The Problem Of Evil And Suffering p21-24 Flashcards
How did evil and sin enter the world
-the fall
Adam and Eve used their free will to eat the fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and evil (eventhough god told them not to). — first sin in the world
Perfect relationship between god and humans was broken.
What bible quote tells us about evil entering the world
“SIN ENTERED THE WORLD THROUGH ONE MAN AND DEATH THROUGH SIN, and in this way death came to all men because all sinned”
What is evil
A word to describe everything the opposite of good.
However some people see it as good gone wrong or a complete lack of goodness
What role does Satan play in suffering and sin
Satan was expelled from heaven when he sinned
He acts to tempt humans and this leads them to disobey god
Although you can resist this, it can still cause suffering and tests their faith
When humans disobey god their sin creates further suffering in the world
What is natural evil
Natural disaster that causes harm to innocent people
It is not a result of human actions
What is moral evil?
Suffering caused by the actions of humans
What is the problem of evil?
- Mackies inconsistent triad
If god is omnibenevolent then he would care enough to stop the suffering caused by evil. He hasn’t done this so man be he is not omnipotent
If god is omnipotent he has the power to stop suffering but he hasn’t. Maybe he doesn’t care enough so he can’t be omnibenevolent.
What is the irenaean theodicy (soul making theodicy)
- god allows evil and suffering to exist
- the world was created for good and evil so that we can choose to learn what is good
- it is through suffering that we lean
- god allows suffering so our Souls can develop
- god can’t interfere in human decisions because this affects human free will
- as long as people learn from their mistakes they can get to heaven
What is the Augustinian theodicy
- god made a perfect creation
- no evil in gods creation
- evil is the absence of goodness/ when something good becomes corrupted
- when Adam and Eve made a bad use of their free will, evil entered the perfect creation
- because of human free will, evil comes into existence
- gods provides humans with the opportunity for salvation from their sin
What do Christians today believe about evil and suffering
Conservative Christians see suffering how Augustine did. It is a result of sinful human nature. This does not explain why a loving god allows natural evil or why people suffer
Other Christians see the world as a test. Human evil is something humans are responsible for. Natural disasters are a way for people to show their love for others
Others think that evil has a purpose that humans are not able to understand and suffering is a way to share the suffering that Jesus experienced
