious problem to those who do not believe in a god or gods in the first place.

Yes, you are exactly right. And God is unable to do what is logically contradictory, like create the best of all possible worlds which has no evil in it. Some evil is logically necessary for some good, since that good could (logically) not exist unless that evil existed. Therefore, it would be impossible for God to produce that good unless he permitted (did not actually do, but permitted) that evil. Not even God can do what is logically impossible (you see) and a world with the greatest amount of good in it would be logically impossible unless there was evil in it. So, although God could have created a world with no evil in it, He could not have created as good a world as there is with no evil in it. Just as a surgeon does not have to give pain to a patient if he does not operate; but the surgeon cannot operate without giving pain to the patient, and, of course, the patient is better off if the surgeon operates, than if the surgeon does not operate.

If we hold to the fact that evil is a necessity then we destroy the notion that perfection is a possibility. If we believe that notion, then all our endeavors to secure moral responsibility is futile. If this god purpose is for us to be as perfect as we is possible can , then this illogical view,.The view that evil is essential, is a contradiction. What is the purpose of evil? if it is an invention then it must be gods and why should god invent evil. Sorry I can never believe this is anything other than a complete contradiction.

Yes, you are exactly right. And God is unable to do what is logically contradictory, like create the best of all possible worlds which has no evil in it. Some evil is logically necessary for some good, since that good could (logically) not exist unless that evil existed. Therefore, it would be impossible for God to produce that good unless he permitted (did not actually do, but permitted) that evil. Not even God can do what is logically impossible (you see) and a world with the greatest amount of good in it would be logically impossible unless there was evil in it. So, although God could have created a world with no evil in it, He could not have created as good a world as there is with no evil in it. Just as a surgeon does not have to give pain to a patient if he does not operate; but the surgeon cannot operate without giving pain to the patient, and, of course, the patient is better off if the surgeon operates, than if the surgeon does not operate.

And while the argument may be credible as a pure problem in logic, as an explanation for the scope and scale of evil in the world as we humans experience it, the argument fails to convince and lacks credibitiltiy. Generally what is sought is a pragmatic or religious solution to the problem of evil in the world. So we can accept the Leibniz offering as a possible solution to the logical problem but now lets try to come up with a solution that seems more plausible and more convincing, say a different conception of divine nature and divine action?

Yes, that is the metaphysical problem which I distinguished from the logical problem, and which, I said, Leibniz's theodicy did not solve. As I also said, it now becomes a matter of faith where faith and reason conflict. Whatever the solution to the metaphysical problem may be, it should, I think be framed so that the logical problem remains intact. In the meantime, we have clarified the general problem by distinguishing between the logical and metaphysical problem. And that seems to me the kind of progress we seek in philosophy.

But, does invention ever have a logical conclusion?

No idea what that question means.

If we consider God as an invention, then will it ever be logical.

What does "it being logical" mean? And how could God be an invention? Do you, maybe, mean, that the concept of God is an invention? So far as I know, all concepts are inventions, including the concept of God. But, if there is a God, He certainly is not an invention. You have to distinguish between concepts, and what the concepts are concepts of. The concept of giraffe is an invention, but giraffes aren't inventions. They are animals running around in Africa. And Africa is not an invention either.

Now you ask me to explain my reasoning and you come out with this.

That does not answer the contradiction. You cant have a good god, benevolent, who then allows evil. Its like having a police force that encourages crime or a doctor that poisons you before he treats you. If you try to tell me god allows evil then he is not benevolent. Tell me god allows evil or he has no say in the matter then he is not all powerful or good. Our concept of god and or evil, is always contradictory.

xris God might have a dual nature similar but almost infinitely greater than that of humans, thus he might be capable of enormous benevolence and enormous malevolence.

If we human reflect some of his attributes, we can extrapolate up from us up to him, and if he has two fighting wolves within his being, like we do, and in his Psyche, then we should respect him. "It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the" living God"

The title of the thread is not why does a benevolent God permit evil?, IT IS WHY DOES GOD PERMIT EVIL?

God is God he is neither good or evil God just "IS THAT WHICH IS" (In my opinion)

If God is not good, then why is God praised and thanked? And why it is thought that God wishes people to be good?