Problem of evil

Question 1

Epicurean Paradox

Answer 1

• if God can’t stop evil, he’s omnipotent
• fi God can prevent evil and doesn’t, he’s not good
• if God was good and powerful there wouldn’t be evil

Question 2

Epicurus quote

Answer 2

“is he willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?”

Question 3

inconsistent triad

Answer 3

John Mackie
1. God is omnipotent
2. God is omnibenevolent
3. Evil exists
cannot logically be true at the same time

Question 4

2 problems of evil

Answer 4

1. logical - priori and deductive (Epicurus, Mackie)

2. evidential - posteriori and inductive (Rowe)

Question 5

logical problem of evil

Answer 5

God’s existence is logically incompatible with evil

Question 6

evidential problem of evil

Answer 6

existence of evil makes God’s existence unlikely

Question 7

William Rowe’s argument

Answer 7

P1 - there exists instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could prevent
P2 - an omniscient, wholly good being would prevent any intense suffering if it could
C - therefore there doesn’t exist an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being

Question 8

moral evil

Answer 8

caused by moral agents through choice

Question 9

natural evil

Answer 9

caused naturally, like suffering caused by earthquake

Question 10

2 types of evil

Answer 10

natural and moral

Question 11

free will defence

Answer 11

it’s better to have freewill with the probability of evil then no choice, so humans created evil with their freewill

Question 12

Mackie’s argument

Answer 12

P1 - evil and suffering exist
P2 - God is all powerful and loving
P3 - an all loving and all powerful God, if he existed would remove evil and suffering

Question 13

criticisms of Mackie’s argument

Answer 13

P1 - evil is just the absence of good and doesn’t exist
P2 - deism is the belief in an impersonal God
P3 - you can’t have good without evil

Question 14

Augustine

Answer 14

• God is perfect and created a perfect world with no evil
• the sin of Adam and Eve destroyed the perfection of the world (doctrine of the fall of man/original sin)
• God is just and fair which he demonstrates by not intervening as we suffer cause of our own sin

Question 15

criticisms of Augustine

Answer 15

• could a perfect world go wrong?
• how could perfect beings choose to do wrong?
• is it reasonable to say suffering isn’t real?
• if God knew about the fall he’s not all loving
• what caused natural evil?

Question 16

epistemic distance

Answer 16

we are separated from God so evil is only from a human perspective

Question 17

St Irenaeus

Answer 17

• soul making theodicy
• humans were created imperfectly but with potential to become like him
• we were given freewill to help us develop goodness

Question 18

Garden of Eden

Answer 18

• it’s a metaphor for childhood

- Adam and Eve did wrong as they haven’t developed the wisdom to do right

Question 19

natural evil argument

Answer 19

provides the possibility for human beings to gain spiritual maturity, so it has divine purpose

Question 20

recapitulation

Answer 20

humans are brought to their essence/relationship with God

Question 21

criticisms of Irenaeus

Answer 21

• eschatology requires a belief in life after death
• some people suffer more than others
• there are nicer ways than evil to help people develop
• why didn’t God create humans morally perfect
• some people don’t benefit from suffering (babies)

Question 22

eschatology

Answer 22

after death humans will come to physical likeness of God

Question 23

St Irenaeus analogy

Answer 23

a mother can’t give her child sustainable nourishment, only milk, as they’re immature, in the same way that man isn’t given complete goodness because he’s spiritually immature

Question 24

recapitulation

Answer 24

humans are bought to their essence or relationship with God

Question 25

criticisms of freewill defence

Answer 25

• an omniscient God must know our choices
• Mackie argues God could have given us freewill in a world where we still chose to do the right thing
• freewill is an illusion as everything we do is determined by a prior cause
• Christians say God can intervene in the world so why doesn’t he stop suffering

Question 26

Hicks theodicy

Answer 26

• humans were created imperfectly by God
• soul making
• natural evil is a necessary condition for development
• universal salvation is where humans achieve development in heaven instead

Question 27

criticisms of Hick

Answer 27

• some people suffer more than others from natural evil
• universal salvation goes against Christian morality
• how do we know our purpose in life is to be like God

Question 28

Swinburne

Answer 28

• God gave us freewill to form our own character and be responsible for others
• natural evil allows us to show courage and sympathy
• the mistakes/contradictions in the Bible are justified as its not meant to be taken literally

Question 29

Flew

Answer 29

freewill is meant to show events internal chosen but wasn’t our internal nature chosen by God