A related idea to your prompt, Punky, came to me as I posted in Snare's thread "A medieval question for you ...if you believe in god..."
While I was puzzling out a question Snare put out from a 1400s(?) theologian--I recalled the crazy complicated solution that same educated churchman, Thomas Aquinas,figured for Jesus to be born sinless from a sinless woman (of course Daddy J-but-not-Joseph was above reproach). St Tom helped put the finishing touches on the Immaculate Conception dogma.
It suddenly came to me that the amazing thing that God is supposed to have done to make Mary a perfect, holy vessel for the-son-of-god shouduv,coulduv been done from the get-go----FOR ORDINARY OL' ADAM & EVE!
That's what you said above, right? God had options. He just was too hateful to pick any of them. His way was the cruelest from any stand point--even not counting the gorey crucifixion of Jesus.
There has been WAY, WAY too much suffering.
If I were God, and people stopped believing in me--I'd be sooooo relieved. I'd just tip-toe out the back door and hope nobody remembered I had ever been around.
Universal Sovereignty. Pretty sick idea. and religion keeps covering for Him.
Maeve