I really liked your “exposed nerve” analogy, even though I don’t have children myself. I think it makes a lot of sense that having children can feel like an extension of oneself, and maybe that’s one way to imagine how God sees us too.

And I think your point about free will is important: good and evil can coexist without canceling God out, even if that doesn’t automatically prove God’s existence either.

It also made me think of Hick’s soul-making idea, that this world isn’t meant to be comfortable, but to shape us into something more than we were before. Though, honestly, sometimes it feels less like “soul-making” and more like God is forging us a bit sadistically haha.

Also, thanks for reading my blog 🩷