Problem Of Evil

Question 1

Problem of evil

JL Mackie

Answer 1

Inconsistent triad

Evil - omnipotence - Omnibenevolence

Question 2

Problem of evil

Hick

Answer 2

World is “a vale of soul making”

Hardship means god is not loving

Question 3

Problem of evil

Ireanean theodicy on suffering

Answer 3

Human perfection has to be developed

Suffering helps us become a child of god, in his likeness

Therefore suffering is necessary

Question 4

Problem of evil

Ireanean theodicy on free will

Answer 4

Free will always has room for evil

Free will makes moral decisions more valuable, autonomous actions are less valuable

Therefore true goodness requires free will

Question 5

Problem of evil

Ireanean theodicy on God’s creation

Answer 5

World = imperfect

He made us in his imagine not likeness, suffering makes us into his likeness

Creatio ex nihilo - stays at an epistemic distance to reveal our perseverance

Question 6

Problem of evil

Ireanean theodicy on afterlife

Answer 6

We are put in purgatory after death if we have not achieved gods likeness in life

All people eventually are perfected and go to heaven

Question 7

Problem of evil

Ireanean theodicy is the …

Answer 7

Soul making theodicy

Question 8

Problem of evil

Criticisms of ireanean theodicy

Answer 8

Makes moral behaviour pointless

Some suffering is so extreme it damages a person not perfects them

Suffering never an expression of gods love

Question 9

Problem of evil

Augustian theodicy on suffering

Answer 9

Adam and Eve abused free will causing a breakdown of natural order

Evil and suffering a punishment for this as we are seminally present in Adam, all born with original sin

Question 10

Problem of evil

Augustian theodicy on evil

Answer 10

Evil= privation, the lack of goodness

God therefore not responsible

Question 11

Problem of evil

Augustian theodicy on afterlife

Answer 11

Those who do not repent for their evil go to hell

Question 12

Problem of evil

Augustian theodicy is the …

Answer 12

Soul deciding theodicy

Question 13

Problem of evil

Schleirmacher criticism of Augustine

Answer 13

Evil cannot create itself in a perfect world

Question 14

Problem of evil

Hick criticism of Augustine

Answer 14

Augustine states the world is regressing and getting worse, evolution shows it is improving

Question 15

Problem of evil

Free will defence

Answer 15

Moral evil comes from moral agents

Free Agency = neccesary for human development

Goodness of free will outweighs the presence of moral evil

Question 16

Problem for Evil

Swinburne on free will defence

Answer 16

Death analogy - is suffering but encourages us to take responsibility of life

“If there is always a second chance there is no risk”

Question 17

Problem of evil

Criticism of free will defence

Answer 17

Does suffering have to be that extreme

CC - Hick- if we decrease the scale of suffering a lesser pain will still be seen as too great, eg) cancer -> flu

Question 18

Problem of evil

Genesis 1:31

Answer 18

God saw all that he had made and saw it was good

Question 19

Problem of evil

Hicks development of ireaneas’ theodicy

Answer 19

If god made us perfect we would be robotic

Imperfection means we genuinely love

God can’t intervene as then we wouldn’t be free - epistemic distance

Question 20

Problem of evil

Anthony flew

Answer 20

Biggest challenge to the believer is accepting evil and suffering

Nature of god is altered to fit different circumstances

Question 21

Problem of evil

DZ Phillips

Answer 21

The continuation of evil is not a demonstration of love from an Omnibenevolent god

Question 22

Problem of evil

Mackie quote

Answer 22

A wholly good being eliminates evil if it can

Question 23

Problem of evil

God is omnipotent…

Answer 23

Can remove evil but doesn’t

= not omnibenevolent

Question 24

Problem of evil

God is omnibenevolent..

Answer 24

But can’t remove suffering

= not omnipotent