Is God Mischievous?

Yes, Loki is.......

Well, we begin with the assumption that it is ontologically better to exist than not exist... God's love issues forth, giving way to human existence.

We also assume that it is better to have free will than to be mere puppets. This seems intuitively true, as even the average person recognizes that Love is only meaningful when one freely chooses to give it, rather than forced out of compulsion (or in that case, the affection expressed is no longer Love, proper).

But if free will is going to be possible (thus enabling a kind of moral good that is uniquely good only because it was an act of freely given self-sacrifice), then by necessity, evil must also be a logical possibility.

Despite this, it is still better for God to create a world with beings capable of exercising their free will for good as well as evil. It is human departure from the "way things ought to be" that brings mischief into the world, but this stands as no indictment against God, as such.

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Ah, the same old "challenges".

It seems you have some fixation on all the evils in the world. No doubt there is a lot of it. However, the question ultimately becomes: "Is any of it ultimately gratuitous?"

In other words, is there any evil and suffering that is objectively pointless? I've not seen a single argument from atheism that succeeds in demonstrating any evil to be objectively gratuitous, and for understandable reasons: One would have to be God to know for certain, which negates the whole purpose of the atheist's challenge.

But let's assume for the moment that there really is more evil than good in the world. What does that demonstrate? Somehow it is assumed that if God exists, his purpose is to make us happy. But on the Christian worldview, that assumption is false. God's purpose in is not to make us happy, as such, but that we would come to a knowledge of he and his Son--which in turn will produce ultimate fulfillment and happiness in the Long Run.

It must also be said that if we do not have free will, then not even Atheism is a rational position to hold. Atheism "happens" to you, but you no more reasoned your way to it anymore than a Christian reasons their way to God.

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It seems there's some confusion here about what it means for God to be all-knowing, and yet have human beings still capable of free will. One view suggests that God possesses "middle knowledge," such that he knows what Julie would do in any given situation under certain conditions. Is it proper to say that God's infallible foreknowledge of her choice limits Julie's ability to choose freely? I think not--no more, at least, than an infallible barometer controls the weather.

If humans then use God's gift of free will for evil purposes, why does the blame go directly to God? Again, if you agree with me that it is better to have free will than not to have it (whether or not you believe we actually have it), then God is justified. If you disagree and say it would be better to not have free will, then it seems that's a disagreement of opinion you'd have to take up with God. ;)

But again, if you insist on Determinism, not even your reasoning is objectively rational... it's merely a causal link in an unchangeable chain of events you cannot control, and that means Atheism isn't even a position you reasoned to--it's a "condition" you're "afflicted" with. If you're willing to argue for Atheism at the expense of rationality, be my guest. I go with the worldview that makes rationality possible.

God loves fellowship and that is our choice

as a Jew I had money but no personal God, now Jesus is my savior and best friend-He says he delays his return that all might repent and come to know him as savior Lord and best friend.

worked for me Revelation 3:19&20 and chapters 19-22 to describe heaven and hell for the mean people that hurt others or the victims too if they chose hell & dont come to the loving savior

What Jew4Messiah said.

I Cr 13;8a

what god are you talking about?