Dreary weather - I think it's a reasonable response for theists to object that god cannot be held responsible for the actions of humans when he has told us not to do those things.
But that doesn't begin to get him off the hook.
He specifically advocates for evil actions such as slavery, kidnap, rape and genocide. Jesus told his disciples to literally abandon their wives and children to follow him.
But more damningly is the evil that god does himself. He made a world that is perfectly designed to maximise suffering. No creature dies peacefully in its bed. All fall victim to disease, starvation, exposure or predation. That includes all of our human ancestors. The entire history of life on earth is one of carnage.
Then there are the natural disasters that are entirely of god's making. Tens of thousands of innocent children drowned in a tsunami that god could have prevented without any impact on free will.
The most popular response from theists is to assert that god can do anything that he wishes. I agree. But he can't behave like an evil monster AND be the god and father of 'gentle Jesus meek and mild' who keeps track of the number of hairs on our heads.
They say we just can't possibly understand god's ways. But that doesn't work. It negates the ministry of Jesus who came to reveal a god of love and show how that love is demonstrated in action, caring for the practical needs of others.
In years of discussing this topic I have yet to meet a theist who will face the challenge of theodicy with intellectual honesty. In this thread Sea Breeze has taken dishonesty to a whole new level. I have sent a PM to appeal for a more useful conversation. Time will tell.
