Here we go. by popular request. In some other threads, as we
discussed various issues, one or more participants happened
to mention God, or quote the Scripture in support of their
arguments. Others immediately said, "Leave God out of it,
because if there was a righteous and all-powerful God,
there wouldn't be evil and suffering in the world"
http://www.iep.utm.edu/e/evil-log.htmJournalist and best-selling author Lee Strobel commissioned George
Barna, the public-opinion pollster, to conduct a nationwide survey. The survey
included the question "If you could ask God only one question and you knew he
would give you an answer, what would you ask? The most common response, offered
by 17% of those who could think of a question was Why is there pain and
suffering in the world? (Strobel 2000, p. 29). If God is all-powerful,
all-knowing and perfectly good, why does he let so many bad things happen?
This question raises what philosophers call ‘the problem of evil.’
http://plato.stanford.edu/entries/leibniz-evil/Open any contemporary introductory textbook and philosophy and it
becomes clear that the problem of evil in contemporary philosophy is thought
of as an argument for atheism. Since, the atheist contends, God and evil
are incompatible, and evil clearly exists, there is no God. Some, thinking
that the claimed incompatibility in the above argument is too strong, argue
that even if the existence of God and the existence of evil prove compatible,
the existence (or duration, or amount, or distribution) of evil provides us
with at least strong evidence that God does not exist.
Framed in this way, the "atheistic problem of evil" invites certain sorts of
responses. In particular, it invites the theist to explain how a being that
is all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good can allow evil to exist. And thus,
contemporary responses to the problem of evil focus largely on presenting
"theodicies" that is, reasons why a perfect being does or might allow evils
of the sort (or duration, or amount, or distribution) we find in our world.
When we turn back, however, to the works of those medieval philosophers who
treat the problem of evil, the "atheistic problem" is not to be found. Since
these figures believed that the arguments of natural theology demonstrated
overwhelmingly the existence of God, the problem that evil presented was
quite different. For them, the problem was how the existence of evil was
compatible with divine moral purity or holiness. Since, they argued, God
is the author of everything that exists, and evil is one of the things
that exists, God is thereby the author of evil. And if someone is an "author
of evil," they are thereby implicated in the evil and thus cannot be morally
pure or holy. Thus, God cannot be morally pure nor holy. Let's call this
problem of evil the "holiness problem."
So, for some people, the existence of evil is a slam-dunk victory
for atheism, because of the obvious logical problem. Ask a Christian
about evil, and watch him squirm.
The problem looks like this.
- Assume God exists.
- Assume God is Omnipotent.
- Assume God is Righteous.
- Assume that evil exists.
How can you believe all of these propositions at the same time?
Possible answers.
[list=1][*]God doesn't exist after all.[*]God means well, but his "hands are tied"[*]Maybe he is really a monster[*] Or, maybe all the things that seem to be evil aren't really evil.[/list=1]
If you're expecting an instant answer from me, you'll be disappointed.
I will make one argument, however. I believe that the Problem of
Evil presents just as much of a difficulty to all of the other
religious and philosophical systems as it does to Christianity.
It is not instant proof of atheism, because, if you assume that
there is no god, and no devil, and no sin, you still have
to answer, "why does evil exist?"
If you are a Satanist, and you believe that God (if he exists) is evil,
and Satan (if he exists) is fighting a battle of liberation against
the totalitarianism of God, you still haven't answered why.
Why does the evil one seem to have so much power, and why do
terrible things happen?
Modern evangelical Christians have dropped the ball on this question,
seeking to excuse God from blame by portraying him as helpless
in the face of man's "free will"
Some religions try to duck the issue by denying the existence of evil.
Either it is an illusion, or it is "good" in disguise.
http://wri.leaderu.com/wri-table1/spiritualism.htmlWhatever is, is right. Evil does not exist. Evil is good.
No matter what man's path may be, good or bad, it is the path of divine
ordination and destiny. (Childs, Whatever Is, Is Right).
So take your pick. Whatever religion or philosophy you feel comfortable
with. But all of them must struggle with the Problem of Evil.
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