The problem of evil and suffering

Question 1

Epicurus’s stance/quote

Answer 1

“Either God wants too abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to. If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked. If God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?” (Epicurus)

Question 2

Mackie’s inconsistent triad

Answer 2

1. God is omnipotent.
2. God is omnibenevolent.
3. Evil exists.

Question 3

What is Epicurus and Mackie trying to say?

Answer 3

Any response to their arguments would bring up a philosophical contradiction to the characteristics of the God if classical theism. Their arguments remain a constant challenge to the existence of god.

Question 4

Mackie’s challenge to omnipotence combined with omniscience

Answer 4

The characteristic of omnipotence also includes the notion that God could have created a universe where there was no evil. If God is omniscient then he would be able to see evil and prevent it from happening in the first place.

Question 5

Mackie’s ‘Paradox of omnipotence’

Answer 5

“Can an omnipotent being make things which he cannot subsequently control? Or, what is practically equivalent, can an omnipotent being make rules which then bind himself?” if the answer is ‘yes’ then God cannot be omnipotent, if the answer is ‘no’ then God cannot be omnipotent.

Question 6

Mackie’s challenge to omnibenevolence

Answer 6

The idea that an omnibenevolent being would deliberately tolerate evil, and the suffering that it causes is simply unlikely and ridiculous.

Question 7

Humes challenge to Mackie’s challenge of omnipotence combined with omnibenevolence

Answer 7

The effects of evil are felt too widely, and its presence attested too vividly for it to be dismissable.

Question 8

Challenges to Mackie’s inconsistent triad and Epicurus

Answer 8

An omnibenevolent/omnipotent being may choose to allow evil to exist as it serves a greater purpose, this the theodicies:

• Irinaean.
• Augustinian.

Question 9

Outline Rowe’s argument

Answer 9

There exist instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented, therefore god cannot be omnibenevolent. He also counter argues the necessity of evil by asking, why must there be such an intensity of suffering? He also questions the purpose of animal suffering in response to the theodicies.

Question 10

Rowe’s case of Bambi

Answer 10

In some distant forest lightning strikes a dead tree, resulting in a forest fire. In the fire a fawn is trapped, horribly burned, and lies in terrible agony for several days before death relieves its suffering.

Question 11

Rowe’s case of Sue

Answer 11

This is an actual event in which a five-year-old girl in Flint, Michigan was severely beaten, raped and then strangled to death early on New Year’s Day in 1986.

Question 12

Rowe’s premise on the case of Bambi and the case of Sue

Answer 12

No good we as humans now of justifies permitting these events to happen, therefore it is likely to be true that there are no goods which justify God tolerating these events. These are examples of the factual premise.

Question 13

Rowe’s factual premise

Answer 13

In the world there exists instances of intense suffering that is pointless, regardless of the theodicies. For example animal suffering.

Question 14

Rowe’s theological premise

Answer 14

If God is omnipotent and omniscient he would be able to see pointless suffering beforehand and prevent it, as he does not, he cannot be omnibenevolent.

Question 15

Theists challenge to Rowe’s theological and factual premise

Answer 15

“who has the mind of the lord?”(the apostle Paul) This shows the epistemic distance between the lord and man and that what we may view as pointless is actually purposeful in the eyes of the lord.

Question 16

Gregory S. Paul’s premise

Answer 16

He argues that the death of so many innocent children challenges the existence of God, it follows thus:

• Millions of innocent children die each year from both natural and evil causes.
• These children are too young to make and understand choices and therefore have no free will.
• No all loving, all powerful being would permit such suffering.
• Therefore God does not exist.

This is the statistical problem of evil.

Question 17

Challenges to Rowe and Gregory S. Paul

Answer 17

The Irinaean and the Augustinian theodicy.

Question 18

Augustinian theodicy

Answer 18

Saint Augustine of hippo based his theodicy on the works of Euthyphro. It is not a compact singular work but runs throughout his literature. Its parts are:

• Evil as a consequence of sin.
• Evil as a privation (the absence of good).
• The fall of human beings and creation.
• The cross overcomes evil, soul deciding.