I did read it, and found it somewhat less than useful. Just for example, the first resource that you gave me comes up with the wonderfully useless conclusion (you can read it for yourself) that, while it is true that God is all good and all powerful, and God wants what is best for everybody, and still there is much suffering -- the reason is that "God has a reason, but you can't know it."
In other words, just one more thing that you have to accept on faith even though everything that you can reason about it says it is false.
This is not an argument -- it is the use of too many words to appeal to those who haven't the patience to read them thoroughly and understand that they're being duped by a charlatan who wouldn't know logic if it bit him.
I have read more theodicies than you imagine -- and have found every single one of them, without exception, to eventually find some way to avoid reason and appeal to belief in despite of reason. And that (you may be surprised to hear me say it) is unreasonable.
Regarding your response to the first article by Michael Patton - The Five Responses to the Problem of Evil and your statement that it avoids reason is noteworthy in light of the fact that he states: "The intellectual problem of evil attempts to address a logical problem in a world that has pain, suffering, and evil, yet has a good and all-powerful God who rules it." He then offers this rational question: "Therefore we begin to question God’s role in all of this. And we are brought to this dilemma. If God exists, if God is good and does not like evil, and if God is powerful enough to change things, why does evil still exist?"
Beginning with this syllogism:
The intellectual problem of evil attempts to address a logical problem in a world that has pain, suffering, and evil, yet has a good and all-powerful God who rules it. Let me define this problem using a syllogism:
- Premise 1: God is all-good (omnibenevolent)
- Premise 2: God is all-powerful (omnipotent)
- Premise 3: Suffering and evil exist
Moving on to your worldview, the Atheistic worldview, he states: "Conclusion: An all-good, all-powerful God could not exist since there is so much suffering and evil in the world. If he did, he would eradicate this evil." offering this syllogism:
- Premise 1: God is all-good (omnibenevolent) denied
- Premise 2: God is all-powerful (omnipotent) denied
- Premise 3: Suffering and evil exist
Patton refers to Genesis 50 where Joseph and his brothers attend the death of their father Israel. His brothers, because of jealousy, sold him to the Egyptians where, in time, he was cast into prison.
"When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father was dead, they said, “What if Joseph bears a grudge against us and pays us back in full for all the wrong which we did to him!” 16 So they sent a message to Joseph, saying, “Your father charged before he died, saying, 17 ‘Thus you shall say to Joseph, “Please forgive, I beg you, the transgression of your brothers and their sin, for they did you wrong.”’ And now, please forgive the transgression of the servants of the God of your father.” And Joseph wept when they spoke to him. 18 Then his brothers also came and fell down before him and said, “Behold, we are your servants.” 19 But Joseph said to them, “Do not be afraid, for am I in God’s place? 20
As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive.
In the Atheistic worldview pain and suffering have no purpose. In the Atheistic worldview, which denies the supernatural, the laws of logic or reason cannot be accounted for and therefore to apply to them in an argument is irrational.
Patton rightly states: "God meant it for good.” Therefore, the intellectual problem of evil can be dealt with without sacrificing intellectual integrity. In fact, as we look through the options, the Christian option is the option that makes the most rational sense."
His whole article dealt with "logic" and "reason" and your deliberate misquoting him - "the wonderfully useless conclusion (you can read it for yourself) that, while it is true that God is all good and all powerful, and God wants what is best for everybody, and still there is much suffering -- the reason is that "God has a reason, but you can't know it." fully demonstrates that your absurd argument must prevaricate to claim to win a rational debate. What was actually stated was:
"Conclusion: God has good reasons for allowing suffering and evil to exist. He uses suffering and evil to accomplish a greater good, even
if we never know exactly what that reason is."
https://credohouse.org/blog/the-five-responses-to-the-problem-of-evil
Unlike Open Theism or Deism, in the Christian faith, "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." Ps.46:1
Not only that but when God the Son took on human nature (yet without sin) He, Himself suffered: Heb.4:14 Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. 15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.
Isaiah 53:1 Who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? 2 For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, And like a root out of parched ground; He has no stately form or majesty That we should look upon Him, Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him. 3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. 4 Surely our griefs He Himself bore, And our sorrows He carried; Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken, Smitten of God, and afflicted. 5 But He was [h]pierced through for our transgressions,
He was crushed for our iniquities; The chastening for our
well-being fell upon Him, And by His scourging we are healed. 6 All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all To fall on Him.7 He was oppressed and He was afflicted, Yet He did not open His mouth;
Like a lamb that is led to slaughter, And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, So He did not open His mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment He was taken away;
And as for His generation, who considered That He was cut off out of the land of the living For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due? 9 His grave was assigned with wicked men, Yet He was with a rich man in His death, Because He had done no violence, Nor was there any deceit in His mouth. 10 But the Lord was pleased To crush Him, putting Him to grief; If He would render Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. 11 As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; By His knowledge the Righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, As He will bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, And He will divide the booty with the strong; Because He poured out Himself to death, And was numbered with the transgressors; Yet He Himself bore the sin of many, And interceded for the transgressors.