simply as a matter of chance. It is part of God's plan of Atonement that we realize that our separation from Him has this result. (119) Summary of van Inwagen s defense in light of the scenario he sketches stion 0: Why does god allow"natural"disasters and other sorts of"natural evil"that are not due to human free will?] wer: Our abilities to protect ourselves from natural evil was lost in the Fall.(113) Question 1: Why didn't God immediately restore His fallen creatures to their original union with Him? (DURATION) Answer: This would require him to deceive us by erasing our memories of the Fall. and god is no deceiver (113 Question 2: Why doesn't God protect His fallen creatures from the worst effects of their separation from Him: the horrible pain and suffering?(MAGNITUDE) Answer: An essential part of God's plan for Atonement is that humans perceive that their attempts to order their own lives results in a hideous world-hideous by their own standards as well as His. (114) The perception of human beings of their incapacity to"live to themselves"is essential to Gods 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 estored humanity (116) Question 3: Why has God allowed"the age of evil" to persist for thousands and thousands of years? (DURATION) Answer: Perhaps God wants the community of those in union with him to be large, and/or diverse (116)Perhaps it is very difficult for creatures who have fallen to restore themselves, so it takes a long time. (117) Question 4: Why do the innocent suffer and the wicked prosper? (DISTRIBUTION Answer: Among the natural consequences of the Fall is that horrors happen to people without any relation to what they deserve, simply as a matter of chance. It is part of Gods plan of Atonement that we realize that our separation from Him has this result (118) Further questions i How can God allow the effects of"the Fall"to be inherited? Isn't that to deny the descendants of those who originally chose evil their own chance to love God freely? Why do we have to suffer the consequences of what others did? (DISTRIBUTION If God is not a deceiver, why does He not reveal Himself and his plan more clearly to us?simply as a matter of chance. It is part of God's plan of Atonement that we realize that our separation from Him has this result. (119) Summary of van Inwagen's defense in light of the scenario he sketches: [Question 0: Why does God allow "natural" disasters and other sorts of "natural evil" that are not due to human free will?] Answer: Our abilities to protect ourselves from natural evil was lost in the Fall. (113) Question 1: Why didn't God immediately restore His fallen creatures to their original union with Him? (DURATION) Answer: This would require Him to deceive us by erasing our memories of the Fall, and God is no deceiver. (113) Question 2: Why doesn't God protect His fallen creatures from the worst effects of their separation from Him: the horrible pain and suffering? (MAGNITUDE) Answer: An essential part of God's plan for Atonement is that humans perceive that their attempts to order their own lives results in a hideous world­hideous by their own standards as well as His. (114) 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) Question 3: Why has God allowed "the age of evil" to persist for thousands and thousands of years? (DURATION) Answer: Perhaps God wants the community of those in union with him to be large, and/or diverse. (116) Perhaps it is very difficult for creatures who have fallen to restore themselves, so it takes a long time. (117) Question 4: Why do the innocent suffer and the wicked prosper? (DISTRIBUTION) Answer: Among the natural consequences of the Fall is that horrors happen to people without any relation to what they deserve, simply as a matter of chance. It is part of God's plan of Atonement that we realize that our separation from Him has this result. (118) Further questions: ï How can God allow the effects of "the Fall" to be inherited? Isn't that to deny the descendants of those who originally chose evil their own chance to love God freely? Why do we have to suffer the consequences of what others did? (DISTRIBUTION) ï If God is not a deceiver, why does He not reveal Himself and his plan more clearly to us?