The Existence of God and Language Games
James Hall If the creator of the universe--the God of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam--is all-good, all-wise, all-just, and all-knowing, why does shit happen? If Jesus (or whatever you call the creative Word) truly loves us, why not a happy theme-park world--or at least an all-inclusive resort? Why wars, plagues, famines, and earthquakes? If a Creator is defined as infinitely good, wise, and powerful--and if good is understood in human terms--the world as we know it proves he doesn't exist. Part of the definition must be wrong. God either is not good (in terms of human understanding) or must have limited powers or planning abilities. It seems that even an omnipotent ten-year-old (admittedly a terrifying idea) could make at least a few improvements. James Hall's Knowledge, Belief, and Transcendence: Philosophical Problems in Religion (1975) parses arguments for and against traditional theism in excruciating detail, dotting every logical i and crossing every epist...