Problems of Evil and Suffering Flashcards
Devil
The being that some theists believe causes humans to be evil
Free Will
The belief that humans are able to make their own choices and can choose whether or not to do bad things
Soul Making
The belief that evil exists to make humans realise how good life is - without evil and suffering we would not know what good is.
Suffering
Both natural and man made - that life is not only good but also humans experience pain and emotional problems.
Evil
A deliberate action of humans that causes people to suffer.
Karma
The hindu belief that what you do in the world (good or bad) will come back to you - either in this life or after reincarnation
Describe the problem of Evil
God is able to prevent evil, but cannot therefore God is not all powerful. God can stop evil and choses not to therefore he is not all good. God can stop evil in the world so there would be no evil. But there is so God does not exist. Epicurus came up with this argument.
Explain Natural Evil/Suffering
This is that which is caused by nature and is outside of human control. For Example hurricanes and natural disasters such as this.
Moral Evil/Suffering
This is caused by people. For Example Hitler who was responsible for the Holocaust that killed around 6 million Jews.
Religious Beliefs about Origins of Evil
Christianity: Everything God made is perfect. Evil came into the world when Adam and Eve were disobedient ‘original sin.’ When Satan tempted them to eat fruit from the forbidden ‘tree of knowledge of good and evil’ they realised that they had freedom to choose between wrong and right and would be responsible for their own actions. When people rebel against God’s laws, evil results. people need salvation from sin.
Hinduism: Evil is a part of the cycle of birth, death and rebirth. Scriptures tell stories of God’s fighting the forces of evil in the world. God is like the sun, all light and no darkness. People turn away from the sun and turn their backs on him. The law of karma means people can make up for evil actions in this or a previous life by living a good and dutiful life.
Explain why God gave us free will
Live their lives the way that they choose to. It was necessary for God to give us free will as if God interfered every time someone did something wrong then people would be ‘puppets of God’ without any control over themselves. Humans decide whether or not to follow God’s instructions.
Explain Irenaeus and Soul Making
God created evil and suffering in order for us to learn from it. We were all born with an immature soul and by experiencing evil and suffering our soul can improve. This is important as those with mature souls can go to heaven.
Explain what St. Augustine believed.
He believed that God did not create evil as it is not actually a thing: rather it is something that lacks goodness. Just like someone who is blind lacks sight. Someone who does evil things lacks goodness. Therefore God is not responsible for the evil in our world. This however doe not explain why innocent people suffer.
Why do theists believe that evil and suffering happens?
Comes from god giving humans free will. IT is an impersonal force that seems to take over people and make them act irrationally. Comes from people and human nature when people give into greed. Physical phenomenon where people are influenced by their background, genes or peers. It comes from the devil
Explain Christians and how they empathise with Jesus’ suffering
Jesus was crucified even though he was innocent, this involved and enormous amount of suffering. many Christians believe that suffering reminds them of this suffering and allows us to share empathy with him. We are called to bear such a responsibility ( Martin Luther King)
