The Problem of Evil Flashcards
What does the Problem of Evil challenge?
The existence of an all-powerful, all-good God
It highlights the contradiction between the existence of evil and suffering and God’s nature.
What is the Logical Problem of Evil?
It questions why evil exists if God is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent
A perfect God would want to prevent evil, know how to do it, and be able to do it.
What does the existence of evil suggest about God?
There cannot be a God with all three great making properties
The claims of an all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing God and the existence of evil cannot all be true at the same time.
What is the Evidential Problem of Evil?
It suggests that the extent and intensity of suffering make it unlikely that an all-good God would allow such evil
Especially focuses on seemingly pointless suffering.
What is a theodicy?
An attempt to explain how God and evil can coexist
Theologians develop theodicies to address the Problem of Evil.
What is the Free Will Theodicy?
Evil exists because humans have free will
God allows humans to choose good or evil, making the possibility of evil a necessary consequence.
What is the Soul-Making Theodicy?
Suffering allows for spiritual growth
Moral and natural evil helps humans develop virtues like courage and compassion.
What conclusion does the Soul-Making Theodicy reach about God and evil?
Both evil and God are seen to be compatible
A good God would not deprive creatures of the possibility to grow.
What is the Greater Good Theodicy?
Some evils are allowed because they lead to greater goods
These goods include the development of virtues or the prevention of even greater harms.
What perspective do proponents of the Greater Good Theodicy argue humans have?
A limited perspective on the world
Humans cannot see how some evils are necessary given God’s plans.
Fill in the blank: The conclusion of the Greater Good Theodicy is that what seems evil from our perspective is part of a _______.
bigger story that only God can see
True or False: Theodicies are universally accepted as satisfactory explanations for the existence of evil.
False
The effectiveness of theodicies is debated among theologians and philosophers.
