[chezlaw]

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If you start talking about the moral content of actions 'in themselves' you have to draw an arbitrary line since all actions are interactive. But I certainly wouldn't like to argue that this concept of god is not a ridiculous contradiction for any number of other reasons.

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I mean that if god is causing suffering then he can't just decare it good but has to justify it in terms of something else - either a future benefit to the sufferer or benefits to others. Even the nutters who have saints pleasuring themselves in relief at the suffering of others in hell recognise the need to justify the suffering.

Unlike good things, if someone is happy then it needs no further justification. The reverse is true, future downsides or harm to others is necessary to argue that it isn't good.

God cannot change this, he can make it so there's nothing we can do about it but that doesn't make it good.

chez