issues of good and evil

Question 1

what is relative morality?

Answer 1

the idea that what makes an act wrong changes with the time and situation

Question 2

what is absolute morality?

Answer 2

the idea that morals are universal and never change

Question 3

what makes an act wrong?

Answer 3

• breaks society rules/laws
• does not be big about greatest happiness for the greatest number
• not the most loving thing to do in a situation
• doesn’t follow virtues but follows vices (sin, greed, envy …)

Question 4

definition of morality

Answer 4

principles and standards determining which actions are right and wrong

Question 5

definition of sin

Answer 5

a deliberate act against gods will

Question 6

definition of punishment

Answer 6

penalty given to someone for a crime committed

Question 7

definition of justice

Answer 7

fairness - equal provisions provided for everyone

Question 8

definition of moral evil

Answer 8

humans choose evil

Question 9

definition of natural evil

Answer 9

earthquakes etc

Question 10

what are causes of crime?

Answer 10

• poor parenting
• poor education
• poverty
• drug addiction
• alcohol addiction
• peer pressure
• unemployment
• poor mental health

Question 11

what is the aim of vindication?

Answer 11

to uphold the law

Question 12

what is the aim of justice?

Answer 12

to ensure fairness

Question 13

what is the aim of retribution?

Answer 13

to ensure revenge equal to the crime committed

Question 14

what is the aim of reformation?

Answer 14

to change the criminal for better

Question 15

what is the aim of deterrence?

Answer 15

to stop the perpetrators of crime and others from doing it again

Question 16

evangelical christian views on death penalty and forgiveness

Answer 16

• “blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness”
• “thou shall not kill”-should kill if someone has killed another
• “an eye for an eye..”
• “let justice roll down like a river”
• “whoever sheds the blood of man by man shall his blood be shed”

Question 17

liberal christian views on death penalty and forgiveness

Answer 17

• “god created them in his own image”
• “god breathed into adam the breath of life”
• “god saw all he had made and called it good”
• “love thy neighbour”
• “treat others as you wish to be treated”
• “forgive 70 times 7”
• “forgive them father for they know not what they do”

Question 18

buddhists views on death penalty and forgiveness

Answer 18

• law of karma
• pratityasamutpada
• change the conditions of perpetrator to reform
• show metta and karuna
• “ we are not punished by our anger we are punished for our anger”
• “if a man speaks or acts with and impure mind, suffering will follow”

Question 19

what are prison chaplains?

Answer 19

vicars, rabbis, counsel inmates who help rehabilitate inmates. pray and read the bible with them, carry out acts of worship, prepare them for death row, go to death cell with inmate and care for their family

Question 20

what are prison reformers?

Answer 20

Elizabeth Fry - taught inmates how to read and write, read the bible and sew
John Howard - clean water, separation of genders, more officers and doctors

Question 21

where does good and evil come from?

Answer 21

something morally right/ beneficial. good is the absence of evil
christian’s - good comes from god who is good and created everything good. evil is something wicked and wrong, the fall
buddhists - good is Nirvana when the 3 poisons are blown out metta and karuna. evil/ unskillful acts come from tanha and 3 poisons

Question 22

what is the inconsistent triad?

Answer 22

a theory developed by Epicurus and extended by Hick is asks: how can god be all powerful (can stop evil), all loving (wants to stop evil) and it still exists. therefore god can’t stop evil, does not want to stop evil or he doesn’t exist.

Question 23

what is Augustine’s theodicy?

Answer 23

it is a catholic theodicy, maintains that good is omnibenevolent and omnipotent and evil comes from human free will not god. god created everything perfectly and evil is an absence of good. the fall caused natural and moral evil as a result of their free will. inherited sin

Question 24

what is Irenaus’/ Hick’s theodicy?

Answer 24

humans want to develop into gods likeness. humans have to be free to do this, some people abuse this freedom so moral evil arises. god creates natural evil for humans to develop human virtues e.g. helping people after a natural disaster. Hick developed this with the process of soul making and epistemic distance. god stands at a distance so humans are free, he can’t intervene too much.