If this principle holds, then human freedom is not compatible with God setting things up to insure that we always do the right thing. But Mackie's point is that the possibility of evil's being chosen is compatible with people being such that the good is always chosen. Consider: We may have a real choice whether to do something without being actively disposed to do it. It may be an option for humans to communicate only through song, but we choose not to. My choice to stand on the T-platform and not through myself under the wheels of the train may be free, even though I'm not even slightly tempted to commit suicide. In contrast, humans seem to be actively disposed to certain kinds of evil. Why did god create us with this disposition to do evil, if the good at issue is free will? i For van Inwagen, what's important is that my choice to love God is free. But my choice to love God might be free as long as there is some alternative that is not God the alternative need not be evil. E. g, Suppose that God provides to humans a moral code of conduct we might call the moral law. Suppose further that some people recognize the law as God's work and love God and the law He provides. But other people see only the value of the law itself and do not believe it is the work of God. One has a choice: loving God and the law, or just loving the law. but those who love the law are equally good/mora as those who love both God and the law. One can freely choose not to love god and still be goo Principles of van Inwagen,'s theodicy: i. All evil is the result of creaturely"rebellion", a turning away from God There is no other source of evil. (109) ii. All creatures who rebelled received and understood a warning that their actions would lead to disaster. (109) i. Among those who rebelled were an entire generation of humans all of those who were alive at a particular time (109) iv. In turning away from God, our ancestors ruined themselves they made it impossible to return to god"of their own power". This rebellion and its consequences constituted"The Fall"(109 v. The ruin caused by the fall was inherited by all the descendents of those who rebelled The existence of evil i unalterable by any natural means (109) vi. God has a plan for Atonement; it requires the fallen creature to ask God for help and to accept the help ( 109) vil. Every human has an eternal future. When God's plan of Atonement comes to fruition, there will never again be any sort of evil. The"age of evil "will be a mere flicker in human history. (109-110) vii. Our abilities to protect ourselves from natural evil was lost in the Fall (113) ix. An essential part of God's plan for Atonement is that humans perceive that their attempts to order their own lives result hideous world-hideous by their own standards as well as His (114) x. The perception of human beings of their incapacity to"live to themselves"is essential to God's plan of Atonement: i) without the pain and suffering, few would consider returning to God, and ii) memory of the pain and suffering will be an important component of the final state of restored humanity (116) xi. Among the natural consequences of the Fall is that horrors happen to people without any relation to what they deserveIf this principle holds, then human freedom is not compatible with God setting things up to insure that we always do the right thing. But Mackie's point is that the possibility of evil's being chosen is compatible with people being such that the good is always chosen. Consider: ï We may have a real choice whether to do something without being actively disposed to do it. It may be an option for humans to communicate only through song, but we choose not to. My choice to stand on the T-platform and not through myself under the wheels of the train may be free, even though I'm not even slightly tempted to commit suicide. In contrast, humans seem to be actively disposed to certain kinds of evil. Why did God create us with this disposition to do evil, if the good at issue is free will? ï For van Inwagen, what's important is that my choice to love God is free. But my choice to love God might be free as long as there is some alternative that is not God: the alternative need not be evil. E.g., Suppose that God provides to humans a moral code of conduct we might call the moral law. Suppose further that some people recognize the law as God's work and love God and the law He provides. But other people see only the value of the law itself and do not believe it is the work of God. One has a choice: loving God and the law, or just loving the law. But those who love the law are equally good/moral as those who love both God and the law. One can freely choose not to love God and still be good. Principles of van Inwagen's theodicy: i. All evil is the result of creaturely "rebellion", a turning away from God. There is no other source of evil. (109) ii. All creatures who rebelled received and understood a warning that their actions would lead to disaster. (109) iii. Among those who rebelled were an entire generation of humans: all of those who were alive at a particular time. (109) iv. In turning away from God, our ancestors ruined themselves; they made it impossible to return to God "of their own power". This rebellion and its consequences constituted "The Fall". (109) v. The ruin caused by the Fall was inherited by all the descendents of those who rebelled. The existence of evil is unalterable by any natural means. (109) vi. God has a plan for Atonement; it requires the fallen creature to ask God for help and to accept the help. (109) vii. Every human has an eternal future. When God's plan of Atonement comes to fruition, there will never again be any sort of evil. The "age of evil" will be a mere flicker in human history. (109-110) viii. Our abilities to protect ourselves from natural evil was lost in the Fall. (113) ix. An essential part of God's plan for Atonement is that humans perceive that their attempts to order their own lives result in a hideous world­hideous by their own standards as well as His. (114) x. The perception of human beings of their incapacity to "live to themselves" is essential to God's plan of Atonement: i) without the pain and suffering, few would consider returning to God, and ii) memory of the pain and suffering will be an important component of the final state of restored humanity. (116) xi. Among the natural consequences of the Fall is that horrors happen to people without any relation to what they deserve