The Problem Of Evil

Question 1

What is the logical problem of evil by Mackie?

Answer 1

1. If God is omnipotent (all powerful) then he has the power to eliminate evil
2. If God is supremely good then he wants to eliminate evil
3. If God is omniscient (all knowing) then he knows evil exists and knows how to eliminate it.
   However evil does exist, therefore God doesn’t exist or not all of his attributes are true.

Question 2

What is the evidential problem of evil by Darwin?

Answer 2

‘Given the existence of evil, which of the following is the more reasonable hypothesis?’
1. There is an infinitely powerful being who created the world
2. There is no such thing as God
Unnecessary evil leads us to believe that H2 is more likely.

Question 3

Explain Hick’s afterlife defence.

Answer 3

God does exist and so does all his attributes but we should realise that the enormity of pain and suffering in this world is balanced out by even greater good - justice in the next life (eschatological verification).
For a finite amount of suffering in this like we can have infinite happiness in the next life.

Question 4

Counter Hick’s afterlife defence.

Answer 4

The existence of hell only deters the problem of evil to the next life and amplifies it. If we find it difficult to reconcile the existence of a benevolent god with the existence of limited suffering in this life, then how much more difficult will it be in the next life with unlimited suffering in hell?

Question 5

Explain Augustine’s Free Will defence.

Answer 5

God does exist and so does all his attributes, but we should realise that the enormity of pain and suffering is the consequence of an even greater good - namely humans having a free will.
Suffering exists because of original sin (Adam and Eve) which was a result of human free will.
The reason why God allows us to have free will is because in order for a supremely good being to be supremely good when making creatures, is to grant them free will because this is better than a world without free will.

Question 6

Explain a criticism to the free will defence and a solution.

Answer 6

How do we explain natural evil? Humans are not responsible for earthquakes and other natural evils.
Counter: natural evil is the result of the free will of Satan.

Question 7

Explain Mackie’s criticism to the free will defence.

Answer 7

1. It is logically possible for me to do good on one occasion
2. It is logically possible for me to do good on every occasion
3. It is logically possible for everyone to do good on every occasion
4. God is omnipotent and could have created every possible world. This means that God could have created a world where there are free creatures but choose to do good.
5. However, God did not make this world, therefore God is either not omnipotent or supremely good.

Question 8

Explain Hick’s Soul Making defence.

Answer 8

Evil enables humans to grow and develop, and provides an environment in which our souls can be forged and strengthened. Suffering enables our souls to develop. This is the best of all possible worlds because the pain and suffering that we experience are essential to the construction of the best possible world.

Question 9

Counter Hick’s Soul Making defence.

Answer 9

Babies that die when they are born and animals cannot learn/develop their souls by suffering - unnecessary evil.

Question 10

Problem of evil essay plan.

Answer 10

A - Logical problem of evil
C - Hick’s afterlife defence
E - The existence of hell
A - Augustine’s free will defence
C - Natural evil
E - The devils free will causes natural evil
A - Mackie - God could have made a world where we are free but do good on every occasion
C - Hick’s soul making defence
E - Babies and animals that cannot learn/develop