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Position:Home>Arts & Humanities> Is it traditional in the Christian religion for God to be both all-good and all-Question: Is it traditional in the Christian religion for God to be both all-good and all-powerful?I am having an argument with a friend about this, and while I know that it is traditional in the Christian religion for God to be both omnipotent and omnibenevolent (hence the problem of evil), I need trustworthy resources to show my friend that he is incorrect in stating that Christians do not traditionally believe this doctrine. Additional Details1 week ago 1 week ago 1 week ago Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: 1 week ago I am having an argument with a friend about this, and while I know that it is traditional in the Christian religion for God to be both omnipotent and omnibenevolent (hence the problem of evil), I need trustworthy resources to show my friend that he is incorrect in stating that Christians do not traditionally believe this doctrine. To Timaeus: Actually, St. Augustine's solution to the problem of evil was that evil is nothing but a "privation" (that is, a lack of) the good. St. Augustine did believe that God was not contingent on anything for his existence, but that was NOT his whole conception of omnipotence -- indeed, that's not much of a conception of omnipotence at all. Augustine believed, much like many other theologians, that God could do anything logically possible. That is the only circumscription of God's power for Augustine, and he makes a persuasive argument that being confined by logical possibility is not much of a circumscription at all. |