The split and battle is between animal-man and spiritual-man. Animal-man does everything that other rutting animals do. Rutting animals don't have the language skills to call what other animals do to them "evil", but if they did, I suppose they would. When animal-man externalizes his internal conflict, it grows to grander scales. Spiritual-man can experience things and aspire to things rutting animals cannot. Though when reading the daily news, it seems often that not a lot of effort goes into that...
so if someone were to kidnap one your children and rape torture and murder her that would be ok with you since god allowed it to happen? what if you prayed about it and god actually answered back and said i wont stop it because its not evil and besides i get a kick out of watching rape,it turns me on. would you still worship this monster?
God didn't write the Bible, people did, and they wrote it a long time ago. Does the universe not exist because astronomical writings from thousands of years ago didn't describe it accurately?
Far from being a "free thinker," you sound more like a spoiled brat throwing a temper tantrum. Things not going how you think they should means and proves absolutely nothing. "There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy." -- William Shakespeare
You make interesting points, but if I understand correctly, you're still suggesting if god did exist, evil would have to be a necessity. As far as that goes, the cards fall in favor of Epicuris, as it only re-affirms god does not have the power it is supposed to have, to not make evil a necessity. Remember this is supposed to be omnipotent power, so the idea is nothing should have to be a necessity for god. On the face of things it might sound a reasonable argument about loss of free will, but I can think of a very straightforward, easily understandable way god could include evil without having to invoke it AND leave free will for the individual to decide whether to use it or not AND without disabling that self-sustaining AND have built in consequences too. Can you? Now if I can, why can't / why hasn't god? Epicuris gives a number of reasons for that. One additional compelling reason is that there obviously is no god and as you've described, there are more evident and rational natural explanations for what is being categorized as evil anyway.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I know god did not write the bible. People write storys about gods. I know this is not describe accurately. The bible is fiction. That is why is so stupid to mix religion and the politics. Because the religion is from the fiction book. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SMo2ghPzEGE
Who's talking about certainty? I'm only referring to an operating principle based on the evidence at hand. Occam's razor would suggest there is no god because there is no evident need for one or any evidence of one. On that basis, I will go about my life in such a manner. Should he, she or it deign to make himself, herself or itself known to me in a manner other than fanciful imagination on my part, then I will reevaluate my perception regarding this matter. In so doing, I relieve myself of all manner of unnecessary mental clutter ranging from witches and warlocks to flying spaghetti monsters and unicorns. "If you hear hoof beats, think horsesânot zebras." In the normal course, that's how the smart money would respond.
You have already made it quite clear that you know nothing and choose faith over thought. No need to overemphasize.