Reflections | Can there really be a God? Confucius did not care about the divine

Chinese philosopher Kongzi, also known as Confucius, put no faith in deities, preferring to focus on the here and now

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Kongzi, also known as Confucius, preferred to focus on the here and now rather than on deities. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 8:15am, 4 Jan 2025Updated: 12:02pm, 10 Jan 2025

While doomscrolling one sleepless evening I came across the Epicurean paradox, which argues that a deity who is simultaneously all-knowing, all-powerful and all-loving cannot exist.

Attributed to Greek philosopher Epicurus (341–270BC), the paradox uses human logic to demonstrate the impossibility for such a god to coexist with evil in the world.

In a nutshell, a god who is all-knowing and all-powerful but does not use their omniscience and omnipotence to eradicate evil is not all that benevolent.

This argument echoes the doubts I had in my late teens about Christianity, the faith within which I grew up. At that age, my thought processes were less sophisticated, but essentially I was conflicted over the idea of eternal punishment for “sinners”.

A bust of Greek philosopher Epicurus. A paradox attributed to him uses human logic to demonstrate the impossibility for an all-loving god to coexist with evil in the world. Photo: Getty Images

God brings a certain person into being. In his omniscience, God is fully aware that this person – long before he or she exercises their “free will” to choose good or evil – will choose the latter and end up suffering for eternity in a place of fire and brimstone. And yet, God still brings this person into being.

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