Dr. Craig, in your Q&A number, 883 regarding divine command theory, and the slaughter of the Canaanites, you note that critics have failed to show that God's good and loving nature is incompatible with the command to drive the Canaanite nations out of their lands under pain of death. Specifically, you say, God wrong no one, because the Canaanite adults deserve the judgment and the children went to heaven. Finally, you say, God wronged no one, because the Canaanite adults deserved the judgment and the children

went to heaven. Finally, you say, the challenge for the critic is to show who was wronged by God

in this situation. I would like to submit an objection for your consideration. It seems to me that

if God's intention was to bring these infants and children into his loving embrace,

then having them horrifically butchered by soldiers was a rather unnecessary and awful way to achieve that end.

We know that God could simply have caused them to ascend to heaven.

As Paul tells us, we'll be done to those alive during the second coming of Christ. 1 Thessalonians 4, 16 to heaven. As Paul tells us, we'll be done to those alive during the second coming of Christ.

1 Thessalonians 4, 16 to 18. So it appears that God has been extremely cruel in causing this

terrible and unnecessary suffering. How can such actions be compatible with a good and loving God?

Very much looking forward to your response.

Corey from the United States.

Thank you for your intelligent question on this issue, Corey.

It seems to me that what your question reveals

is that the problem posed by the slaughter of the Canaanites

finally reduces to the old problem of evil,

to which abundant answers have been given.

The point of your concern is that the killing of the Canaanite children was an unnecessary

and awful way to achieve the end of their salvation.

Since children die every day in apparently unnecessary and awful ways, your question really adds

nothing new to the usual problem of apparently gratuitous and horrific

suffering in the world. In my work on the problem of evil, such as in philosophical foundations

for a Christian worldview, I call into question the cogency of the argument from apparently

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