Two philosophers debate whether the existence of horrific suffering justifies atheism

Well, I can only say we disagree on what makes one intelligent, though I would call your opening statement a greater example of small-mindedness that anything Moltmann has said. I would call Augustine a pretty intelligent man, as would many philosophers, both atheist and theist. His Confessions were the only book Wittgenstein was said to have on his bookshelf! Not trying to appeal to authority here, just saying that it's a 'particular intellectual conceit' to claim that today we are oh-so enlightened whereas in our dark pre-history before the lights of [insert overly optimistic ideology of Western values] came along we were mired in complete ignorance the depths of which give us full justification in dismissing everything they say. Ancient thinkers thought some stupid, dark things. Doesn't mean they weren't human, and the problems that vexed them then are in many, many ways problems that vex us now, to greater or lesser degrees. We have things to learn from them just as we have things to learn from any thoughtful people. Doesn't mean we can't be critical, too. Not just prejudicially so.

I accept what you say about the Holocaust - Moltmann is just saying that events like it show that we cannot keep to our original conception of God anymore. The Holocaust was just for him the event that triggered it. There could well be other events that demonstrate even greater levels of evil!

By 'God of atheism', I meant the God that atheism has traditionally denied - i.e. the transcendent, impassible, eternal, unmoved God that theism has also traditionally affirmed. As for your question about infinity, I don't really see the relevance. I myself and Moltmann agree with you that in some areas, the traditional conception of God is unhelpful, or perhaps even idolatrous. Like I said before: how does an all-powerful God really help us if the power is just defined in terms of what we can do but better? I agree with you that there are difficulties there. However, the particular difficulty you flagged up - the question of logic and God's relationship to it, is not a difficulty, for the reasons I explained. It would be better to attack it from a different direction - just not the one you chose, and which I originally questioned.

Also worth questioning if the problem of evil is really only a problem for theists... without a God, what stable conception of morality do you have left?

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