The Showcase of God's Glory: Objections

Because God is good, a notion not only illustrated in creation but predicated in His Word, it is evident that He must choose to create the best of all possible worlds. Furthermore, the goodness of God demonstrates that it is possible to argue for a best of all possible worlds. A common objection to the possibility of a best of all possible worlds argues that, because of the existence of various kinds of evil in the created world, no one standard of goodness can be established by which to grade possible worlds. Scripture shows, however, that the standard of goodness is God Himself. God, as Aquinas argued, is the perfection of being that all things desire. Because of His self-revelation, it is possible, therefore, to evaluate the goodness of all created beings.
Reichenbach offers two additional objections to a “best” of all possible worlds. First, he argues from a Thomist perspective that the best of all possible worlds would include the highest kinds of beings. Such a hierarchy of being runs infinitely towards God, who is the perfect being and cannot be equaled. Such a chain of being, he argues, is infinite and impossible. Yet the Bible makes a strong case for the supremacy of man in creation. Genesis 1:26-27 records that man is made in the very image of God, according to His “likeness,” and is “very good.”
Reichenbach makes a second objection, though, against the “best” of all possible worlds. He argues that the “best” world would be that which is most optimal, according to “the sum total of utility, benefit, or good in the world.” Whatever the standard for possible worlds may be, Reichenbach argues that there would always exist a world in which there was more of that standard (e.g. if the standard were yellow lilies, for any given world that had yellow lilies there could exist another world with just one more yellow lily, on to infinity). Reichenbach fails to consider that since the standard of possible worlds is the goodness of God, and His middle knowledge informs Him of the glory He would receive and accomplish in all possible worlds, it is possible for God to create the world where He receives the most possible glory.
Finally, Plantinga objects to the possibility of a “best” of all possible worlds arguing:
No matter how marvelous a world is—containing no matter how many persons
enjoying unalloyed bliss—isn’t it possible that there be a better world containing
even more persons enjoying even more unalloyed bliss?

Plantinga errs on the notion that man’s happiness, success, or bliss is the standard by which possible worlds are judged. Scripture, as well as Christian tradition, teach against the notion that man, his emotions, and/or his pleasures are the highest goal or priority of God. Rather, as has been demonstrated, God seeks His glory and creates man ultimately for that same purpose. To argue otherwise undermines the Biblical teachings on the nature of God.