Exam Cards - The Problem of Evil Flashcards
What problem does evil and suffering pose for religious believers?
It brings into question God’s benevolence, his power to remove evil, or his existence.
Outline the Inconsistent Triad.
It outlines the conflicting claims about God’s nature. For example, if God is omnipotent and omnibenevolent, would he not want to prevent evil and suffering in the world?
Give examples of natural evil.
- Earthquakes
- Famine
- Volcanos
- Tornadoes
- Illness
Give examples of moral evil.
- Murder
- Rape
Which three rules must a theodicy follow?
- It does not deny the existence of evil
- It does not qualify the nature of God
- It does not advocate giving up faith when faced with evil and suffering
Outline Augustinian Theodicy.
- Evil didn’t come from God because he is perfect
- Evil came from beings with free will (humans and angels)
- Natural evil came from the disorder in nature after Eve ate the forbidden fruit
- Moral evil came from the knowledge of good and evil that humans learned after the fruit was eaten
- Since all humans carry original sin, Augustine believed that God is within his rights to punish us
- Punishment for sin is the sign of a just God, not a malevolent God
Outline Irenaean Theodicy.
- God allows evil and suffering to exist on Earth to help humanity develop the qualities needed to become perfect
- Humans are first made in the image of God, and develop into the likeness of God throughout life
- Evil exists to help humans develop courage, generosity, kindness, love, and bitchez
- The Irenaean Theodicy states that God cannot intervene in our suffering because it would mean that we would not develop the qualities needed to develop into the likeness of God.
What are the criticisms of Augustinian Theodicy?
- It is a logical contradiction to say that a perfectly created world had gone wrong (Schleiermacher)
- How could there be the choice to obey or disobey God if the knowledge of good and evil was unknown?
- If evil didn’t exist in the newly created world, how did the Tree of Knowledge hold the knowledge of evil?
- Does free will really exist for humans if God punishes those who make the decision not to follow him?
What are the criticisms of Irenaean Theodicy?
- If we need an lifetime to achieve perfection, why couldn’t God give us longer lives?
- Is the good produced by evil proportionate to the suffering caused (Holocaust, etc)?
- Why is suffering needed for humans to develop good qualities?
- The Bible contradicts this theodicy, as Jesus worked to ease the suffering of others
- Since people do not suffer equally, do some develop more good qualities than others?
- Suffering can sometimes lead to the worsening of character
What are the strengths of Irenaean Theodicy?
- God created an imperfect world in order to give us meaningful choices instead of just praying for things (Swinburne)
- Allows room for the Theory of Evolution
- Irenaeus stated that everyone will achieve perfection
- All suffering that people experience on Earth would be justified in the afterlife
What are the strengths of Augustinian Theodicy?
- It is based on the Bible and does not contradict religious scriptures
- It stresses the value of free will
- It removes the responsibility of evil from God
- Gives God a just reason to allow evil and suffering
Outline Process Theodicy.
- Suggests that God is not omnipotent, but part of the Universe
- God is dipolar - having one mental and physical pole, with the physical pole being the material world
- God suffers when evil occurs
What are the strengths of Process Theodicy?
- God is imperfect, making the Inconsistent Triad irrelevant
- Allows for a benevolent God, despite evil and suffering
What are the weaknesses of Process Theodicy?
- There is no a posteriori evidence because it’s just a theory
- Limits God’s power, which goes against religious texts
- Is a limited God worthy of worship?
