The Poblem Of Evil And Suffering Flashcards
What are the two types of evil
Moral evil: Evil caused by the action or inaction of humans
Natural evil: This is evil and suffering in the world which is not under the control of human beings and can at times be due to nature
What are the characteristics of God
Omnipotent: God is all powerful
Omniscient: All knowing
Omnibenevolent: All loving
Omnipresent: All present through the presence of the Holy Spirit
Why do we have Evil in the world
Free Will-Christians believe that it all stems back to the ‘original sin’ of going against the command of God
Adam and Eve did this due to the gift of free will as an omnibenevolent God would not determine your actions
St Augustine argued that evil stems back to the ‘fall of man’ and the ‘doctrine of original love.’ God is therefore not responsible for evil as it is humans abusing their free will
What religions accept that sin is the consequence of Adam and Eve
Christianity, Judaism and Islam
Abrahamic faiths also agree that satan, in the form of a serpent, tempted Adam and Eve. So therefore Satan is the origin of evil
What is the Irenaen Theodicy
Evil exists because gods wants humans to respond positively to suffering so that humans can become more like God
Genesis “image of god” but humans are “unfinished” or not perfect and need to be more like god.
What are the purposes of suffering
It’s a test of faith
Punishment for sin
Suffering for a greater purpose or cause (Joseph endured slavery but was then established as prince of Egypt and saved his family from famine)
Allowed to bring about free will (choosing god is genuine love)
The challenge of evil and suffering
Religions such as Christianity claim that God made everything. Does that mean He also made evil?
Religion teaches that God is good, so why does God allow evil to exist?
If God is powerful enough to create the world, why does He not stop evil and suffering? Is He not powerful enough?
If God is all powerful, does that mean He does not love us enough to stop evil and suffering?
If evil exists, does God really exist?
INCONSISTENT TRIAD
