The Problem of Evil
- Created by: AroojTahir
- Created on: 20-04-19 17:13
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- The Problem of Evil
- The logical problem of evil
- Evil a problem for a believer, challenges the existence of God as it challenges the nature of God.
- Theistic religion: How can God be all powerful (omnipotent) and God being all loving (Omni-benevolent)?
- Epicurus problem: Inconsistent triad to be resolved. Three parts of omnipotence,benevolence and evil
- God isn't omnipotent and can't control evil.
- Maybe God isn't benevolent, benevolence new view focusing in love.
- Definition of omnipotence and omnibenevolent needs to change.
- Maybe doesn't evil exist like we think it does.
- The evident problem of evil
- Evil problem evident due to the suffering of people.
- Question why God allows natural disasters and unthinkable human acts.
- If God knew everything, why did he create the universe knowing evil and suffering will occur.
- Some responses
- Evil part of 'big picture plan' that God has for the world.
- Some suffering good so we learn from our mistakes.
- Suffering and evil brings the best in people.
- God is testing humans.
- Suffering due to previous actions= forms of punishments.
- Allowed to be free, have to accept some suffering.
- Bible says we need to let go of intellectual suffering about evil and accept the love of God.
- Untitled
- Augustine
- Original perfection
- Augustine believes Perfect God creates a perfect world- Bible/
- Evil is the absence of privation of Good.
- The fall
- Augustine saw the story of the fall as central to understanding why there's an absence of good.
- Some angels mislead free will- hell created.
- Evil stems from disobedience- Adam and Eve.
- Augustine's theodicy
- Everything's created perfectly by God.
- Everything fall's short of perfection. Fall of angels and humans. Natural evil.
- Humans punished for the sin of Adam and Eve.
- God fair and can't stop evil and suffering as they can't interfere with action.
- God sent Jesus to give people to the opportunity to go to heaven.
- Augustine: evil comes from fall, affecting harmony and leads to human punishment.
- Augustine's soul-deciding (emphasises evil requires a decision from humans about whether they will follow God or give in to evil.
- Strengths
- Fits with the experience of the world: Free will will cause suffering.
- Explores natural evil. Aquinas's idea of death as a part of punishment like motivation to humans.
- Privation makes sense and emphasises the goodness of God.
- Idea that something's based falls short our our expectations.
- Augustine's theodicy is coherent: evil doesn't mean God has fallen short of our expectations
- Weaknesses
- Challenged by Theory of Evolution: adapt. Augustine other way round where you move away from perfection.
- Did Adam and Eve know they were disobeying and choosing evil?
- Why should we be punished because of Adam and Eve?
- Blame God- if things were made perfectly, why did it go wrong?
- Augustine argues humans have natural inclination to sin due to Fall. Not fair as we can't make free choices.
- Augustine believe God controls who goes to heaven/hell. Human free will limited.
- Theodicy doesn't help suffering people understand what's happening.
- Augustine's response to suffering of innocent babies if they're tainted by original sin.
- Original perfection
- Hick
- Iranean theodicies
- Augustine emphasis on punishment of evil.
- Soul making theodicy: explains evil as way of developing and making the soul.
- Focuses on the idea that evil in the world develops characteristics and shape perfection.
- God creates human in his image. So we grow and develop.
- "Then God said, 'let us make [human] kind in our image, in our likeness'" Genesis
- Hick's reworking.
- Free will must be complete so we have genuine relations with God.
- Epistemtic stance (gap in knowledge between God and humanity) where God gives us freedom.
- Something is good when the purpose is considered. Instrumental good.
- Gods image- develop into his likeness.
- Free will, relationship with God freely chosen. Evil response to suffering.
- Hick argues the problem of evil, no good from suffering. Hell cleanses soul before humans go heaven.
- Hick believes in universal salvation- after opportunitiesdevelop likeness of God.
- Strengths
- Hick overcomes problem of Augustinan theodicy. Evil by God not to stop free will and not rely on terminal presence.
- Development-aspect supporting evolution.
- Allows non-literal approach to Genesis.
- Incorporate suffering as a real thing.
- Looks beyond moment of suffering.
- Recognises the role of Jesus in Christian thought and heaven.
- Place relations at the centre of human existence- correspond to how to experience life.
- Recognises true virtues ar e being developed.
- Universal salvation closer to understanding of God who cares and loves.
- Weaknesses
- Why is there a great eptimistic gap? Why couldn't the world be nicer?
- Does not account the suffering of animals and plants.
- Why couldn't God make a world where we could make right choices?
- Doesn't explain the imbalance of suffering.
- Removes some freedom.
- Undermines what Jesus achieved- dying and rising.
- There must be some other ways than pain/suffering, God to develop humanity.
- Iranean theodicies
- Discussing the problem of evil
- Analysing the logical and evidential approaches
- God's power limited due to giving us free will.
- Hick sees suffering as development.God benevolent.
- Augustine- evil as privitation. Iranean theodicies don't deny evil exists, not against omnibenevolence and omnipotence.
- Evil in world enough to argue against existence of God.
- Asumming God's nature and decisions.
- Augustine: is God spared the blame?
- Yes: Privation means evil isn't something that God has made.
- Yes: Natural evil came by disruption to order of God's creation.
- Yes: Moral evil continued use of free will/
- Yes: focus is God's refusal to engage with evil God keeps away.
- No: Evil is more significant than privation.
- No: God stops, prevent or change natural evils (protect victims).
- No: God doesn't have to hold us accountable for sins of Adam and Eve.
- No: God doesn't have to keep away from it, not sign of loving creator.
- Hick: Does soul making justify evil?
- Doesn't explore issue of balance/quantity of suffering not taking into account other sufferings.
- Universal salvation justify suffering. No freedom to go to hell.
- Religious believers suffering improve and trust God.
- Christian point to the suffering of Jesus=model. Assumption that its bad but it can be good.
- Ireanus
- God created humans in his image and must develop his likeness.
- Development like child on mother's milk= solid food.
- Developmentuses suffering to learn- Jonah learns in whale belly.
- God= preterm moulding clay. Clay must be moulded, need to keep our ones moist=workmanship.
- Analysing the logical and evidential approaches
- The logical problem of evil
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