Beliefs And Teachings - The Problem Of Evil And Suffering And A Loving And Righteous God

Question 1

Evil and sin

Answer 1

• Christians believe that original sin caused humans to lose their immorality, and because of this all humans will one day die, as seen through the quote “…sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned”.
• Evil is a word used to describe everything that is the opposite of good. Some thinker have said that it is good gone wrong or a complete lack of goodness. Some people have thought of evil as a force that works against everything good and have personified it in the form of the devil or satan. The bible says that satan acts to tempt humans and this leads them to disobey God. He is described as a dangerous enemy to christians, the destroyer and leader of a host of demons who help him in his attacks against God’s people.

Question 2

Natural and moral evil

Answer 2

• Natural evil is suffering created through no direct fault of humans. This includes all natural disasters - such as earthquakes, floods, and tornadoes - that bring devastation and tragedy to innocent people.
• Moral evil is when suffering is caused by the actions of human beings.

Question 3

The problem of evil

Answer 3

• Mackie’s inconsistent triad shows the problem of evil. If God is omnibenevolent, then He would care enough to stop the suffering caused by evil, but He hasn’t, so maybe He is not omnipotent.
• On the other hand, if He is omnipotent and has the power to stop suffering but He hasn’t, maybe He doesn’t care enough, so He is not omnibenevolent.
  Christians have proposed responses to this problem.

Question 4

Irenaean theodicy

Answer 4

Irenaeus believed God allows evil and suffering so humans can learn and grow spiritually—this is known as the soul-making theodicy. The world includes both good and evil to give people real choice. God doesn’t interfere with free will, even when people choose wrongly, because they can learn from their mistakes and still reach heaven.

Question 5

Augustinian theodicy

Answer 5

Saint Augustine taught that God created a perfect world with no evil. Evil, he said, is not a thing itself but the absence of good. It entered the world when Adam and Eve misused their free will. God allows free will, even if it leads to evil, because without it, humans wouldn’t truly be free. However, God offers salvation and eternal life through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.

Question 6

What do Christians today think about evil and suffering?

Answer 6

Some conservative Christians view suffering as a result of human sin, following Augustine’s ideas, though this doesn’t fully explain natural disasters or innocent suffering. Other Christians see life as a test, where human evil must be addressed through love and action, especially during disasters. Some believe suffering has a deeper, unknown purpose and offers a chance to share in Jesus’ own suffering.