worked like machines—would hardly be worth creating. The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other.… And for that they must be free.”57 Second, this understanding challenges the view that (actualized) evil is itself necessary for some greater good. Whereas the free will defense is compatible with such a claim, the theodicy of love set forth in this book contends that God never desires or needs evil. Rather, God
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