The Evangelical Universalist Forum

Evil, Suffering, And Infinite Universes

Theology Philosophical
#1

A common response to the incredibly fine-tuned universe and the highly improbability of life being in this universe is the infinite universe explanation. If there are an infinite number of universes it reduces the highly unlikelihood of life. The universe we find ourselves in is simply one among countless others. Given the infinitely many universes all the possible distribution of values over the fine-tuned parameters would have been tried out. As it happens, we find ourselves in one of those universes where the constants are such as to allow the development of intelligent life.

The vast majority of philosophers now have given up on deductive arguments from evil and suffering and instead they claim the evil and suffering in our universe makes it highly unlikely that there’s a God. But Like the atheist we could respond by saying that God could have created an infinite number of universes in which there is an overall balance of good over evil and suffering. In some universes there is no evil and suffering in some there is a great deal. As it happens we find ourselves in one of those universes in which there is a great deal. But then it’s no longer highly unlikely that theism is true given the infinite number of universes.

#2

Well, I subscribe to the scientific theory…that we live in a world, of multiple dimensions and parallel universes…and each person on this forum…is theologically and philosophically correct…in some alternative dimension or parallel universe!

#3

Yes could be. The infinite universe theory has support. I don’t think all scientists are in agreement but a lot say quantum mechanics requires the multi-verse.

#4
#5
#6

Notice William Lane Craig says that if we did have a multiverse then our universe would have improbable or absurd events. Of course we have miracles today. But more in the Bible. Therefore, we do have improbable events in this universe. So, I see no need to be skeptical like Craig that God established infinite universes. Notice also that Craig doesn’t deny God can do this and that it doesn’t cause a problem for Theism.

#7

With infinite universes improbable events in our universe would happen. Donkeys would talk, water turns into wine and people rise from the dead etc. etc.

#8

Just ordered this. It talks about God and the Multiverse written by top philosophers in the field. It was over a hundred dollars but looks like it will be worth it.

#9

It might. But the Amazon readers and reviewers, gave it 2.6 out of 5 stars. Which if we take 3 as average, their collective ratings - are slightly below average. If you are in the US…I would first see…if your local library, adult reference librarian…can get a copy, via their inter-library loan program.

#10

They didn’t like the high price. I have no problem paying a high price for top scolarly work in philosophy. All top scholarly philosophical books are high in price.

#11

Just to show how highly unlikely events happen in our universe I’m posting this here. I have it in another post but it’s on topic.

The vast majority of philosophers have given up on saying that the logical problem of evil goes through. But some continue to develop probable versions of the argument. According to them, evil makes it very improbable that God exists. While I don’t think they have done so let’s just suppose this is true. John Loftus often says that Christians take an irrational leap beyond the probabilities. But nothing much follows if it is very improbable that God exists. After all God is a miracle. Kind of like how it is very improbable that I exist given the reproduction probabilities of the sperm reaching the egg and fertilizing into what I call myself. You have to calculate the probability that a particular sperm united with a particular egg, then multiply it by the probability that my parents met, and then repeat that calculation for my grandparents and all my ancestors going back to the beginning of life on Earth. It’s very unlikely that such a thing would happen. Yet here I am! What this shows is that warranted belief in God’s existence like my own is justified not by probabilities but something more along the lines of perception or experience.

#12

If God created an infinite number of universes in which there is an overall balance of good over evil and suffering then we can’t say He shouldn’t have created at all for it would be better to create than not.

#13

Just read in the new book I got that physics indicates that only some worlds are concrete. The author argues for two concrete worlds in the book. Not infinite. The argument would still hold though. For God could create many universes or just two where there is an overall balance of good over evil. The author shows there’s just two. Thus the design or fine-tuning of the universe would still hold and there is no explaining away the probabilities.

#14

Correction

He argues for at least two. But shows there can’t be infinite. Multiple yes

#15

Another contributor in the book argues that a non standard conception of infinite numbers, on which infinite numbers behave very much like finite numbers, is preferable to the Cantorian view of infinite numbers. He then argues that this conception lovers the prior probability of there being a multiverse comprising infinitely many universes. So, I hold to the multiverse theory not infinite universe theory. If God created a multiverse in which there is an overall balance of good over evil then we can’t say He shouldn’t have created at all for it would be better to create than not. God could have created a multiverse in which there is an overall balance of good over evil. In some universes there is no evil and suffering in some there is a great deal. As it happens we find ourselves in one of those universes in which there is a great deal. But then it’s no longer highly unlikely that theism is true given the multiverse. For the fine-tuning would still be unexplained because it requires an infinite universe model to be explained away. The fine-tuning is such that this is so.

#16

The improbability of you based on biological reproduction