evil and suffering Flashcards
what is natural evil?
- evil that is caused by naturally occurring events
- e.g hurricanes
what is moral evil?
- evil which is caused by mankind
- e.g theft, rape etc
what is suffering?
- mental/physical pain/hardship/distress brought about though natural and moral evils
what’s a quote saying God made the person blind so Jesus could show the loving power of God?
“it was not that this man had sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be manifest in him”
what is a example case study for natural evil?
- 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and Tsunami
- killed over 250,000
what’s a example case study for moral evil?
- the Holocaust
- Hitlers Nazi Germany
- killed 6 million jews
what is the logical problem of evil?
- God is omnipotent
- God is omnibenevolent
- evil exists
what is the logical problem of evil also known as?
- the inconsistent triad
what does the logical problem of evil suggest?
- they cannot all be true
- all powerful God= He’s able
- all loving God= He’d want to remove evil
- yet evil exists
what would it mean if Gods not omnipotent?
- He’s unable to control evil
- therefore cannot be blamed
- however a God which isn’t omnipotent isn’t worthy of worship
what is Augustine’s solution to the logical problem of evil?
- evil doesn’t exist in its own right, but its an absence of good
what are two reasons why God allows evil to exist?
- free will defence
- John Hicks eschatological solution
what is John Hicks eschatological solution?
- in the end everyone will reach Gods kingdom
- evil is a necessary part for which we become fit for heaven
what is the evidential problem of evil?
- there are 2 types of evidence which supply evidence
- Evil which is overwhelming in quantity and quality
- Evil which is pointless as it serves no purpose
what is William Rowes example of pointless evils?
- in a distant forest a lightning strike causes a forest fire
- a fawn is trapped and horribly burned in agony for several days before dying alone
- no evidential good would come from this
what’s an example of natural evil which is of great quantity and quality?
- the ‘great dying’
- killed 90% of marines species
- killed 79% of land species
what’s an example of moral evil which is of great quantity and quality?
- the holocaust
- Hitler killed 6 million Jews
what does the evidential problem of evil and Gods omniscience show?
- an omniscient being would know at the point of creation that both pointless and overwhelming evils would exist
- then why did God create the universe
what can we say about gods plan?
- God has a plan by which all suffering will eventually lead to perfect harmony of life in heaven