[OBW]

To be honest, the discussion of the existence of God in the presence of evil is a difficult discussion. I attended a 10 week course at a seminary on the subject and while I would say that it did the topic well, the arguments made by the various philosophers and others over the centuries against God are not well crafted. But they are seen by many people as well crafted. So one of this biggest problems is the demand by people that a god — any god worth the designation — should and must do everything that he can do that is consistent with any particular assertion about him(her). (Since I said "god" and not "God" I have that liberty. And at the same time, I note that our God which we give a male understanding, has many very feminine characteristics. It might be more correct to say that God is without gender as we know it.)

So if God says he is "not willing that any should perish," it is demanded that this be interpreted as a statement about what he desires and intends, and since he is described as all-powerful and all-knowing, he could simply make it so. Yet that would go against a declaration made about him long before that one. One in which he said that disobedience to the one command resulted in death.

We want to love our children. And we want to love all of mankind. But sometimes there are reasons for punishment. And in the ultimate context, outside of our purview, there may be a righteous requirement for the ultimate punishment. That does not mean that God cannot simultaneously desire that things not be that way even while allowing it to remain so.

But in the final analysis, if there is a god — and it is the God that we follow — we can yell at him all we want and despise him for the way things are. And the consequences are on our heads, not on his.

And it is this need to argue away God that makes it seem all the more clear that he does exist. If he really doesn't exist, then why bother arguing about it. Why even bother arguing against those who believe anyway. Nothing will change for it. We will all simply die and it will be over.

But inside we have knowledge of something different. We may not like it. But we sense it. And we want to yell in its face and say it isn't there. But it doesn't work. When we go to bed at night, we know better. So we have to keep arguing — looking for the argument that will convince even our own belief that there is nothing to believe in.