arguments AGAINST God's existence Flashcards
christian explanations for the problem of evil
- suffering is a punishment for wrong-doing. it’s a test of faith, which if passed, can achieve great reward from God.
- suffering is needed as a balance - we cannot truly appreciate good without being able to recognise evil,
- suffering must be accepted as something that we cannot understand (Job quote).
- suffering is a form of education for our souls which allows us to grow spiritually.
- the freewill defence (God cant interfere with our suffering and help us because He would be limiting our freewill).
- God’s actions are justified as they produce more good than evil. God sees human life as worthwhile and works to try and outweigh its evil. Whitehead described God as “the fellow sufferer who understands.
what is john hick’s freewill defence
- God could intervene to stop suffering, but this would undermine human freedom.
- God created us with an ‘epistemic distance’ (knowledge gap). He deliberately made His existence uncertain. If we knew for certain that He existed, we would act morally out of fear of judgement, not out of faith.
- God allows suffering in order to lead to the higher goal of moral development.
- In order for suffering to be morally justified, everyone must attain perfection. Everyone continues to develop in the afterlife, so everyone must make it to heaven.
what is the problem of evil
God is said to have the qualities of omnibenevolence (all-loving) and omnipotence (all-powerful), so evil shouldn’t exist.
- An all-loving God would want to get rid of evil because He wouldn’t want to see people suffering.
- An all-powerful God would have the ability to stop/remove evil, but evil exists.
Therefore, one or both of these qualities cannot be true.
what is the evidential problem of evil
We may be able to justify the existence of evil, but we can’t explain why it exists to such an extent.
why should you support science over religion
- science is evidence based, but religion is based on belief in God (no proof of His existence).
- science comes under empiricism - observation through senses to gain knowledge of the physical world.
- science is modern
- science is more definite, religion is a possibility
- science has tests and hypotheses, nit with religion, we retain our views regardless of contrary evidence.
why does religion prove strong in the world?
- science doesn’t make you feel anything. religion provides purpose, reassurance, comfort and happiness.
- out of fear of God.
- religion gives life meaning.
- people want to believe that there is life after death because it brings comfort.
- religion has all the answers already, whereas science doesn’t.
scientific arguments contradicting the design and first cause arguments
- darwin’s theodicy of evolution - things evolve overtime
- big bang caused the universe not God —> God could have caused the big bang
- things have designed themselves to adapt and survive in their environments (survival of the fittest) - they werent originally perfectly suited for their surroundings like these arguments suggest
