icy will express that it is Gods intent for the overall spiritual and moral development of all of his children.My first response is in compliance with Swinburnes argument that God gave humans free will and evils exist because humans have abused that free will. Humans, not God, have chosen evil over good. Because we are free beings, we can do harm to each other by bad intent or through carelessness. God gave us the freedom of choice. The decisions we make, good or bad, will mold and reflect our characters.What does any of this have to do with the evil and suffering inflicted upon helpless, defenseless and innocent children? After reading Swinburnes argument, I will have to say that I do not believe that God directly causes evil among these children. It is the free will of other humans that causes the suffering of these children. Although God is ultimately responsible for what happens to us, he does not deliberately set out to harm us. He does however work through these traumatic experiences with us. In every event involving evil and suffering God is ever present. Because God loves and cares deeply for us, he agonizes with each of his children through torment and suffering. I believe that God weeps for and with us. He shares in our grief and he feels our pain. God seeks to use these events as opportunities to bring good out of bad situations. God strives to bring the best out of the worst. He uses our suffering and tragedies to strengthen our spiritual foundation.I have often heard this question asked: Why does God allow bad things to happen to good people? I dont believe that one persons suffering is always in the best interest of that person. A tragedy that happens to one person might very well be used to benefit another. Take for instance the birth of Siamese twins. Given the option to lose one to save another, parents often choose to sacrifice one so the other might live a normal healthy life. I dont mean to sugges...
