Problem of Evil

Question 1

What is the problem of evil?

Answer 1

Is there an answer to the immensity of human suffering without limitings God’s omni-qualities and an answer which doesn’t include God neglecting the world.

Question 2

Two types of problem of evils

Answer 2

-Logical problem of evil
-The evidential problem of evil

Question 3

What is the logical problem of evil?

Answer 3

Tries to show that theism(believing in an omni-quality God)is self-contradictory

Question 4

What is the evidential problem of evil?

Answer 4

Tries to show that the extent of evil makes the god theists believe in seem improbable.

Question 5

Which one out of the logical or evidential problem of evil is less ambitious?

Answer 5

Evidential problem of evil
-Tries to show that God’s existence is unlikely
-If God existed the world would probably be much better than it is.

Question 6

How do most theists overcome the logical problem of evil?

Answer 6

Through the “free will defence”
Alvin Plantiga
-Shows that theism is not logically incompatible with suffering.

Question 7

J.L Mackie’s Inconsistent triad.

Answer 7

Evil exists
God is Omnipotent
God is Omnibenevolent
-If God were omnipotent, he would abolish evil.
-If God were omnibenevolent, he would abolish evil
-But evil exists
-Therefore, God is not all-powerful,or all-loving or both.

Question 8

Moral evil and natural evil

Answer 8

Moral-Evil that comes from humans
Natural-Evil that follows from natural sources(hurricanes,tsunami and Earthquakes).

Question 9

What is dysteleological evil?

Answer 9

Evil without a purpose.

Question 10

Hick’s example of dysteleological evil.

Answer 10

Hick recognises this as a problem as it is not easy to argue that every evil does serve/could potentially serve a good purpose.

Question 11

William Rowe’s gratuitous evil.

Answer 11

-An instance of great suffering that an omni-quality God could have prevented without losing some greater good.

Question 12

Example of William Rowe’s gratuitous evil.

Answer 12

-Gives an example of a forest fire which puts everything in agony for 7 days before death finally relieves its suffering
-Not every evil leads to a good purpose
-Suffering doesn’t always lead to the best outcome.

Question 13

Example of William Rowe’s gratuitous evil.

Answer 13

-Gives an example of a forest fire which puts everything in agony for 7 days before death finally relieves its suffering
-Not every evil leads to a good purpose
-Suffering doesn’t always lead to the best outcome.

Question 14

Theodicy

Answer 14

An attempt to justify the goodness of God, despite evil.

Question 15

How is Augustine’s theodicy a soul-deciding theodicy?

Answer 15

Any theodicy which sees evil as a test of goodness and faithfulness to God
-The choice is ours to decide whether we obey him

Question 16

Evil as a privation

Answer 16

Augustine(SDT)
Evil is the absence of good.

Question 17

The Fall(of Angels and Man) as a way for Augustine to show evil in the world has made good.

Answer 17

The Fall of Angels
-Certain Angels lead by Lucifer chose to reject God

The Fall of Man
-Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden by eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of Knowledge.

Question 18

What is original sin?

Answer 18

The first ever sin created by Adam and Eve in the Fall when they disobeyed God.

Question 19

How did the Fall of Man and Angels lead to the existence of evil?

Answer 19

Fall of Angels
-This introduced the evil of denying God and they fell into Hell
Fall of Man
-This brought original sin in the world.

Question 20

Why is Free will so important to Augusine’s SDT?

Answer 20

-Augustine thought we could know good, yet still not do it.
-We have will so we can choose what to do
-Free choice is essential to be truly good.

Question 21

How is Irenaeus’ theodicy a soul-making theodicy

Answer 21

Evil exists for human development
-Helps development of the soul for goodness and character
-A soul-making process

Question 22

What would Irenaeus believe we could not do without the existence of evil in the world?

Answer 22

We would not learn the need to strive for goodness and repentance
-If everything required no effort, there would be no virtue
-We need evils like death and others significance.

Question 23

Why is The Fall not significant to Hick?

Answer 23

-Hick believes The Fall is a myth
-Hick believes a myths purpose is to help us understand humanity in a way that is easy to remember.

Question 24

Hick believed that humans develop in 2 ways
What are they?

Answer 24

Stage1:Image
Humans are created in the image of God
We are rational and religious beings not perfect
Stage2:Likeness
When humans have achieved likeness they have grown into a relationship with God.

Question 25

Why is free will so important to Irenaeus’ theodicy? Link to Hick.

Answer 25

-Argues that God wants a genuine relationship with us and accepts the free will defence.
-The only relationship worth having is one which is freely chosen
-A perfect life needs no improvement and making mistakes means we learn qualities such as tolerance and forgiveness.