non-religious and philosophical views on the nature of evil and suffering + catholics beliefs about the meaning of suffering

Question 1

what do many atheists and philosophers argue?

Answer 1

that the problem of evil and suffering can be used as evidence to challenge the existence of God

Question 2

what did david hume put forward?

Answer 2

inconsistent triad

Question 3

what is a ‘triad’?

Answer 3

group of three things

Question 4

why is it called the inconsistent triad?

Answer 4

because it seems that not all of them can be true at the same time

Question 5

what is the inconsistent triad?

Answer 5

that god does not exist.
the belief that good is all powerful, all knowing and all god cannot be true at the same time

Question 6

what did john mackie reject?

Answer 6

some of the usual answers to the problem of evil that Christians such as St Augustine and John Hick often give

Question 7

why does john mackie reject that evil is necessary as an opposite of good?

Answer 7

Even if it is true that we need some evil and suffering to help us to appreciate the good, we only need a little bit of none.

argues that we don’t need bad to appreciate the good and even if we did, we don’t need as much suffering as we have in the world as a lot of it are truly horrible

Question 8

why does john mackie reject that evil helps us to become better people?

Answer 8

doesn’t understand why God needs to make us better through experiencing suffering
Why can God not just make us perfect to begin with?
Why does god allows us to choose evil?

Question 9

what does john hick believe suffering makes?

Answer 9

often suffering makes people worse, rather than making them better.

Question 10

why does john hick reject that evil is a consequence of free-will?

Answer 10

Both St Augustine and John Hick rely on the existence of free-will to explain why God allows evil to exist.
he rejects this as a reason because he does not see why God could not make free human beings who always choose good instead of evil.
He also feels that evil and suffering is far too high a price to pay for having free will.

Question 11

what does william rowe argue?

Answer 11

that the evidence of evil and suffering within the world provides a really strong challenge to God’s existence.

Question 12

why does william rowe believes god existence unlikely and improbable?

Answer 12

there are intense “human and animal suffering”

Question 13

why does william rowe use the example of a fawn in a forest fire?

Answer 13

fawn (baby deer) is caught amidst a forest fire.
The fawn suffers terribly and eventually dies.

Question 14

why does william rowe use the example of the abuse of a 5 years old?

Answer 14

a child is mistreated and is killed

Question 15

why does god understand human suffering?

Answer 15

God the Son in Jesus died a horrible death. The death and suffering of Jesus is at the heart of the Gospel.

Question 16

why do christians use the Isaiah 53 to understand jesus’s suffering?

Answer 16

describes how the acceptance of suffering by the ‘suffering servant’ somehow brought about salvation.

Question 17

what happens when christians suffer?

Answer 17

it is a way to bring them closer to an understanding of Jesus and a way to bring about a greater good.
So, although suffering is horrible it can bring about good things.

Question 18

how do catholics share their suffering?

Answer 18

with god in prayer

Question 19

what do catholics pray during mass?

Answer 19

pray for the sick, dying and those who are suffering, they ask God to help those in need

Question 20

how do catholics help those who are suffering?

Answer 20

by giving to charity
Some feel it is their vocation to be doctors or nurses and fight against suffering

Question 21

why shouldn’t catholics try to understand god?

Answer 21

God tells the suffering Job that he is just not capable of understanding the reasons why God chooses to do, or not do, certain things. Christians must trust that God understands the reasons for suffering.

Question 22

why do we suffer?

Answer 22

because we love ‘grief is the price we pay for love’

Question 23

what will discipleship always involve?

Answer 23

suffering

Question 24

what does suffering gives us an opportunity to do?

Answer 24

help others through prayer and action

Question 25

what did pope john paul in his salvifici doloris about suffering?

Answer 25

we should hear our suffering patiently and we will grow stronger

Question 26

what is the evidence that god is ‘good’?

Answer 26

god made creation and saw that it was good.
he created colour, beauty and variety that are not required for the survival of the species bc he is good and loves us

Question 27

what is the Salvifici Doloris?

Answer 27

a document that was written by St Pope John Paul I

Question 28

what does Salvifici Doloris mean?

Answer 28

the beauty of suffering

Question 29

what did pope john paul II wrote in his Salvifici Doloris?

Answer 29

if Christians willingly ‘offer up’ their own suffering in prayer for the sake of others, that they can share in the saving suffering of Jesus

Question 30

what did pope john paul II state in his salvfici doloris if a catholic can share their suffering?

Answer 30

it is an act of love resembling Jesus’ own act
of sacrifice

Question 31

why is the Salvifici Doloris difficult to understand that pope john paul II tries to believe?

Answer 31

that if we try and bear our suffering patiently and offer it to God in prayer, that God will somehow be able to use it to bring about good for others

Question 32

what belief does pope john paul II have with st augustine?

Answer 32

love comes from suffering. It leads people to respond with kindness

Question 33

what is the source of authority from salvifici doloris?

Answer 33

“in order to understand the ‘why’ of suffering, we must look to the revelation of divine love… This answer has been given by God to human beings in the Cross of Jesus Christ”