Goodness of God is important in Judaeo-Christian theology
Analogical goodness - God is a lawgiver and judge, not like human goodness
Example of the goodness of God in the Old Testament is God giving Hannah a baby after she prays to Him (1 Samuel 1:10-11,20) and best example in the New Testament is Jesus ('For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son' - John 3:16)
God is the model of goodness - seen through John 3:16
Perfectly good
Nothing God does is seen as cruel, vindictive or vengeful
God's goodness is expressed through the moral standards He sets and the responses He gives to His people
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Bible references:
Exodus 20 (Decalogue) - the Ten Commandments show God cares about humanity because He has given us rules to live by
Abraham and his son Isaac in Genesis - God tells Abraham to kill his only son and Abraham is prepared to do this because he reponds to God with faith no reason
Job's suffering
Jesus
Deuteronomy 32:4-5 - 'His work is perfect' shows all God created was good
Psalm 19 - 'The Law of the Lord is perfect' tells us obedience glorfies God
Psalm 23 - 'The Lord is my shepherd' shows God helps humanity
Isaiah 55:8 - 'My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways' shows understanding, forgiveness and flexibility of God's goodness
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Problem of Evil:
Some philosophers disagree with the view that God is good because of evil exists
J. S. Mill argues that a good Gos should not act differently to a good person
Evil acts of God cannot be justified on the grounds that God is divine
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Faith not Reason:
Christians and Jews should respond to the commands of God with faith not reason
Reason alone will not lead people to the right choices
God defines goodness even if it sometimes seems unreliable
Doesn't matter if people don't understand the goodness of God, they must accept it (see story of Abraham and Isaac)
God's goodness is not circumstantial or predictable - if it was, we would only love God when we experienced goodness (see story of Job, who lost everything but remained faithful
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The Jewish Covenant:
God's goodness is part of the covenant relationship the Jews share with Him
The suffering of the Jews throughout history shows God cares about them because He wishes to know how strong their faith is
Jewish people should accept that God's judgement might be harsh
As God's chosen people they are under more scrunity than His other followers
The Jewish relationship with God is unique
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The Euthyphro Dilemma:
Is something good because God commands it or does God command something because it is good?
Christians go with the former - moral action is willed by God:
God is the source of morality
He is clearly placed above goodness
Alternative view that there is a link between God and morality:
Moral values were not established by God
God operates according to morals already placed in the Universe
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