Christianity: The Problem of Evil and Suffering and a Loving and Righteous God

Question 1

What is the difference between natural and moral evil?

Answer 1

• Natural: Suffering created through no direct fault of humans - nature taking its course.
• Moral: Evil that occurs as a result of an action of a free agent. Evil does not always equal suffering, e.g. dying because of a terrorist attack is evil, but there is no suffering.

Question 2

Explain the problem of the existence of evil and suffering.

Answer 2

• God is benevolent, which means he is perfectly good - the source of all good. As he created everything in existence, how does evil exist?
• God is omnipotent, which means he is all-powerful. If he is all-powerful, why doesn’t he destroy evil?
• God is omniscient, which means he is all-knowing. If he knows, everything, then he must know how to stop evil.
• However, it is clear that evil does exist in the world. How can this be if God is benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient?

Question 3

What is good?

Answer 3

God is good - anything that God does is good. This means that when someone is good, they are God-like.

Question 4

Explain the concept of original sin.

Answer 4

• Sin is a result of humans turning away from God.
• When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, they turned away from him, committing the first sin.
• This broke the perfect relationship between humans and God.
• As a result of the original sin, death was brought into the world.
• Jesus is regarded as a second Adam - those who turn to him receive immortality, and those who turn away from him join Adam.

Question 5

How was it possible for the Fall to occur?

Answer 5

• God gave humans free will.
• As a result, Adam and Eve were able to disobey him.
• Humans must have free will in order to be able to turn to God, but this also allows them to sin.

Question 6

What is evil?

Answer 6

1) The way we learn (Irenaeus of Lyon)
2) The consequence of sin (Augustine of Hippo)
3) A consequence of free will (Augustine of Hippo)
4) There is no evil - there are good things that are malfunctioning (Augustine of Hippo)

Question 7

Explain the Vale of Soul Making as the origin of evil.

Answer 7

• First proposed by Irenaeus of Lyon; supported by John Hick
• God created an environment for humans to be able to learn and become good - we need obstacles.
• Eventually we will get to God.
• John Hick sees this as proof of life after death - so that everyone has the chance to complete the journey.

Question 8

Explain sin as the origin of evil.

Answer 8

According to Augustine, sin is using something for the wrong reason. This is how evil can exist - things were not intended to be evil, but were misused by humans.

Question 9

Explain free will as the origin of evil.

Answer 9

• God does not interfere to stop evil because humans have free will - if He interfered, that would no longer be true.
• Associated with both Irenaeus and Augustine - most Christians share this view.
• If humans had to be with God, there would be no value to it - they have to choose to be with God
• As humans are created out of nothing, it is natural for them to do nothing
• Turning to God requires a decision
• If non-perfect beings have free will, they will make mistakes.
• Apparent evil is the consequence of mistakes.

Question 10

Explain the idea that there is no evil.

Answer 10

• Evangelical Lutherans believe there is no reason; our perception is wrong, and it is wrong to question God.
• Augustine of Hippo suggested the idea that there is no evil. God is created ex nihilo, and everything are created ex deo, so there cannot be another God.
• This means there cannot be another being that is 100% perfect.
• This means everything else malfunctions.
• Everything is made up of God and nothingness. How much something malfunctions depends on the extent to which they are made up of God and nothingness.