Good and Evil

Question 1

What three things is God described as being?

Answer 1

Omnipotent (all powerful)
Omniscient (All knowing)
Omnibenevolent (All good)

Question 2

Why does the existence of natural evil and moral evil cause problems for religious believers?

Answer 2

If God is omnipotent, then he would be able to stop all forms of evil
If He was omniscient, he’d know about all forms of evil
If He was omnibenevolent, he’d want to stop all evil

Question 3

What are some of the different responses to the problem of evil and suffering?

Answer 3

God doesn’t exist

God has a higher plan for humanity

Free will

Original sin- humans have a tendency for evil/ e&s is a punishment

Devil/Satan/Force of evil

Question 4

What’s an outline of the higher plan argument?

Who agrees with this argument?

Answer 4

God has a plan that we don’t know

We shouldn’t question Him because He is God

E&S allow us to grow spiritually –> ‘soul making’

Greater good

Could be a test of faith–> story of Job

IRENAEUS

Question 5

What’s an outline of the free will argument?

Who agrees with this argument?

Answer 5

God created humans with free will
–> He wants us to choose to love and follow Him
10 Commandments offer a guild-line, but it’s up to us to choose to follow them and God or not
E&S is a result of humans abusing that free will

AUGUSTINE

Question 6

What’s an outline of the Original Sin argument(s)?

Answer 6

After the Original Sin- humans have a tendency for evil
Adam & Eve disobeyed God, so now we have that as a part of us

OR

E&S is a punishment from God for the Original Sin
-Natural evil is God teaching us a lesson
‘Seminally present in the loins of Adam’

Question 7

What’s an outline of the external agent of evil argument?

Who agrees with this argument?

Answer 7

God is the power of good
There is a power of evil as well
Either Satan or some other external agent to blame for E&S
(Satan could be a ,metaphor for the wrong in humans)

Satan acts as a test for those who believe in God- God allows it (doing his bidding)

OR

There’s a power struggle, one day God will win and destroy all evil

Evangelical Christians

Question 8

What is the story of Job?

Answer 8

Job is a wealthy man w/ a large family
follows God-doesn’t sin
God boasts to Satan about Job
Satan bets that if he can torment Job, Job will turn against God
God accepts, but tells Satan not to kill him

Satan torments Job many times (kills children etc.)–> stays with God throughout
God rewards job for staying with him throughout

Question 9

What is a theodicy?

Answer 9

An attempt to bring together the idea of a loving God with a world of evil and suffering

Question 10

What’s Ockham’s Razor?

Answer 10

The idea that the simplest explanation for something is the best

Question 11

What’s Augustine’s position on E&S?

Answer 11

Believed that evil occurs when humans fail to stop it
Us mistreating the moral freedom that God granted us

‘Evil is our creation, as goodness and love are God’s creations’

Question 12

What’s Irenaeaus’ position on E&S?

Answer 12

Believed that we are only part way into God’s plan
Eventually we will be as perfect as Him
We can learn from suffering

‘Evil must exist to teach us. Evil tempts us and we must resist. Suffering hurts us and we must learn from it.’

Question 13

What is meant by the term ‘moral evil’?

Answer 13

Evil committed by humans

Question 14

What is meant by the term ‘natural evil’?

Answer 14

Evil committed by nature (e.g. earthquakes)

Question 15

What is meant by the term ‘Original Sin’?

Answer 15

The idea that after The Fall, humans have a tendency for evil
(AUGUSTINE)

Question 16

What is meant by the term evil?

Answer 16

The absence of good

Question 17

What is meant by the term moral?

Answer 17

Holding high principles of proper conduct

Question 18

What is meant by the term immoral?

Answer 18

Not holding high principles of proper conduct

Question 19

What is meant by the term conscience?

Answer 19

A person’s moral sense of right and wrong

Question 20

What is meant by the term suffering?

Answer 20

The state of undergoing pain or hardship

Question 21

What did Aquinas believe about E&S?

Answer 21

Evil is not a thing in itself- an absence of good

example: blindness isn’t a thing, but a lack of sight

Question 22

What did Irenaeus believe about E&S?

Answer 22

‘Evil must exist to teach us. Evil tempts us and we must resist. Suffering hurts us and we must learn from it’

Question 23

What did Augustine believe about E&S?

Answer 23

‘Evil is our creation, as goodness and love are God’s creations’
- The Fall–> we broke perfection- punishment

Question 24

What are some positive outcomes of suffering?

Answer 24

Anthony Walker’s mum campaigned for racial equality- after death of her son

Viktor Frankl- imprisoned in several concentration camps during Holocaust
- Found meaning within bleak situation

Question 25

What are some negative outcomes of suffering?

Answer 25

Elie Wiesel- survived Holocaust but family didn’t

-Faith in God or meaning was impossible

Question 26

What are some ways in which people deal with suffering?

Answer 26

Positive:
Turning to God
Creating 
Using the experience to help others
Activism

Negative:
Bottling it up
Harming others/self
Becoming angry

Question 27

What are some examples of religion helping people deal with suffering?

Answer 27

Genelle Guzman- last person to be rescued from Twin Towers

• trapped for a day and a night
  
  • -> prayed throughout- believes that it was part of a plan for her

Heather Robinson- nearly died of spinal cancer at 17

• didn’t believe in God before-the experience gave her faith
  
  • Believes that God gives bad things to thos who can cope with it

Question 28

What are some examples of religion not helping people deal with suffering?

Answer 28

Laura Storrs- sister was murdered when she was 14 –disrupted lives of the family
–ruined her belief in God

Question 29

What is the general X teaching on how to treat people?

Answer 29

‘Love thy neighbour’