The Value of Logic

If someone doesn’t value evidence, what evidence can you possibly provide to make them understand? If someone doesn’t value logic, what logic can you possibly provide to enlighten them? When someone values neither you might as well not even start the conversation because it’s over before you start.

The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake on Sunday, 26 December 2004, killed over 230,000 people and left two million homeless. Of the 230,000 killed, relief agencies reported that one-third, or 77,000 of the dead were children. As many as four times more women than men were killed in some regions because they were waiting on the beach for the fishermen to return and looking after their children in the houses. The tsunami caused by the quake hit the northern regions of the Indonesian island of Sumatra within fifteen minutes or about 08:15 local time, while Sri Lanka, Thailand and the east coast of India were hit between 90 minutes and two hours later.

Now here’s the thing. If the all loving Christian god (who I am told is also the son Jesus and the holy ghost…you know, the triune thing…would have just delayed (or for that matter, speeded up) the quake by a mere 12 hours, most of those women and children would have been spared. They would not have been waiting on the beach for their husbands and fathers to return from their all night fishing expeditions.

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?