Argument from Horrific Suffering

ZaoThanatoo Answers the Argument from Horrific Suffering 2 (Guest Post)

January 25, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 0 Comments

The Argument from Horrific Suffering for the Non-Existence of God

The Argument from Horrific Suffering for the Non-Existence of God (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 2 (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering II (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 3 (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering III (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 4 (Chris) / ZaoThanatoo Answers (ZaoThanatoo) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering IV (Mitch)

I will provide a brief rebuttal to Mitch’s response and grant him the …

Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 4

January 14, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 0 Comments

Argument from Horrific Suffering

The exchange has taken place as follows: The Argument from Horrific Suffering for the Non-Existence of God (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 2 (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering II (Mitch) / Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 3 (Chris) / Bolt and Horrific Suffering III (Mitch) / …Answers the Argument from Horrific Suffering (ZaoThanatoo).

Mitch notes that I am still challenging premise (4) of the following argument:

Horrific Suffering (def.) = that most awe-full form of suffering that

ZaoThanatoo Answers the Argument from Horrific Suffering (Guest Post)

January 13, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 4 Comments

Argument from Horrific Suffering

Chris Bolt and Mitch Leblanc have been carrying on a discussion surrounding J. L. Schellenberg’s Antitheistic Argument from Horrors. The full exchange (to date) is linked here. As I’m occasionally wont, I’d like to throw my hat …

Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 3

January 13, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 5 Comments

Argument from Horrific Suffering

Mitch Presents the Argument

Chris Responds to the Argument

Mitch Responds to Chris

Chris Responds to Mitch

Mitch Responds to Chris Again

In my last response I argued that Mitch did not provide support for (4):

(4) Necessarily, if God exists, there is horrific suffering only if its prevention would prevent there being finite persons who realize their deepest good.

Mitch suggests that he has offered the following as justification for accepting (4) as true:

Looking at an analogous instance, it seems obvious that something has gone wrong when we are saying of the parent that

Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering 2

January 12, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 5 Comments

Mitch originally posted an argument in summary fashion from J.L. Schellenberg found here which I answered here and Mitch subsequently responded to my answer here. There is much to be said about his response, but I will limit this post to focusing upon premise (4) of the argument and where Mitch has made some mistakes.

(4) Necessarily, if God exists, there is horrific suffering only if its prevention would prevent there being finite persons who realize their deepest good.

Mitch believes that the “denial of (4) seems quite the denial indeed.” On the contrary, I find the affirmation of …

Answering the Argument from Horrific Suffering

January 12, 2011 / C. L. Bolt / 10 Comments

Mitch LeBlanc has summarized an argument from J.L. Schellenberg called the Argument from Horrors. The argument begins by defining “horrific suffering.”

Horrific Suffering (def.) = that most awe-full form of suffering that gives the victim and/or the perpetrator a prima facie reason to think that his or her life is not worth living.

Schellenberg’s argument is then stated formally.

(1) Necessarily, if God exists, finite persons who ever more fully experience the reality of God realize their deepest good.

(2) Necessarily, if God exists, the prevention of horrific suffering does not prevent there being finite persons who ever more fully