evidential problem of evil

Question 1

problem of evil as an evidential problem

Answer 1

a posterori argument
the evidence of evil and excessive suffering, pointless suffering challenges the existence of God. why did god create and continue to sustain such a world and why did he make humans capable of such cruelty

Question 2

evidential problem challenges belief: W. Rowe

Answer 2

asks why an omnipotent, omniscient and wholly good being would allow ‘seemingly pointless human and animal suffering’. example of fawn dying in a forest fire. concedes may be a reason we cannot understand but belief in a theistic God seems irrational.

Question 3

evidential problem challenges belief: huge amounts of suffering with no obvious purpose

Answer 3

Hume argues that observations of evil and suffering in world lead to questioning God’s benevolence and power. asks whether God could have created a more hospitable world allowed humans to learn through pleasure rather than pain. vast quantity of pain that poses greatest challenge to belief.

Question 4

evidential problem challenges belief: could God could make humans always choose good?

Answer 4

so they could choose not to inflict so much pain and suffering

Question 5

evidential problem challenges belief: Dostoyevsky

Answer 5

argues a god who allows the extent of innocent suffering is not worth worshipping. his character Ivan ‘returns his ticket to heaven’ because he doesn’t want to spend eternity with a malevolent God

Question 6

evidential problem not greatest challenge to belief: logical problem

Answer 6

highlights the inconsistency of belief in a theistic God who has all the characteristics of being all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good. such a being would know about, want to and be able to stop evil, since evil continues these attributes are contradictory and irrational.

Question 7

evidential problem not greatest challenge to belief: both logical and evidential needed

Answer 7

belief in a theistic God that’s questioned so both evidential and logical needed

Question 8

evidential problem not greatest challenge to belief: Swinburne

Answer 8

argues evidential problem is not so difficult as it provides greater motivation to find cures for diseases, etc. id pain and suffering are extreme.