In response, Swinburne argues that ‘as author of our being [God] would have rights over us that we do not have over our fellow humans.’ To make a case for this, Swinburne argues that a parent has the right to force one of her or his children to suffer ‘for the good of his or his brother’s soul’; given that the parent is responsible for their child’s existence and continued life, they have ‘the right to demand something in return.’5 If a mere human parent has this right to some extent, argues Swinburne, so much greater must God who is the source of all being.
