Proofs that God is Evil

[Marat]

In the days before Darwin, it used to be stylish to offer proofs of God's existence by noting how beautifully designed the world was or how humanely everything in the natural world was structured. But we could develop an inverse physico-theology which would offer proofs of God's non-existence from how evil the world is, and especially from the evil coincidences in its design which seem possible only because they are designed by an intelligent but profoundly evil creator. The result of these proofs would be either that there would be further evidence for the non-existence of a good God, or positive evidence for the existence of a Gnostic, evil God, both of which would defeat the arguments of contemporary theists.

 

Just from the small area of nephrology I can think of a few evidences of an evil God right away. The main class of drugs used for transplants are also toxic to the kidneys, and the main organ transplanted is the kidney. Surely such a perfectly evil situation as this could not arise just by coincidence, so we must assume an evil God designed the world so this would happen. Or again, on the worst stresses patients on dialysis have to endure is the severe fluid intake restrictions they must accept. But the main cause of patients having to be on dialysis is diabetes, whose main symptom is to make patients constantly terribly thirsty! Surely this couldn't happen just by coincidence, so we must assume an evil Creator.

[Marat]

Another good example are the various forms of progeria, in which young children are genetically doomed to age with such hideous rapidity that they die of old age in their mid-20s, complete with a bald pate, cataracts, and hearing aids. One consequence of this disease is that the intelligence of these children also develops unnaturally fast, so they can savor the full horror of what is happening to them in a way that ordinary children could not. How can you explain this perfect coincidence of overdevelopment of intellectual response to tragedy and tragedy in the same disease unless there is an evil God designing things to be as terrible as possible?

 

Similarly, another form of progeria is Hurler's Disease, which causes the rapidly aging children to develop the face of a hideous gargoyle, which frightens away the very people the child needs most desperately to provide empathy and loving support. The perfect fit between the need and what keeps the need from being met can't be just a coincidence, so must be produced by an evil Designer.

[Mr Skeptic]

The nastiest disease I am familiar with is Lesch-Nyhan syndrome, which results in, among other things, an urge to self-harm. This urge is not limited to such things as biting off one's lips, tongue, fingers, etc, gouging out own eyes, and other forms of only physical self-harm. No, it also includes urges such as to reject treats, act hatefully to those they love, that sort of thing too. There is no cure. That this sort of thing can happen would show either evil or incompetence on the part of any designer we might have.

[tomgwyther]

Reminds me of this quote from Epicurus, esp line two and three

 

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able?

Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing?

Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing?

Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing?

Then why call him God?

Edited August 3, 2010 by tomgwyther

[Leader Bee]

Perhaps i'm not grasping the question but wouldn't it be prudent to prove that God exists before we go about proving whether he/she/it/flying spaghetti monster is actually good or evil first?

Edited August 4, 2010 by Leader Bee

[ewmon]

I think many/most Christians would tell a non-believer that we live in fallen world — this obviously ain't the Garden of Eden — and that being created from "dust" (instead of magical pixie powder or whatever) means we're seriously prone to malfunctions.

 

A nasty disease that surprised me is fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva.

[john5746]

Perhaps i'm not grasping the question but wouldn't it be prudent to prove that God exists before we go about proving whether he/she/it/flying spaghetti monster is actually good or evil first?

 

The argument is concerned with evidence, not God itself. If one tries to provide the beauty and goodness of nature as evidence, then they need to also explain the ugly and evil as well. They would hopefully come to the conclusion that they have no evidence.