I found this on atheist John Loftus' Blog (which is here) that hasn't apparently been commented on for some time so I thought I would post it here and my response.
Consider this deductive argument from Richard R. La Croix: “If God is the greatest possible good then if God had not created there would be nothing but the greatest possible good. And since God didn’t need to create at all, then the fact that he did create produced less than the greatest possible good.” “Perhaps God could not, for some perfectly plausible reason, create a world without evil, but then it would seem that he ought not to have created at all.” “Prior to creation God knew that if he created there would be evil, so being wholly good he ought not to have created.” [The Impossibility of God, pp.119-124]. After analyzing La Croix’s argument, A.M. Weisberger argued that “contrary to popular theistic opinion, the logical form of the argument is still alive and beating.” [Suffering Belief, 1999, p. 39].
Consider this deductive argument from Richard R. La Croix: “If God is the greatest possible good then if God had not created there would be nothing but the greatest possible good. And since God didn’t need to create at all, then the fact that he did create produced less than the greatest possible good.” “Perhaps God could not, for some perfectly plausible reason, create a world without evil, but then it would seem that he ought not to have created at all.” “Prior to creation God knew that if he created there would be evil, so being wholly good he ought not to have created.” [The Impossibility of God, pp.119-124]. After analyzing La Croix’s argument, A.M. Weisberger argued that “contrary to popular theistic opinion, the logical form of the argument is still alive and beating.” [Suffering Belief, 1999, p. 39].
"God is the greatest possible good." There is a problem with the way that is being interpreted. What that should say is that God is the greatest possible good being. That is like saying a circle is of the greatest possible roundness. Of course nothing can be more round than a circle, nonetheless a circle, even the greatest possible circle, can be joined by a lesser circle thereby increasing the amount of circularity in existence. But if the lesser circle was derived from the pattern of the greater, then its roundness was merely an extension of the roundness of the original.
What if: God is the greatest possible good only while nothing else existed. Having created the world, (not out of necessity) it too is good (with qualifications). God is still the greatest possible good in terms of essentiality and nature, the good of creation created more good in terms of quantity but not essence- thereby God created more good because it is derivative of his own goodness. Or it may be more correct to say- in that God created the universe, all the good therein comes from him anyway therefore he is still the greatest possible good.
"there are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do." There are limits to what God can do, like making square circles, and sense out of non-sence.
"there are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do." There are limits to what God can do, like making square circles, and sense out of non-sence.
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