Good And Evil Flashcards
Forgiveness
Anthony Walker case
Jesus said, ‘Forgive 70 x 7’
Ghandi said, ‘Forgiveness is an attribute of the strong’ and ‘an eye for an eye makes the whole world blind’
Bible says, ‘an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth’
Original sin
Adam and Eve were tempted by the serpent (Devil) in the Garden of Eden
Adam must work/Labour for food
Eve experiences pain in childbirth
This is why evil exists - God gave Adam and Eve free will
Epicurus paradox
God cannot be omnipresent, omniscient, omnipotent and omnibenevolent and evil still exist - but if He is not one of these things, how can we call him God?
Problem of evil - Irenaeus
Believes evil is ‘soul making’
Evil exists to help humans grow morally
There would be no good if there was no evil
Choosing to have faith in God is more valuable than if we had no challenges
Problem of Evil - the Devil
Devil’s three roles are to tempt, test and punish
Liberal Christians believe the Devil represents our potential to choose good or bad
Book of Job - problem of evil
• test of faith - will be rewarded
• lost all blessings, still had faith in God, ‘God has given, and God may take away’
• got everything back and more
• evil is a test of faith
Problem of Evil - Stephen Fry
• God could have created a peaceful society
• God would be evil if he created a world with unjust suffering
• happier when you don’t believe in God - there is no evil
Good in Christianity
God is the Supreme Good - all loving and all powerful (omnipotent and omnibenevolent) because:
he created the world for people to live in
his creation was perfect - its was ‘all good’ until Adam and Eve disobeyed him and let evil and death in
he saved the israelites (his chosen people) when they were in slavery: the 10 plagues and the parting of the Red Sea
he came down to earth in the form of Jesus to die on the cross and atone for people’s sins, so we can go to heaven
he sends miracles to help people in need
he is people’s strength and comfort in times of trouble
Christians get conscience from God
Bible contains good teachings - ‘love thy neighbour’ or ‘turn the other cheek’
If Christians do good things and follow the ten commandments, they will go to heaven
believe that at the end of time, evil will be conquered once and for all by the goodness of God
Evil in Christianity
Moral and natural evil
Evil causes suffering - you can have religious, mental, emotional or physical suffering
Christians believe evil can be satan
Some see him in physical form - Medieval Church used the Devil as a way to frighten people into behaving (threatened in eternal torture in Hell if they misbehaved)
Bible says Satan is a ‘fallen angel’ - physical being whose sole purpose is to lead people away from God, eg the snake in Adam and Eve
Also tried to tempt Jesus in wilderness
also symbolic to represent evil in everyone
can be an inner weakness in a person - pyschological force
evil has been described as ‘an absence of God’
Reasons why Christians follow a moral code
God is a judge - decide whether they go to Heaven or Hell
want to worship God because he is all-good
want to follow God’s rules because they know they were made to live in a world of justice
