R.S. evil+suffering

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  • Evil and suffering
    • Inconsistent Triad
      • God cannot be Omnibenevolent, Omniscient and Omnipotent and yet evil exist.
        • Strengths       -God would not have innocents suffer intentionally   -If we have no free will then God is behind suffering        -There is no God -- lack of EVIDENCE
        • Weaknesses Suffering can also bring good things   Suffering as a punishment like karma        If we have free will then we are partially responsible --   Plantinga
      • J.L.Mackie is the Philosopher behind the inconsistent triad.
    • Holocaust Theology
      • This explores the role of G_d during the Holocaust - Did he abandon the Jews? - Why didn't he stop it.
      • G_d not to blame            The nazi's did not win - larger battle, couldn't be stopped without restricting free will, trial of faith.
        • Free Will and Predetermination
          • Free will is the ability to make our own choices, the opposite is predetermination
          • Some decisions are down to PRIMING - associations with an object/situation
      • G_d is to blame             If predetermined the G_d is to blame, Omnipotent G_d could stop it, 6 million died no excuses can justify.
        • Free Will and Predetermination
          • Free will is the ability to make our own choices, the opposite is predetermination
          • Some decisions are down to PRIMING - associations with an object/situation
    • Theodicies
      • Augustine         Before the fall there is harmony but after it human nature is permanently changed to encourage wrong. The world was created perfectly but evil is a privation. Jesus and his death was God's solution.
        • Weaknesses  Relies on the existence of heaven, if jesus is the solution why is there still suffering, if God is omniscient he would still know about suffering.
        • Strengths       Backed up by the Bible, no blame on God - Brian Davis, we can still have good relationship with God.
      • Irenaen        The world was deliberately created imperfectly as suffering helps us develop as people and close the epistemic distance.
        • Strengths       Suffering does have a purpose, no blame, gives meaning - blackcurrant sweet analogy.
        • Weaknesses  contradicts bible, if God is perfect why create imperfectly, not all suffering is moral growth.
    • The fall
      • The Sepent in the garden of Eden tricks Eve and Adam into eating the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil
        • They are punished by mortality, having to grow their own food and the pain of childbirth.
      • Humanity is privileged but abuses its gifts so suffering is used as a punishment and a reminder of the sins of those before us.
      • Adam and Eve have free will so it is partially their fault.
      • Nature of Evil
        • Personal being like Satan or Iblis, an adversary to God who tempts us to wrong.
        • Impersonal force like a magnet. Beyond our control, we are drawn to it. Random nature of evil - no patterns
        • Society and upbringing - programmed to do certain things as they are 'normal'. Based on parenting, peer pressure and social media.
        • Deliberate and intentional
      • Bible passages
        • Deuteronomy 8:5 - God as a trainer
        • Deuteronomy 28:15 - Suffering from disobeying God
        • Genesis 22:12 - "It happened some time later that God put Abraham to the test"

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