Cofty, I always like to take opposing viewpoints, just to explore the subject further.
Imagine that it was possible to precisely measure the amount of suffering in the world at any given moment - a cosmic "pain meter". Decide for yourself what the unit of measurement would be.
You're already making it subjective, and indeed pain has been proven to be such. Some have high pain tolerance, either naturally born with such, or as an acquired trait.
We can only imagine a fraction of the combined suffering that is being felt right now. Physical pain, emotional despair, grief, desperation, loss, terror and hopelessness.
Ok. We agree these things exist. You would argue and say this is unnecessary. I ask you, why? What about these emotions is unnecessary? Isn't creation itself unnecessary?
Of course if there is an omniscient god then he knows to the last iota what that theoretical meter would read right now.
I'd say this is where god is limited. He can know it all, but can he experience it? Can he truly put himself in a position of suffering? Seems contradictory, but think about it. Can god die? Can god be flesh and experience waking up the next morning not knowing what will happen next?
ever since the Babylonian exile one popular answer has been to blame his nemesis the Devil
Where does it say that? The Bible mentions that the Babylonian exile was in fact God's own doing, God's own punishment on his people. The Devil gets occassionally blamed, but more than anything, it is God himself who executes punishment.
Along with that is the assurance that god is ultimately in control and, while he does not cause evil nothing happens without his permission.
Without God, is good vs. evil even definable? Isn't it merely a subjective mental masturbation?
So my question to theists is this - is god passively observing our theoretical pain meter or is he in control of it?
If god is merely observing the amount of pain caused by his enemy then he is impotent and unworthy or worship.
If god is in control of the degree of suffering permitted in the world then he cannot be excused as easily as his apologists imply. That conclusion has implications for the myth of a loving god.
I think the question is so off, so loaded, its not even wrong. You say, "If god is merely observing the amount of pain caused by his enemy then he is impotent and unworthy or worship." I ask, what about god allowing pain make him unworthy of worship? Why must his seeming inaction = impotence? Have we even taken the time into looking at why he would allow it? Do you think it possible that there is a justification for all of this?
You say, "If god is in control of the degree of suffering permitted in the world then he cannot be excused as easily as his apologists imply. That conclusion has implications for the myth of a loving god." I ask, couldn't suffering be much worse? How do we know there couldn't be a whole other level of suffering we can't even conceive?
My personal philosophy is that the world contains a capricious mix of pain and pleasure. "Shit happens" - there is no purpose, design or control. The good news is that things are getting better all the time and its all thanks to human effort. That's not to minimise current suffering but to see it against the backdrop of history.
I've thought like this too, but there are some questions that linger on as well. Why even care? The joyous and the suffering all end up in the same place, in the same condition. I could also argue things are, in fact, not getting better for the long run. If you managed to get a new car, at the expense of loosing your life driving off the cliff, would you call that an improvement? We've improved the lives of certain individuals, and have laid much of the earth to waste in the process. We have potentially caused more problems for our future descendents, to a degree and scale we can't possibly fathom. Our so called improvements are trash in the grand scheme of things.
