Problem Of Evil

Question 1

Logical Problem of Evil

Answer 1

1. God is supremely good.
2. God is omnipotent.
3. God is omniscient.
4. Evil exists.
   Mackie:
5. Good is opposed to evil, such that a good thing eliminates evil as far as it can.
6. There are no limits to what an omnipotent being can do.

Question 2

Problem of Evil

Answer 2

1. If God is supremely good, then he has the desire to eliminate evil.
2. If God is omnipotent, then he is able to eliminate evil.
3. If God is omniscient, then he knows that evil exists and how to eliminate it.
4. Therefore, if God exists, and is supremely good, omnipotent and omniscient then evil does not exist.
5. Evil exists.
6. Therefore, a supremely good, omnipotent and omniscient God does not exist.

Question 3

Free Will Defence

Answer 3

1. A world containing creatures that are significantly free is better than one that does not.
2. God can create significantly free creature.
3. To be significantly free is to be capable of both moral good and moral evil.
4. If significantly free creatures were caused to do only what is morally good, they are not free.
5. Therefore, God cannot cause significantly free creatures to only do what is morally good.
6. Therefore, God can only eliminate moral evil done by significantly free creatures by first eliminating the greater good of significantly free creatures.
7. It is possible that Satan exists and natural evil is the effect if his actions, so natural evil is a form of consequence of moral evil.
8. Therefore, God can only eliminate natural evil by eliminating the greater good of significantly free creatures.