The Problem of Evil Flashcards
Who said that God created the world perfect and anything good was made by God?
Augustine
What does Augustine’s famous quote ‘Privato Boni’ mean?
Evil is due to the absence of good.
What does Augustine say what does Augustine say about bad things in the world?
Things fall short from there original perfection due to the fall of angels and humans, this came from free will.
What can Augustine’s theodicy also be referred to as?
A soul deciding theodicy.
What does soul deciding mean?
Human actions decide the extent of evil and suffering
What is a example used for Privato boni?
E.G Blindness is a lack of sight
Describe the fall of the humans
-Adam and eve disobeyed god with there own free will
-This caused all human to have the inclination to sin
Describe the Fall of Angels
-they were granted free will and some decided to rival god
-This caused disruption in nature as they corrupted God’s perfect world
-caused natural evil and only continues due to original sin
What are 2 signs of God’s Benvolance?
-Jesus sacrifice
-free will
What does Augustine illustrate for ‘its better to live in a evil world with free will than a evil world without choice’
A runaway horse is better than a stone which has no movement or perception of its own.
What is the Logical Problem based on?
It is a deductive argument with the basis of logic alone.
What is the Logical Problem about?
The existence of a omnibenevolent , omnipotent and evil is logically inconsistent
Who does Hume refer to when saying that they are the ‘rock of atheism’ as his questions have still yet to be answered?
Epicurus
What does Epicurus say that the logical Problem of evil point to?
A malevolent God.
Who says that the problem of evil is only a problem for those who believe in a god with that nature?
J.L Mackie
Explain the Inconsistent Triad
-Omnibenevolance , omnipotence and evil cannot co-exist
-It is only a problem for theists as it challenges God’s nature
What are the examples for the inconsistant triad?
-How is God omnibenevolant and not want to stop evil
-How is he omnipotent but cannot stop evil?
What is this referring to?
Premise 1:God is omnibenevolent
Premise 2:God is omnipotent
Premise 3:Evil exists
CONCLUSION
Inconstant triad
How can by changing the Definition of Omnibenevolence help to overcome the logical problem of evil?
-God allows evil out of love
>learn from suffering
>love involves punishment
>lack free will
How can by changing the Definition of Omnipotence help to overcome the logical problem of evil?
-God can do anything
>Logically Possible
>Logically impossible
How can by changing the Definition of evil help to overcome the logical problem of evil?
-Evil is not a substance like Goodness is
>Augustine-‘Privato Boni’
>Mary Eddy Baker-pain, evil and suffering are a illusion
What is the Evidential Problem based on?
-Inductive Argument , uses fist and second hand experience as evidence against a theistic God.
What is Moral Evil?
Evil and Suffering caused by humans deliberate free will. E.g slavery
What is Natural Evil?
Evil caused by natural events that humans have no control over E.G cancer
Who says that natural evil is a greater challenge to theists?
J.S Mille
Which of J.S Mille’s book states that natural evil is a greater problem that moral evil?
Book ON NATURE
What are 2 quotes from J.S Mille’s book ON NATURE?
> ‘Most supercillous disregard to mercy and justice’
‘She inflicts the same tortures in wantoness
In conclusion what does J.S Mille’s point to?
-A malevolent God
-Either there is a God/no God
Who presents a ‘fawn dying in a forest’ to highlight pointless suffering?
W.Rowe
What does W.Rowe’s Illustration question?
Questions why a omnibenevolent and Omnipotent God would allow pointless suffering of humans and animals.
What does being in God’s Image mean?
-Being made in God’s image
-Spritually immature
What are 3 things which show we are made in God’s image?
-Free will
-Rational
-Moral decisions
Who says that we have the tools to be good but doesn’t mean that we are good?
Iraneus
What does being in God’s likeness means?
-We have the potential to be good
-We grow from choices we make in the face of suffering and overcoming difficulties
-we develop virtues through experiance
What analogy does Iraneus use to illustrate God’s reason for not making us into his likeness?
Mother Breastfeeding her child
A mother could feed her child solid food but chooses not to as it is bad for the baby.
We benefit more from growing into his likeness through experience and genuine choice.
What is Irenaeus belief of the afterlife?
Death does not bring a immediate end to someone’s spiritual journey.
Who talks about the World being a ‘Vale of Soul-making’?
John Hick
What does the ‘Vale of Soul-making mean’?
-God deliberately made a world where evil exists
-As evil may develop us into moral individuals
How is John Hick rejecting Augustine?
-Hick is Compatible with science
-Rejects literal Interpretations
-Genesis is Symbolic
Why do we have free will according to John hick?
-Goodness would mean nothing when there is no effort of will.
-To be truely good one must make a conscious choice from right and wrong
-God doesnt intervene as it prevents humans from learning and it would interfere with free will
Who says that the world is instrumentally good as it serves a purpose-helps us develop into God’s likeness?
John Hick
Who proposed a Epistemic Distance?
John Hick
-a gap in knowledge
-God deliberately tries to stay hidden so we make a deliberate choice out of our free will to decide whether we believe him or not
E.g A hypnotist hypnotising there patient to fall in love with them
What is John Hick’s Belief in hell?
-Rejects hell
-Believe we have a intermediate state
>suffer for a intermediate time
>Soul continues to develop in the afterlife to form a relationship with God.
