The Problem Of Evil

Question 1

The logical problem of evil

JL Makie

Answer 1

• A priori + analytic argument
• Deductive
• 3 statements that cannot logically all be true at the same time without contradiction
  =God is Omnipotent
  =God is Omnibenevolet
  =Evil exists
  Premise 1- If God was Omnipotent ‘he’ would be able to stop evil
  Premise 2- If God was Omnibenevolent ‘he’ would want to stop evil
  Premise 3- Evil exists
  Conclusion- So either God isn’t Omnipotent, Omnibenevolent or ‘he’ does not exist

Question 2

David Hume

Answer 2

“The problem of evil is the rock of atheism”

-logically inconsistent

Question 3

The evidential problem of evil

William Rowe

Answer 3

God may be able to tolerate some evils because they serve a greater good
Premise 1- There is at least 1 instance, in all probability, of suffering that is completely pointless eg a fawn in a forest fire
Premise 2- If there was a God, ‘he’ would not have allowed any completely pointless instance of suffering
Conclusion- So, it is quite probable that God does not exist

Question 4

Advantages of the logical problem of evil

Answer 4

• 2 clear conclusions = God either does or does not exist (definite) if the premises are correct

Question 5

Disadvantages of the logical problem of evil

Answer 5

• Doesn’t use evidence to provide a conclusion

- You only have to prove 1 premise wrong for the argument to be invalid such as God just looking at the bigger picture

Question 6

Advantages of the evidential problem of evil

Answer 6

• Burden of proof is less severe
  =Only suggests probable conclusions
  =Don’t worry about faults with a premise

Question 7

Disadvantages of the evidential problem of evil

Answer 7

• Cannot prove God doesn’t exist/ conclusions

Question 8

St Augustine theodicy

Answer 8

• The vindication (clear of blame) of divine providence (God cares and protects) in view of the existence of evil
• The clearing of God’s goodness in the existence of evil in the world
  =We can’t blame God for evil as ‘he’ still cares and protects

Question 9

Strengths of the St Augustine theodicy

Answer 9

• Supports God’s attributes
• Explains where natural evil comes from
• Explains evil is not a thing
• God doesn’t need to do anything about evil because ‘he’ created a perfect world and it was humanities fault

Question 10

Weaknesses of the St Augustine theodicy

Answer 10

• Evolution suggests we are not all descendants from 1 man
• Fallen angels??? (Plate boundaries etc) manipulated by angels
• Evil is more than just an absence of something

Question 11

St Augustine theodicy quote

~o

Answer 11

“We are all seminally present in Adam’s loin”

- We all share in the evil nature caused by Adam and Eve

Question 12

How did sin enter the world

St Augustine

Answer 12

Free will

• God gave humans free will in which was abused by Adam and Eve in the fall which brought original sin into the world
• This brought evil in our human nature and creation

Question 13

Who was St Augustine???

Answer 13

• He was around in the 5th Century

- He witnessed the weakening of society through corruption

Question 14

What does Augustine say about evil???

Answer 14

• Evil is the absence of goodness like darkness is the absence of light

Question 15

God is all loving because…

Augustine

Answer 15

• He gave us Free will
• God created a perfect world
• He didn’t make evil (isn’t the cause)
  Evil is the consequence of an action

Question 16

To Augustine God is justified in not stopping evil because…

Answer 16

• ‘He’ didn’t create evil
• Evil isn’t a thing only an absence
• Evil is a natural consequence of doing wrong

Question 17

Irenaean theodicy

Answer 17

• Humans are created ‘in Gods image’ but not in his ‘likeness’
• To become like God we must endure pain and suffering (life is a learning curve)
• We need evil to appreciate goodness
• God is the author of evil and suffering
• Not a fair distribution of evil and suffering on earth so carries on once you die
• Heaven and Hell are places where people continue to learn and improve

Question 18

Irenaean theodicy quote

Answer 18

“let us make man in our image, after our likeness”
=’our’ talking about the trinity (father, son and holy spirit)
=So we are similar yet differ to God

2 stage process to be made in God’s image and then grow to be more like God

Question 19

Peter Vardy on the Irenaean theodicy

Answer 19

-Free will is important to the Irenaean theodicy
-Parable of the king who is in love with the peasant girl
=The King can demand love
=Girl could manufacture feelings for the King but they would not be genuine
=The King could not force her to give genuine love
-We have Free Will so we are not robots or controlled and we choose love towards God and not faking it

Question 20

Strengths of Peter Vardy + Irenaeus

Answer 20

• Allows everyone to be responsible for evil actions

- Get to become God-like over time

Question 21

Weaknesses of Peter Vardy and Irenaeus

Answer 21

• Not all suffering makes us stronger like pointless suffering
• Suffering like murdering your child is their abuse of Free Will yet you suffer

Question 22

John Hick and his Irenaean theodicy

Answer 22

• John Hick believes evil makes us better people because it has instrumental value
• Evil brings what is good to a situation to better people to become more like God
• All humans are in a vale of soul making and some suffer more than others for reincarnation to be able to go to the Heavenly realm
  =As a result there is an epistemic distance between humans and God

Question 23

Hick and universal salvation

Answer 23

• Hick believes that all people go to Heaven
• However they do this by going through a place like Hell full of temporary suffering and evil so we can undergo preparation for eternal glory with God which further opportunity is given for soul-making
• This place is called purgatory