The Argument From Gratuitous Sufferings Gratuitous: pointless, not necessary, in excess 1) If God is all powerful, then he has the means to prevent or stop gratuitous suffering 2) If God is all knowing, then he would have knowledge and foresight of any gratuitous suffering. 3) If God is all loving, then he would have the highest desire to prevent or stop ANY gratuitous suffering. 4) If an all powerful, all knowing, and perfectly loving God exists, then gratuitous suffering does not exist. (From 1, 2, & 3) 5) Gratuitous suffering probably exists. C) Therefore God probably does not exist. (From 4 & 5) Evidence for Premise 5: 1) Child starvation or death from preventable/curable diseases 2) Natural Disasters eg tsunamis, earthquakes, disease, etc 3) Animal suffering eg millions of years competition, extinctions, and languishing 4) Horrific sufferings in which the victim loses their sense of value and/or will to live eg Holocaust victims/survivors, rape victims, torture victims, etc Notes: 1) Premise 5 only needs to establish one instance of gratuitous suffering from the beginning of creation for the conclusion to follow. 2) Premise 5 only needs to be more probable then not for the conclusion to follow. 3) Appeals to human free will are not applicable to any of the 4 evidences I provided (including horrific sufferings bc free will would not be an outweighing good if someone lost the will to engage in a meaningful relationship with God ie the highest good possible)
Posted on: Fri, 28 Nov 2014 04:19:42 +0000
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