JPD

Surely, given the complexity of existence, suffering would exist whether it was "caused" or not. I think that we can, as individuals, reduce suffering but that it will always exist in some form. It might be that what is considered to be suffering changes through time and depends on context. Someone breaking their fingernail in a village full of people starving to death could not really be seen to be suffering on the basis of the broken fingernail. A supermodel who leads a blissful existence breaking a fingernail might regard it as such.

Keith&Co.

That's a good point. The character usually get omnipotence, but seldom omniscience.

The various stories that have characters getting infinitely smarter usually don't take advantage of the knowledge, the plot is all about how such omniscience is dehumanizing. To 'save' their friends they have to make them dumb again.

I personally feel that the way to resolve suffering would be a complete overhaul of the system. I don't see a need that the individual should suffer, when they can observe suffering in others, and learn from it. I watched Kill Bill last weekend. I do not need to have my head slammed in a doorway to know that Buck was suffering, nor do i need to suffer that way to enjoy not having my head slammed in a doorway. And i resolved to never, ever molest a coma patient again after that scene.


I'd tier reality. Matter doesn't suffer, Animals suffer, a race of soulless hominids that experience suffering in ways that maximize our ability to empathize without actually causing any suffering on our part (say, Neanderthals, or maybe mimes?), then impervious humanity, then angels, then god. If there's any spiritual benefit to having suffering to compare our joy to, that would be sufficient.

HelpingHand

If I were a truly omniscient God, 'the complexity of existence' would not be a problem for me.
One of the 'lessons' we learn from Bruce Almighty and the likes is that it is not easy to be God. Of course it isn't, that's why God is omniscient. Morgan Freeman conveniently 'forgot' to give Bruce Nolan omniscience. If the film was called 'Bruce Almighty and alknowing' Bruce Nolan would have been able to do away with all suffering.

Greetings

Walter

Doug Shaver

I don't blame God for anything. I blame people who think he is real for thinking nonsense about him.

Joe Bloe

"Truth"? That strikes me as an absolutely ludicrous statement. It is particularly ridiculous coming from theists who believe in a perfect heaven. I'm not denying that there are joys in overcoming suffering and those would be lost without the suffering, but there are joys that are joyous all on their own: a good friendship, a good marriage, a good wine ... I knew what a good pizza was long before I ever tasted a bad one, I didn't need the comparison to know that the good pizza was truly good.

JohninRI

I would allow it all to continue until mankind comes to the point where they can't take it any more. Of course, me knowing everything, I would also know that some of them would never give up their exercised power of others, so I would have to remove them temporarily from the earth. Then I would explain to the Remnant that this is the point I needed them to get to before I could help them. Then I would teach them how to reach their potential. I would explain to them that there were many things I never told them because they were not ready to understand them. One of these things concerns re-incarnation and the fact that not one of them ever died but just went to sleep to awaken to a new life. Another would be that all monetary systems are evil and that we should treat each other as members of the same family and that we are the caretakers of this earth and that when we start taking care of the earth and each other as family that all of these ills of mankind will disappear. I would also explain to them that when they achieve these simple things I will return to live among them to continue their education.

Joan of Bark

An omnipotent God could simply eliminate suffering without eliminating joy ... end of story. How can he do that? Well, he's the omnipotent and omniscient one, so he should know! (Of course, this is the same as "send everyone to heaven and eliminate the physical world". Thanks to Straight Hate for that one).

Imnotspecial

Has there ever come any good theology out from Hollywood? (If there were such a thing as good theology.)
I mean there has been so much said about the various gods over the time of human history - what a waste of human thought and effort. But to get info from a movie is really quite silly.

So far I have not seen anything valuable about eliminating suffering in this world without getting rid of this world all together.

Voltair made fun of the Church's medieval teaching that "this is the best of all worlds". They were theologically correct because a god with all the attributes they have given this Christian god would by necessity have created the best world. Think about it. The truth is that you cannot come up with a better one, if a god exists.
That's why we have concluded there is no god.

fast

That's a tough one. I'm thinking that maybe if I were God, then I would not prevent it.

JohninRI

Yes, He could have. But obviously that is not His purpose. Logically, His method would have been established to effectuate His purpose. If He is omnipotent, then it would stand to reason that He intended all this to happen. Now what might His purpose have been?

A teacher can not begin to teach without getting the attention of the whole class. One method for doing this is to yell. Another would be to let them kill each other until those remaining looked to the teacher to end their suffering.
One method might get their attention for the moment. The other would capture their attention and ensure that the lesson would be heard and followed.