[Stingy Jack]

Actually, the guy who wrote "Why Bad Things Happen to Good People" finally ended up conceding this point. Eventually, his argument brought him to the revelation that god could not be perfect (i.e. "omnibenevolent, omnipresent, omnipotent, and omniscient".) A god that is all good, and all powerful, would not allow evil in the world. And yet, evil is. He could allow it, and choose to do nothing about it ... but then he is not omnibenevolent (in the true sense of the word), or maybe he doesn't allow it, but cannot do anything about it (in which case, he is not omnipotent).

And I agree with your point on the Good God/Wrathful God. I bring this up in these discussions as well. If we are talking about the Christian God, read Genesis 6:5-7.

6 "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart."
7 "And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; or it repenteth me that I have made them."

Now, why would god feel regret that he made man, particularly if he KNEW that man would turn out this way? And, after he destroys man, he comes to the realization that he may have made a mistake and acted out of anger. Read Genesis 8:21.

8 "And the Lord smelled a sweet savour; and the Lord said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart is evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every living thing, as I have done."

Here he says: "Oooo ... I shouldn't have done that. Man is evil by nature, and will not change no matter how many times I wipe him out. Well ... I don't do it again. And here's a rainbow to prove it." The rainbow he puts up a little later.

So, God feels regret TWICE! And admits to making a mistake. He can't be perfect. But, I still have a problem with him allowing some the evil he allows. It's like, if I made a robot, KNOWING that the robot would go on a murderous rampage as soon as I was done, but I made it anyway ... and then sent the robot to hell (or, utterly destroyed it because it did what I knew it would do when I made it) ... seems a little off-kilter. I should never have made the thing in the first place. If god knew I was going to hell before I was even born ... then spare me the sufferring and don't let me be born! Save us all the trouble. I would do that for a child I cared about.