The problem of evil

Question 1

What are strengths of the free will defence?

Answer 1

• The free will defence offers a logical - explanation for evil, by removing the blame of the existence of evil from
  God and placing it on to mankind. -
• The defence explains how God can remain omniscient, omnipotent and - omnibenevolent whilst evil exists.
• Encourages ‘development’ of human character which is morally desirable. - The Defence wants humans to learn
  from their mistake in their limited
  earthly lives. Learning from the consequences of our mistakes help
  us to be better people and to limit evil and suffering. -
• Swinburne explains why God does not stop suffering, because he values human freedom that he created.

Question 2

What are weaknesses of the free will defence?

Answer 2

Peter Vardy does not think it gives adequate - explanation for natural evil. Many examples of natural evil do not have a greater good behind them. Floods and disease appear to have no human cause, for example.

• William Rowe’s Evidential Problem of evil is not solved by TFWD: why does there have to be so much evil? Why do people have to suffer so badly as part of God’s plan?
• J.L. Mackie argues that as God is omnipotent he could have created humans with the - emotional intelligence to always choose the good action, so stopping human suffering:
  “there cannot be a logical impossibility in his freely choosing the good on every occasion.”
• The fact that He doesn’t do this implies His non-existence.

Question 3

Who created the ‘vale of soul making ‘ defence

Answer 3

John Hick

Question 4

Who made the ‘free will defence’

Answer 4

Richard Swinburne and Alvin Plantinga

Question 5

Who made the ‘process thought’ argument?

Answer 5

David Griffin and A.N Whitehead

Question 6

What is the vale of soul-making defence

Answer 6

• evil has a good purpose, by encountering it humans can develop
• God is omnibenevolent, it is loving to allow humanity to perform evil acts and is justified in creating the world this way and has a goal plan for all of humanity
• Human goodness is more valuable to God when humans choose to be good
• Humans are created in the image of God and have the potential to be in the likeness of God in the future
• At the end of our lives, we have the chance to get to heaven because God is omnibenevolent

Question 7

what is natural evil?

Answer 7

evil that naturally occurs in the world and is not caused by humankind, but does cause human suffering. Examples include floods and hurricanes.

Question 8

What is moral evil?

Answer 8

evil that is caused by humankind, through commission (action) or omission (inaction). Examples include rape and murder.

Question 9

Responses to the problem evil?

Question 10

What is the process theodicy?

Question 11

Strengths of the process theodicy

Question 12

weaknesses of the process theodicy

Question 13

strengths of vale of soul making

Answer 13

The free will defence offers a logical explanation for evil, by removing the blame of the existence of evil from God and placing it on to mankind.

The defence explains how God can remain omniscient, omnipotent and
omnibenevolent whilst evil exists.

Encourages ‘development’ of human character which is morally desirable. The Defence wants humans to learn from their mistake in their limited earthly lives. Learning from the consequences of our mistakes help us to be better people and to limit evil and suffering.

Swinburne explains why God does not stop suffering, because he values human freedom that he created.

Question 14

weaknesses of vale of soul making

Answer 14

Peter Vardy does not think it gives adequate explanation for natural evil. Many examples of natural evil do not have a greater good behind
them.

Floods and disease appear to have no human cause, for example.

William Rowe’s Evidential Problem of evil is not solved by TFWD: why does there have to be so much evil? Why do people have to suffer so badly as part of God’s plan?

J.L. Mackie argues that as God is omnipotent he could have created humans with the emotional intelligence to always choose the good action, so stopping human suffering: “there cannot be a logical impossibility in his freely choosing the good on every occasion.”
The fact that He doesn’t do this implies His non-existence.

A group of philosophers called Determinists argue that Freedom is an illusion so TFWD is built on an incorrect principle – no choice is truly free because all choices come from a prior cause, like a chain reaction. This cause is believed to be God, who allowed evil into the world.