Theodicy Flashcards
What is theodicy?
Reasons why a perfect God might allow bad stuff to happen
Why are 5 points on why we think God might allow evil?
- The Fall
- Free Will
- The Greater Good
- Soul-Making
- To Show Himself
What is the problem with questions starting with “Why does God. . .”
I’m not God so I don’t know. We don’t always know why God does what he does and we don’t need to
What is The Fall as a reason for why God might allow evil?
The world isn’t the way God originally made it anymore. Humans were placed into the guarden of Eden, and it was good. But they disobeyed, and brought sin into the world and sin has consequences.
What is Free Will as a reason for why God might allow evil?
Evil and suffering exist as a consequence of people having the ability to make choices, which includes the possibility of choosing to do evil.
What is The Greater Good as a reason for why God might allow evil?
There exists a greater good, or purpose, that outweighs, or justifies, the existence of evil and suffering.
What’s an example of evil being used for good in Genesis?
Joseph having been sold into slavery out of envy, but saving his people because of that: “As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good. To bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today.” - Joseph, Genesis 50:20
What is a great good that came out of evil?
Jesus’s death in the cross
What is Soul Making as a reason for why God might allow evil?
Some evil and suffering is necessary for you to grow. It builds your character
What is To Show Himself as a reason for why God might allow evil?
It’s in a world with sin that God can show His grace, mercy, forgiveness, justice, and His enemy love. Otherwise we wouldn’t ever know these about Him
How is it that God’s foreknowledge doesn’t determine what I do (free will)?
God’s foreknowledge is chronologically prior to my actions, my actions are logically prior to God’s foreknowledge
What is a good analogy of how God’s Foreknowledge doesn’t determine what I do (free will)?
God’s knowledge is like a barometer that’s always right. A barometer helps forecast what the weathers going to be. Of course, an infallible barometer doesn’t cause the weather, rather it depends on the weather to determine what it will forecast.
