Christianity Beliefs: Problem of Evil

Question 1

What are the two types of evil in the world?

Answer 1

• Moral evil
• Natural evil

Question 2

What is the problem of evil?

Answer 2

• Christians believe God is omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient, so evil should not exist. But it does.

Question 3

What are three possibilities created by the Problem of Evil?

Answer 3

• God is simply not powerful enough to stop evil
• God does not know that it is happening
• God simply does not love us enough to want to stop the evil

Question 4

What is the inconsistent triad?

Answer 4

• God is omnipotent but not omnibenevolent or
• God is omnibenevolent but not omnipotent or
• God does not exist

Question 5

How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?

Answer 5

• God gave people free will through his omnibenevolence, so people can chose to do evil and thus cause suffering (st Augustine)
• Life is a test made by god, how people react to suffering determines whether they go to heaven or hell (Hick’s Theodicy)