Problem of Evil

Question 1

What characteristics does a PKL God have?

Answer 1

Omniscient (All knowing)

Omnipotent (All powerful)

Omnibenevolent (Perfectly good and loving)

Question 2

What does a PKL God want for its creations?

Answer 2

As an omnibenevolent being would not wish for his creations to suffer

As an omniscient being will know if his creations suffer

As an omnipotent being will be able to prevent the suffering of his creations

Question 3

What two types of Evil exists?

Answer 3

Natural Evil
Associated with the suffering rooted in such things as natural disaters, dieases, deformity. E.g. pandemics.

Moral Evil
Associated with suffering rooted in human volition associated with the vice, e.g. cruelty, greed, hatred, selfishness ect.

Question 4

What are the two problem with evil?

Answer 4

Logical problem of evil
The existence of an PKL God is logically inconsistent with the existence of any evil in our world. It is logically impossible for there to exist both evil and God.

Evidential problem of evil
The existence of evil, while perhaps logically consistent with a PKL god, provides rational support for atheism the belief that such a god does not exist.

Question 5

How does the Logical Problem of Evil present its argument?

Answer 5

P1 If God exists then God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent.

P2 An omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipotent being will prevent the occurrence of any evil whatsoever.

C1 If God exists, there will be no evil.

P3 Evil exists
C2 God does not exist

Question 6

How does the Evidential Problem of Evil present its argument?

Answer 6

P1 If God exists then God is omnipotent, omniscient and omnibenevolent.
P2 An omnibenevolent, omniscient, omnipotent being will prevent the occurrence of any pointless evil whatsoever.
C1 If God exists, there will be no pointless evil.

P3 Probably, pointless evil exists
C2 Probably, God does not exist

Or simply,

P1 An all PKL God will prevent pointless evil.
P2 Probably, pointless evil exists.
C Probably, an all PKL God does not exist.

Question 7

What is the problem with the logical problem of evil argument?

Answer 7

It could turn out that the evil which exists is a necessary aka logically unavoidable, component of creation: for example a part of God’s wider plan for the greater good that we, with limited minds, cannot comprehend.
Eseentially maybe the evil is decieded by god and we simply do not comprehend that.

Question 8

What is the problem with the evidential problem of evil?

Answer 8

IS EVERY BIT OF SUFFERING THAT OCCURS LOGICALL NECESSARY FOR THE GREATER GOOD? OR DOES IT SEEM THAT THERE IS SOME POINTLESS EVIL IN THE WORLD?

Question 9

What will a theist as an objection to the Problem of Evil try to refute?

Answer 9

P2, that “Probably pointless evil exists”.

Question 10

How does a theist refute P2?

Answer 10

showing either that:
There are good grounds to think P2 is false (theodicy)
There are not good grounds for the truth of P2 (sceptical theism)

Question 11

What is a theodicy?

Answer 11

A theodicy is an attempt to account for what could feasibly be God’s purpose in allowing the profusion of evil in the world.

Question 12

What is the main theist argument against the problem of evil?

Answer 12

God could not have created a better world than this one

Question 13

What three sub-parts are theodicies made up of?

Answer 13

1. Evil is a necessary counterpart to good. Can’t have one without the other.
   
   2. Any created existence needs laws of nature; we could not have laws of nature without evil (evil a necessary means to an ends)
      
      3. The universe is better with evil in it than without evil. That is, the world has greater value with evil in it than without it and God must create the world that is of highest value.