Kinetic type animation that briefly explores the nagging question, “If God is all-good and all-powerful, why is there evil in the world?” Thanks to Cornelie (VO) and Tim Gale (Audio).
More is covered on Moral Argument for Existence of God.
Other related article Explanation of The Five Arguments for Existence of God
Here is a transcript of this animation I wrote:
Is God Good, if He is why is there suffering and evil
let’s assume for the moment that God is all powerful,
this means that God can do anything that is logically possible.
So he can created galaxies and subatomic particles and rain forests and you,
but God can not do what is logically impossible.
He cannot make a square circle or a one ended stick.
So can God make a rock so big that He can’t lift it? No.
So what if When God Created Human beings, He wanted them to
to be free.
Freedom is a good thing but if humans are to be free, they cannot be forced to obey God,
because freedom without choice is like a square circle. It’s a logical contradiction.
No choice no freedom. God didn’t want robots, He wanted real people.
The first humans endowed with the power of free choice abused their freedom
The tragic consequences of their bad choice and our bad choices ripple across the world
God is responsible for the Fact of Freedom but Humans are responsible for their Acts of Freedom.
But lets remember we don’t suffer alone. God will put an end to suffering and evil.
And God became a man to suffer with us. God is Good and he wants real people like you to know him But the free Choice is yours.
With All I Am 
“God didn’t want robots, He wanted real people.”
yes thats why he elects people to go to hell, this comment makes non sense in a calvinistic context
Thanks Tony. I do not think so does not make sense in doctrine of grace theology.
Example: Think of a drug addict John. John is able(possibility) to be clean, but if you know about drug addicts, you will know that John is not capable (moral capability) to be clean without outside intervention. Like John, we, after the fall, are addicts of sin. Paul used metaphor of blind, deaf, and dead in Spiritual things.
God intervening to save those He chose and draw to His Son and passing others is not robotic but grace because those He chose Christ went to hell for them at the Cross. All received God’s righteous wrathful judgment for their sin. It is amazing grace that those whom God elects judgment fell on the cross.
Did that make any sense. I would love to expound more.
According to Calvinism we are created sick and then commanded to be well. When we fail at this (as the God of Calvinism knows we will) then we are punished for our shortcomings. But, we aren’t just punished once for each of our sins. We aren’t punished and through this punishment reformed by God (apparently God does not desire our post-mortem redemption, though I don’t see why it would be logically impossible). According to most Calvinists (if you don’t agree please let me know) we are never annihilated so that our suffering can cease. Instead we are punished for eternity for the sins and bad thoughts we have during our finite lifetimes.
I used to be a devout Calvinist and despite the attempt to frame it as a joyous religion it is actually quite dour. The joy that followers of this system have is the joy that they, for no known reason at all, were selected as the objects of God’s love and spared from his worst punishments. Calvinists attempt to make the best out of a really bad situation by worshipping a truly “angry god” (remember the title of Jonathan Edward’s famous sermon).
Traditional Calvinism actually compounds the issues presented by the Problem of Evil.
NOTE – The Problem of Evil is not a problem for atheists but a problem for theists, specifically those theists whose theology requires them to believe in an all-powerful, all-good and all-loving God. It is certainly possible to believe in a god (or gods) who is not all-powerful or who is not perfectly good and loving. I don’t think this classic problem in itself is a reason for anyone to abandon theism, but it nonetheless poses a stumbling block when apologists and evangelists want to try and convince outsiders that their God is logically coherent and worthy of adoration.
PS – I would LOVE to hear you expound upon Calvinism and how you see your traditional Reformed views in relation to the Problem of Evil. Thanks for your time.
Typical Calvinism doesn’t work this way. In your example it’s like the hospital chooses who to treat and who not to treat rather than the hospital treats all and some respond and some don’t. In which case your example is more Arminianism.
I’d love to hear how an atheist swerves the problem of evil. Please enlighten us.
Personally I would agree with your assessment of the problem of evil for Calvinists which is why I err toward Arminianism.
Typical Calvinism doesn’t work this way. In your example it’s like the hospital chooses who to treat and who not to treat rather than the hospital treats all and some respond and some don’t. In which case your example is more Arminianism.
I believe in God and Christ Our Savior.
I’d still like to see a One-Ended Stick even so.
yes there is a god and it will be evil to deny such greater force and being.
the conflict that i have is with every organized or housed religion ,
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