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Originally Posted by SeattleUte
NO. The problem is you importing the McDonald's of religions/Mormonism into a view of God expressed by an ancient Greek philosoher. The quotation perfectly sums up the gnostic/McCarthy view of God, and is really the only answer to the problem of evil. Maybe we had to experience bigotry to reach enlightenment on the races. I can't fathom any other path. Maybe life is precious and time is vital because it can all end violently and unjustly.
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The only answer to evil is to say that God is evil, or more precisely, that God thinks evil is beautiful, good, and just? I understand what you mean, but I don't think it boils down to that.
To reach necessary truths, we often have to experience evil ourselves. Alas, we can't learn everything vicariously through literature. But all your statements say, e.g., "Maybe we had to experience bigotry to reach enlightenment on the races," is that experience is a great teacher. Well, good thing we have this life to gain experience, and surely "God" is pleased when we reach enlightenment through experience. But God was not in the bigotry or racism.
You believe the following has great harmony, logic, and elegance: "For God, everything is beautiful, good, and just."
I think the following contains just as much harmony, logic, and elegance: "For God, all experience that leads to enlightenment is beautiful, good, and just." God is in the overcoming; he's not in the hate. I actually don't think your Greek philosopher would greatly disagree with that. It's another way of saying the same thing.
Only advantage you have is the ability to locate the source of evil at God's doorstep. That's just an easy copout that imprecisely expresses the truth that "all these things shall give thee experience."
The harder and more truthful struggle is to find a source for the evil inside of yourself. Don't slough it off on God.