Topic 34 Evil and Suffering Flashcards
What is natural evil?
Suffering -> natural phenomena
- droughts
- illnesses
- earthquakes
- tsunamis
What is moral evil?
Suffering -> human action (motivated by greed, revenge etc)
- war
- murder
- rape
- injustice
- poverty
What are the causes of evil and suffering (non religious)?
- Moral evil -> greed + selfishness (wars, fought over land, ppl forced into poverty due to government corruption)
- Moral evil -> need to dominate /exploit others as fear differences in others (apartheid, oppression of women)
- Moral evil -> evolution, humans naturally selfish (survival, leads to aggression, have evolved to be nice)
- Natural evil -> world has faults that have occurred over time eg in earth’s crust
What are Christian reasons for evil and suffering?
- Adam + eve -> disobeying will of God (had free will, so could choose to love God) all faced by temptation + give in to it -> leads to sin (aspire to be like Jesus)
- Fundamentalists : throwing down of satan from heaven, angels that had become demons which tempt ppl (however human responsibility also has to be acknowledged)
What is the problem of evil and suffering?
If god created the world then he must have created all the evil + suffering in it (inconsistent triad, can’t be omnibenevolent, omnipotent etc at same time)
Eg natural evil, god tolerates it
Eg reward for suffering = heaven -> but suggests god powerless to do anything about it on earth
1) if god was omnipotent he would stop evil, but he does not
2) if god was benevolent he should help to alleviate suffering but he does not
3) of god is omniscient then he would know fo human suffering but does not take action
4) therefore god does not seem any ofhis characteristics
What is Augustine’s theodicy? (Free will)
- Ppl have free will like adam + eve in genesis
- We either reject or accept god’s will (rejecting teachings -> end up selfish)
- Adam + eve’s choice to disobey god brought suffering into world
- Much suffering caused by moral evil eg war -> famine
- Have to follow god’s teaching + HS to eliminate own part in suffering
- But evil is necessary to choose good
What are the problems with Augustine’s theodicy?
- Does there need to be so much evil to give us choice?
- Not all suffering does seem to come from human actions
- Liberal christians don’t think that the Fall happened
- God could have made us less capable of evil but still capable of choices
What is Irenaeus’ theodicy (soul making?)
- Early church father -> god made humans imperfect + as a race we are like children
- Human race gradually growing up + become aware of mistakes + learn from them (eg ww2, 6 million Jews killed in holocaust, taught lesson that that can’t happen again’ ) suffering might make you turn to god
What are the problems with Irenaeus’ theory?
- Suffering sometimes makes people worse eg when person is abused
- Babies can’t learn from suffering
- Holocaust very extreme way to learn a lesson
- Why do some people suffer more than others
What is John Hick’s theodicy?
- Only able to learn + practise god’s benevolence if we suffer
- God allows evil + suffering so we can develop compassion + self sacrifice
BUT if God is omnipotent why did he not create us with these characteristics to avoid suffering?
Explain the concept of evil + suffering as a test from God to prove our faith
- God = punishing/testing us eg sexual immorality -> STIs
- Abraham tested with sacrifice of son Isaac, to prove faith
BUT if God was omniscient he should know if we would pass or fail
- Faith = believing what we cannot see - have faith that god knows why we suffer even tho he is loving
Explain the concept of suffering as a punishment?
- God uses suffering to punish ppl (like Adam + Eve, childbirth + ‘till the soil’ labour)
- Jesus’ suffering (crucifixion, temptations) identifies w us (sometimes silent)
BUT why would a loving god punish Adam + Eve’s descendants?
Couldn’t a loving God teach lessons w out punishment?
How does evil + suffering have an impact on purpose of life?
- New appreciation of life
- Could make ppl turn to god to seek comfort (prayer)
- Reason to work as doctors / medical researchers (compassionate careers)
What is a Christians purpose in life?
- Augustine -> get rid of our sin, stay strong through sufferings
- Evangelism. -> teach others about Jesus spread word of God to help ppl through suffering
- Loving god -> need faith + tested thru suffering
- Teach about afterlife -> only temporary suffering - rewarded in heaven eg Jesus ‘take up your cross’
- Show love to others -> those who suffer eg thru Christian Aid charity
What are Christian responses to the reality of evil and suffering?
- Jesus accepted suffering in Garden of G (Luke 22)
- Hope of eternity w god in afterlife
- God w ppl when suffering (has experienced himself via jesus)
- Helps ppl get closer to God - prayer for comfort
