The Problem of Evil

Epicurus set out a dilemma

• Either God can not prevent evil but he wants to- which shows a lack of omnipotence
• He can but does not want to- shows he is manivolent
• He can and is willing- then why is there evil?

Moral evil

• Evil causes by humans through free will
• Theodicy- an explanation to how an omni-god exists in an evil world

Natural Evil

• Events that have bad consequences when explained by humans

Augustinian theodicy was greatly influenced by creation stories found in Genesis 1 to 3. Augustine interprets Genesis literally and holds a traditional view of God.

Privation of evil- evil is a privation of good.

• Words like 'bad' or 'evil' do not reach the expections on what nature should be like. 
• They lack quality .
• Evil is not a force that undermines God.

Absense & Lack

• Privation applies when you lack something you should have.
• Evil comes from moral choices in Augustine's opinion. Robbing a bank means you dont have the quality of respecting other peoples property 

'Evil comes from God' 

• God causes everything
• Evil is not a thing but something missing. So an evil person lacks the quality of goodness.
• God causes evil to exist because of free will. Everyone has goodness in them

• In the first genesis story creation is good and humans are in the likelyness of God.
• We are rational creatures.
• The Garden of Eden is in harmony.
• The fall marks disharmony.
• The serpent tempted Eve to use her free will
• A&E chose not to be in harmony with God. All humans are 'seminally' present in A's sin
• All future people wil live in a disharmonious world

So, why did God give us free will if he knew we would sin?

• Free will is more valuable than robots
• Allowing evil to happen is a price worth paying
• The contrast between good and bad highlights the beauty of goodness
• This is the aesthetic principle which is a contrast between what is good and lacks goodness

Criticsms of the Augustinian theodicy

• Plausibility- Genesis can not be seen as literally true
• Alvin Plantinga- where is the proof?
• Science

Interpreted literally by Ireneaus

• Places plame for sin on the serpent of the story although Adam and Eve are not blameless
• If God did not save humanity then the serpent would have triumphed over God and humanity would be abandoned
• Adam and Eve are like children (make a mistake=punishment) and God saves them and their descendents
• They are not rebels, God does not curse Adam and Eve but the ground they walk on and the serpent
• Ireneaus says punishment had to be given so Adam and Eve would not despise God. So they develop a sense of morality on their own
• The harshness of the world is how we come to know God
• Testament points to the God and and Jesus incarnation.
• Jesus is our saviour who takes human sin

John Hick suggests Adam and Eve is a myth. The role of mythology is to examine the  greatest mysteries of human existence- like evil by using striking imagery.

• Human beings develop in image- we are developed in the image of God.
• Evolution for us was a struggle to survive- we are spirtiually immature and through our struggle we become spiritually mature
• 'Likeliness' is when we begin to develop a relationship with God
• The 'fall' is not as significant as Augustine's theodicy as the fall marks how apart we are from God
• We were not connected in the presence because if we were- all free will would be gone because we would be overpowered by God's presence and not be able to make a choice
• This is the EPISTEMIC distance- distance wheich is in cognitive dimension
• Soul making- we live in a world in which we can make decisions on how to act
• E.g. compassion is only present in a suffering world
• Developing conscience is important in this
• Natural Disasters- are stimulants for human intellectual development
• Everything else is the eschatological aspect- all will be known in heaven

Injustice- saving everything is injust as it permits a life of sin and we are safe if we all just realise our mistakes

Traditional christians say human beings are responsible for their own actions

Suffering- idea contrasts with omnibenevolent God

Ends justify means- Should evil exist and be inficted on others just so we develop like God?

Epistemic distance- Why is God so far from humanity?