Space Technology

I. Taylors original Video (Two objections against a free will theodicy):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NdLBK4_CM4&feature=video_response

Objection 1: First of all Gods decision to value choice over evil implies there is greater good in allowing free will than there is in destroying evil. Such a claim requires some very convincing evidence but none has been presented so far (1:21-1:37).

Objection 2: Secondly, it is assumed that free will necessarily requires the existence of evil. Now if God is omnipotent as the Bible, Koran, and many other holy books claim he is, what is preventing him from providing us with free will in an evil free environment (1:38- 1:52)?

II. Aves counter video (Three counter-arguments):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kkyoUFz7bw&feature=response_watch

Counter 1: Its logically impossible for someone to chose something if they cannot choose to do the opposite (0:54- 1:01).

Counter 2: Evil is the absence of goodness.

Counter 3: This is impossible because the very idea of malevolent depends on the idea of benevolent So God cannot be malevolent because he does not need to depend on anything (5:41-5:59).

III. Taylors Counter-Response (Selected Responses):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGCxP4JSmEk&feature=sub

Contra Ave 1: But the problem is we are not talking about human beings, or other sorts of beings that are bound by the laws of logic. I dont know of any Christian theist or generally any believer in God who thinks that their deity is bound by the laws of logic and has to abide by human reason and this actually reminds me of Mathew 19:26 (0:47-1:11).

Contra Ave 2: But My whole point behind my video was that there is really no good reason to prefer (free will necessitates possibility of evil) over the alternative which is that maybe God is just a God who prefers evil (8:35-8:47).

IV. Telemantros Contra Taylor:

Omnipotence: S is omnipotent at a time t if and only if S can at t actualize any state of affairs that is not described by counterfactuals about the free acts of others and that is broadly logically possible for someone to actualize, given the same hard past at t and the same true counterfactuals about free acts of others.


Contra Taylor 1: Defense of Aves first objection that, Its logically impossible for someone to chose something if they cannot choose to do the opposite (0:54- 1:01).

Contra Taylor 2: Appeals to the argument from evil, intrinsically assume an objective morality, and thus offer evidence for Gods existence.

References:

Craig, W.L. (n.d.). Subject: Slaughter of the Canaanites. Retrieved on Oct. 22, 2009 from: http://www.williamlanecraig.com/

Nash, R.H. (1999). Lifes Ultimate Questions: An Introduction to Philosophy. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan