Riddle of Epicurus, your answer?

Riddle of Epicurus:---

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?

your ideas and answers please🙂

Well 2 doesn't necessarily follow, perhaps he created evil for some greater good. And 4 depends on your definition of God, you could call him God for creating starting everything off perhaps, or for creating life, or whatever.

maybe there is no evil,

Originally posted by Bicnarok
Riddle of Epicurus:---

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?

your ideas and answers please🙂

First, God is not a he, or in anyway human. Evil is defined by humans, and I don't think we can hold God to that.

The answer:

God is not concerned with the petty affairs of humans.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
First, God is not a he, or in anyway human. Evil is defined by humans, and I don't think we can hold God to that.

The answer:

God is not concerned with the petty affairs of humans.

You´ve met him then? or where do you get this wisdom`? 😄

Originally posted by Bicnarok
You´ve met him then? or where do you get this wisdom`? 😄

In a way, yes. We are all part of God. However, it is a very, very large universe, and we are as insignificant as a grain of sand. It is simply a product of our ego, to ask such a question in the first place.

If you want to look at it that way, then yes he is malevolent on the sole fact that he applied freewill to us. What kinds of evil do you want him to prevent? Gays?

It's indeed the second sentence that kills it- the conclusion is a non sequitur.

According to conventional Christian interpretation, questions two and three come down to a matter of timing. God is allowing Satan to temporarily have his run to prove to mankind that it is not capable of governing itself. Like Michael Corleone of The Godfather renown, he will settle all “Family business” at a time of His choosing. Then Satan will be permanently vanquished along with all who fell prey to his wiles leaving an eternal paradise for the righteous. God is currently making His point.

According to at least my understanding of the Eastern metaphysical religions of Hinduism and the Buddhism it spawned, Brahman (in Hindu terminology) allows all and evil is repaid via the law of karma, if not in the evildoer’s present incarnation, then in future ones. Life is Lila, or the “Play of God.”

I perceive the concept to imply that, as has often been (correctly or otherwise) observed, utopias are impossible because there is no conceivable one that we would not eventually tire of and thus it would ultimately stop seeming as such. Ultimate joy is achieved by becoming aware of one’s true nature as Brahman which, apparently, Brahman is not capable of doing as undifferentiated consciousness; thus its manifestation as a material world with sentient, material beings with such a potential capability.

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent!
True

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent!
Untrue, bad things can result in greater goods. Good actions, traditionally giving "free will" can result in certain evils.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Defining evil is an extraordinary difficult task that has never produced satisfactory answers. There's also the issue of the "bigger picture" which people might be totally unable to see.

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?
This presumes a certain definition of God.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
First, God is not a he, or in anyway human. Evil is defined by humans, and I don't think we can hold God to that.

The answer:

God is not concerned with the petty affairs of humans.

God is Azathoth?

Originally posted by Symmetric Chaos
...

God is Azathoth?

😆

I had to look it up.

Well, I'd grant 3, if he was willing and able there's no reason that there is "evil".

Originally posted by Bicnarok
Riddle of Epicurus:---

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?

...because it takes one to create a species that will deliberately set-up conundrums like this.

Because there is neither a god nor evil.

thats a boring answer

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent!
Untrue, bad things can result in greater goods. Good actions, traditionally giving "free will" can result in certain evils.

Yet a truly omnipotent God would not need for there to be bad things for the greater good. He(or whatever) could take bad totally out of the equation. Unless he is willing but not able or able but not willing.

In my opinion, evil is relative.

You might at well edit the poem to read:

Is God able to prevent Michael Bay from making movies?

Originally posted by Nephthys
Yet a truly omnipotent God would not need for there to be bad things for the greater good. He(or whatever) could take bad totally out of the equation. Unless he is willing but not able or able but not willing.

You seem to be assuming that an omnipotent god can violate logic, which is not universal in the definition of omnipotence.

In my opinion, evil is relative.

You might at well edit the poem to read:

Is God able to prevent Michael Bay from making movies?

Well any god who allows rape, torture, famine blah blah if he could stop it isn't going to be on my list for 'Most likely to be worshipped'.

You seem to be assuming that an omnipotent god can violate logic, which is not universal in the definition of omnipotence.

Well my definition is that it means he can do whatever. If he isn't that then why should I worship what seems like a glorified dictator? Also, if he is 'God', then didn't he create those laws?

(I am btw assuming the judeo-christian model of god)

Originally posted by Nephthys
Well any god who allows rape, torture, famine blah blah if he could stop it isn't going to be on my list for 'Most likely to be worshipped'.

Well my definition is that it means he can do whatever. If he isn't that then why should I worship what seems like a glorified dictator? Also, if he is 'God', then didn't he create those laws?

(I am btw assuming the judeo-christian model of god)

Why would you want to worship God? That seems silly to me. I'm sure God you not want or need your worship. 😄