Logical Problem of Evil Flashcards
Logical problem of evil:
- God is omnipotent
- God is omnibenevolent
- Evil exists
These three statements are known as…
the inconsistent triad - cannot all be true
Solutions that deny one of the three statements:
Solution 1:
Denying Gods omnipotence
Denying Gods omnipotence:
if he isn’t omnipotent then unable to control evil and so cannot be blamed for its continued existence.
The preferred solution of Process theology
This is an issue…
for most believers a God who is omnipotent would not be worthy of worship. No argument to prove that God is omnipotent - its a matter of faith
Solution 2:
denying Gods omnibenevolence
For many Christians this is…
unthinkable as belief that God is both good and loving supports those who experience evil.
According for Freud…
God’s omnibenevolence is just a case of wish-fulfilment: there is no all-loving God, only the desire for one.
However, Freuds argument doesn’t work…
because wishing something to be true doesn’t mean that it isn’t true.
Not possible to show his omnibenevolence as much as his omnipotence.
Solution 3:
this solution was proposed by Augustine of Hippo.
He argued that evil is privatio boni - a privation of good.
Augustine said…
evil does not simply exist in its own right but its in an absence of good.
However, denying the reality of evil doesn’t seem acceptable as…
most people have experienced the power of evil to disrupt their lives and most people see evil as being real and tangible as good.
Solutions that argue there is a sufficient reason why God allows evil to exist:
- Free will defence
2. John Hicks eschatological solution
- Free will defence
argues that God has to allow evil in order to preserve free will.
The good has to be freely chosen
In order to bring about the ‘goods’ such as
In order to bring about the ‘goods’ such as…
compassion and love we have to be ‘free’ to choose the opposing vices of hatred and heartlessness.
Therefore, humans are morally responsible for moral evil and God is not.
- John Hick’s eschatological solution
is the theology of what will happen at the end of the universe - the theology of death, judgement, heaven and hell.
Idea that in the end everybody will reach God’s kingdom. In this case, evil is a necessary part of the process by which we become fit for heaven.
Its the idea that…
in the end everybody will reach God’s kingdom.
In this case, evil is a necessary part of the process by which we become fit for heaven.
Evidential problem of evil
There are known facts about evil that are evidence against the existence of God
Two types of evil which supply such evidence:
- Evil that is overwhelming in quantity and quality e.g. acts of genocide
- Evil that is pointless because it serves no useful purpose. - natural evil (however, may be said as not pointless as bring about resistance of people tog/ improve knowledge)
Evidential problem is made worse by
the problem of God’s omniscience
The evidence from evil that is overwhelming in quantity and quality.
evidential prob of evil based simply on what we observe about evil.
