Kevin Wampler wrote:
> 1) "You don't realize that the Holocaust was good and not evil":
> 
> I'm instead pointing out that he ignores the viewpoint that might be 
> most simply summed up "while the Holocaust was evil, creating a universe 
> in which the holocaust could/would happen isn't necessarily".  Now, you 
> could certainly attempt to make an argument against this point, but I 
> don't see him doing it.

"the evil things in it are perfectly justified and necessary,"

You're saying "maybe the world would be more evil without the holocaust, you 
just can't tell."  That's *exactly* the argument he's talking about.

> 2) "Everyone tortured to death during the Holocaust deserved it.":
> 
> I don't see how "deserving it" factors into the points I was making, but 
> if you think I'm actually making this argument I'd be interested to hear 
> more specifically why that is. 

No, I was saying that he's saying that's the other usual argument. Either 
God causes the holocaust because preventing it would be more evil, or the 
holocaust happened because of Free Will, meaning that the evil came because 
you wanted it. Factor in some Original Sin there.

> Basically, I'm arguing that there's a version of the "moves in 
> mysterious ways" argument which his points don't apply to.

"the evil things in it are perfectly justified and necessary, and everything 
is for the best"

What mysterious ways are you talking about? That maybe God's idea of good 
doesn't match ours? Then he'd do evil by our definitions. That's saying that 
polio is actually good, and we just don't realize it, and the reason it's 
good is because God does it and God is by definition good.  Otherwise, I'm 
not seeing what you're trying to say. Maybe I'm just dense today.

-- 
   Darren New, San Diego CA, USA (PST)
   I ordered stamps from Zazzle that read "Place Stamp Here".

Post a reply to this message