problem of evil

Question 1

overview

Answer 1

moral evil:result of morally wrong human actions,well within human control
natural evil:pain and suffering caused to humans and animals by the natural world

Question 2

augustian theodicy

Answer 2

• god is omnipotent and all-loving and created the perfect world
• “god saw all that he made and it was very good”
• evil is not a substance rather a privatio boni
• blindless not a thing in itself rather a lack of sight

Question 3

argument supporting augustine

Answer 3

has biblical authority

many christians refer to the Bible as direct word of God

Question 4

Schleirmacher

Answer 4

logical contradiction in a perfect world that can go wrong

Question 5

J.L Mackie

Answer 5

“a wholly good being eliminates evil as far as it can”

Question 6

epicurean paradox

Answer 6

“is he able but not willing, then he is malevolent”

Question 7

hume

Answer 7

incosistent triad
‘god is omnipotent’
‘god is all-loving’
‘evil exists’
if there is evil in the world one of the other must not be true

Question 8

aquinas

Answer 8

impossible for a being defined as “infinite goodness” to exist with evil in the world

Question 9

swinburne

Answer 9

people must turn to God out of their own free will, otherwise faith would be meaningless

Question 10

William Rowe

Answer 10

the amount of pointless animal and human suffering in the world

Question 11

john stuart mill

Answer 11

“nearly all things which men are hanged or imprisoned for doing to one another are nature’s every day performances

Question 12

Platinga

Answer 12

if humans were designed to choose God they would not be truly free
choices would be determined like robots

Question 13

hick

Answer 13

vale of soul-making theodicy

God gives humans free will in order to grow into “likeness and image of the divine”

Question 14

d.z phillips

Answer 14

allowing suffering can never be loving