Christianity Chapter 1: Christian beliefs - 1.8 Divergent Solutions To The Problem of Evil

Question 1

What are some biblical solutions?

Answer 1

1. Suffering is a part of life
2. It is sometimes linked to the existence of a personal force of evil, given different names in the history of Christianity: Devil, Satan, Lucifer
3. It is a test of faith and trust that everything will turn out good which was the case In the Book of Job

‘I know that you [God] can do all things; no purpose of yours can be thwarted.’ (Job 42: 2)

4. It encourages Christians to turn to god and pray for comfort in their time of suffering and to praise him for his help in times of trouble

‘I called to the Lord… and I have been saved ‘ (Psalm 18:3)

Question 2

What are some theoretical solutions?

Answer 2

1. Evil and suffering are a result of human will as can be seen in Genesis when Adam and Eve misused their free will and were ‘banished… from the garden of Eden’
2. Some Christians believe the world is a vale of soul-making - an environment where everything that is necessary for human growth and development can be found. For instance, in the midst of evil and suffering, there are opportunities to do good / bad or to choose the right / wrong way

This means that suffering helps people develop good characteristics

Question 3

What are some practical solutions?

Answer 3

Christians may believe that suffering is a part of life, and they have a duty to respond to this practically

1. They can develop positive qualities e,g compassion, kindness, courage, honesty
2. They can help each other to make the world a better place and learn how to improve things for themselves and the future generation
3. They can help through involvement in charity work
4. They can pray for god’s help and encouragement

Question 4

What is intercession

Answer 4

When Christians pray for those who are sufffering

Question 5

Strengths and weaknesses of Theoretical Solutions

Answer 5

Strengths:
- Explains that evil and suffering come from
human free will, not from God.
- Encourage Christians to use times of evil and
suffering to make the right choices and grow
closer to God.

Weaknesses:
-God created the universe, therefore he must be
responsible for the existence of evil.
-It may not be reasonable to expect people to
respond well in times of suffering.

Question 6

Strengths and weaknesses of Biblical Solutions

Answer 6

Strength:
- Help Christian to understand god more clearly
and trust that he will make everything right in
the end
- Help Christians belive that god acts for good in
the world

Weaknesses:
- People in the Bible still experience suffering, and God does not always stop it.
- It can be harder to trust God when things aren’t
going well.

Question 7

Strength and weaknesses of practical Responses

Answer 7

Christians would say that practical responses to evil and suffering are not a ‘solution’ to the problem, but they can be successful in easing suffering.

Christians believe suffering is a reality of life, and they have a choice to respond practically to help with the consequences.