Evil And Suffering Flashcards
What did John Hick defined evil and suffering as?
As “physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness. The last is one of the causes of other first two”
Monists claim that evil does not exist, what do they claim evil is?
A mere illusion of the mind, and evil only causes a feeling of suffering because we cannot see the whole picture, therefore evil is an illusion.
What is another believe of Monists and Augustine about evil?
Privatio Boni - evil is an absence of good, like a blind man
What are the three problems of the Monists theory that evil is an illusion?
1) The theory contradicts our own experiences of the world in which there is obviously evil and suffering
2) why would a all loving God allow humanity to suffer for a illusion
3) if evil is only an illusion why shouldn’t we bother avoiding it
Atheists argue evil is convincing evidence that there is not God, why?
An all loving God would not have created a world in which we suffer, (rejecting God is just as rational as believing in an all loving and powerful God who allows evil)
Buddhists believe that evil is due to disorder and as a result of evil committed in previous lives, what does this mean for God?
This means that God is not responsible for evil and suffering, suffering is due to human selfishness and greed
What is monotheism?
The belief that there is one God
What is the theological problem?
Challenges the nature of God
What is the philosophical problem?
Requires the believer to accept conflicting claims
What is the diverse problem?
That evil comes in many forms that demand different explanations
What the the problem of challenging?
That the existence of evil and suffering is an objective reality
Who came up with the theory of “process theodicy”?
A.N. Whitehead
Who outlined the theory of the inconsistent triad?
J.L.Mackie
what does ex nihilo mean?
That God created the world out of nothing and is totally responsible for it. (therefore he could have made a world which was free from evil and suffering)
David Hume agreed that God was either not omnipotent or omniscient or not omnibenevolent or evil does not exist, what conclusion does he come to?
(He believes that the inconsistent triad is the Rock of atheism
Since evil does exist then God does not
