The Problem of Evil by Kevin Rogers

The Problem of Evilby Kevin RogersAn all-powerful God who can, but does not, prevent the evil in the world, cannot be loving; A loving God who wills to, but does not prevent the evil in the world, cannot be all-powerful.Major TopicsIntroduction Whats the problem?Historical ResponsesObjections to Humes PremisesBiblical PerspectiveSummaryProblem for Monotheistic ReligionsAll major religions address the problems of evilsufferingdeathMainly a problem for the monotheistic religions:JudaismIslamChristianityAssert an all-loving, all powerful God (unity)Major argument against an all-loving, omnipotent GodDavid Humes FormulationIs God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent.Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?

Types of EvilTwo forms:Moral evil: human evil actsNatural evil: non-human:earthquakes, tsunamis, floods or fire. Theodicy must account for both types of evil. Most theodicies tend to:Deny the reality of evilRedefine the goodness of GodLimit Gods omnipotenceHistorical ResponsesIrenaeusAugustineLeibnizProcess TheologyIrenaeus (130 AD 202 AD)Evil is a means for growth in human character Has a valuable role to play in Gods plansWe are created incomplete We make free choices in the face of evil in order to obtain completenessPerfection must be developed through our choicesNecessarily entails risk of making wrong choicesAn experience of evil is necessary in order to understand and appreciate the goodEvil may seem real to us but it is not ultimatelyIs pain evil? Avoid further damage and thus painProvides us with a warning signal. Denial of the full reality of evil

Evil can have a good purposeGod can use evil for good purposes. e.g. Joseph (Genesis 50:20)Jesus delivered in accordance with Gods plan (Acts 2:23). Irenaeus view provides an explanation of how God can be loving and yet allow evilIrenaeus had unbiblical teachings:UniversalismChrists atonement was an example rather than objective salvationYet basic argument still seems to have a great deal of meritArgument from pain is incomplete: Torture pain serves no functional purpose Not necessary to infer that evil is not real from Irenaeus argumentSt Augustine (354-430 AD)Free Will DefenceGods creation was goodGod gave free will to both angelic beings and humanitySome angelic beings rebelled against God and chose evilThey tempted Adam and EveMoral evil is the result of our choicesNatural evil is the punishment for moral evilEvil is the privation of goodGod could not have created evil

Free will defenceObjection to Humes first premise: If God is willing to prevent evil, but is not able, then is he impotent. Unreasonable to claim that God is impotent if he cannot perform the logically impossible, e.g. a square circleGod decided it is better to create creatures with free-will rather than creatures whose behaviour is determinedLogically impossible to give creatures free will without preventing the possibility of these creatures from choosing evilEvil is an unavoidable consequence of free willPlaces limitations on Gods power

What is Free Will?Some natural evils are preventable (choosing where we live)No place is absolutely safe -> trust in GodIn what sense are our wills free? Human choices can be quite predictableWe are not being forced by an external agent Choices are substantially determined by our characterOur choices also shape our characterOur wills have been affected by the fall Predisposed to rebel against God. Limitations of Free will argumentWorld would be a better place without bad human choices but ...Free will does not obviously account for natural evilWill heavenly creatures have free-will? Can evil be re-introduced into heaven? Perhaps we will be like ChristBible assumes human responsibilityBarely any mention of free will (free will offerings)Why appeal to a philosophical category that is basically missing?

Gottfried Wilhelm von Leibniz (1646-1716)Best of all Possible WorldsWe are in best of all possible worldsThe present state of the universe exists because it follows from the nature of God that he should prefer the most perfectLimits Gods power

Franois-Marie Arouet de Voltaire (1694-1778)CandideRefuted by Voltaire in Candide (satire)Fictional sequence of tragedies for CandideCandide survives and Dr Pangloss (Liebniz) concludes: There is a concatenation of all events in the best of possible worlds; for, in short, had you not been kicked out of a fine castle for the love of Miss Cunegund; had you not been put into the Inquisition; had you not travelled over America on foot; had you not run the Baron through the body; and had you not lost all your sheep, which you brought from the good country of El Dorado, you would not have been here to eat preserved citrons and pistachio nuts (Voltaire 1759). Were all these circumstances really necessary? Notion appears ridiculousHow could this be the best of all possible worlds? Pastorally insensitive and unhelpful

DiscussionSome support from a scientific perspectiveMovement of tectonic plates results in earthquakes and volcanoesNecessary to replenish the gaseous state of the atmosphere and so support lifeGods hands may be tiedImplausible from a Biblical perspectiveWhat about heaven? Will that be constrained such that evil is still present?Process TheodicyGod is not fixed but is undergoing developmentPresence of evil is due to the fact that God has not yet got things sorted outDenial of the power and omnipotence of GodDoes not reflect the Biblical God God knows the end from the beginningObjections to Humes 2nd PremiseHow do we know whether God does not have some good reason for allowing (ordaining?) suffering? Parents mayallow their child to suffer the consequence of their actions in order to learnpunish their child for their better goodHow do we know whether this is not the case for all forms of human suffering?A greater good may emerge from sufferingWe cannot be certain that any suffering is pointless or does not have a higher purposeImpossible to prove that any instance of suffering or evil is pointlessThe onus of proof is on the anti-theistConstitutes a reinterpretation of the goodness of God

PlausibilitySome instances of evil appear to be pointless and inexplicableJapanese tsunami (11 March 2011):Thousands were killedHumanitarian response was encouraging, butResult for those killed seems somewhat finalThe problem of hell:The way is narrowThe majority are destined for eternal sufferingWhat benefit can come from eternal suffering? Why is there infinite suffering for a finite offence? God gives us the dignity to make choices that have eternal consequencesPerhaps our choices are only meaningful if they do have eternal consequences

Gods Fatherhood and ParentingOur children are born with wills of their ownWould we have it any other way?Entails risk and sometimes our children disappoint usPreferable to the deterministic alternativeA good parent will sometimes cause pain Just or is for their long term goodImagine harmless happiness drug -> perpetual happinessWould we as parents want our children to take it? Greater good to grow through making choicesBiblical PerspectiveThe Origin of EvilGod as JudgeThe Book of JobJesus and the Purpose of EvilThe AtonementElectionChristian SufferingExplanatory Biblical Doctrines

The Origin of EvilGod created a world that was good (Genesis 1)God placed the tree of knowledge of good and evil in the gardenAdam and Eve were temptedSin and death came through one man (Romans 5:12-15 )Evil existed, in some way, prior to the fall, but its origin is not explainedWhen Adam sinned did God say, Oops? The lamb was slain from the creation of the world (Revelation 13:8)The origin of evil is somehow incorporated within the plan of God

God as JudgeOld Testament clearly depicts God as judge:The floodSodom and GomorrahPlagues against EgyptEviction of the CanaanitesNumerous judgements against the nationsWas God converted from sternness to love in NT?The wrath of God is still being revealed Judgements and plagues are prophesied (Revelation)God is not afraid to punish evildoers, and he says so repeatedlyThe Book of JobExtensive treatment of the problem of evil and sufferingSatan claims that Job is only good because God blesses him (Chapters 1 & 2)Jobs suffering is to test Jobs sincerityJobs friends propose various unsatisfactory rationalesGod provides no explanation (where were you?)No reference back to SatanGod does not use Satan as an excuse Gods knowledge goes beyond Jobs understanding Job met God - this experience is a total answerJob never received an answer to his questionsGod rewarded him and compensated for his sufferingsJesus and the Purpose of EvilSeveral instances in the New Testament where Jesus had the opportunity for explaining the purpose of evilMan was born blind:not because of anyones sin but that the work of God might be displayed in his life (John 9:1-3). This explanation cannot be generalised Galileans who Pilate slaughtered and the eighteen who died when the tower of Siloam fell on them were not unusually sinful but unless you repent, you will likewise perish (Luke 13:1-5). Jesus still provides no explanation

The AtonementProvides a solution to the problem of evilJesus death bore the punishment due to our sinLaid the foundation for:the ultimate destruction of all evilcreation of the new heaven and the new earthAn emotional solution to the problem of evil:God so loved the worldThe son shared in our conditionGod has done something about the problem of evil that was enormously costlyDoes not provide a rational explanation of why God allowed evil into the world in the first place

Doctrine of ElectionCreates a problem for theodicyControversial but plainly taught within scripture. No-one comes to the son unless the father draws him (John 6:44) All that are given to the son will come to him (John 6:37). Purpose is to teach us that our salvation is entirely of grace rather than due to merit in our choiceWhat about those who are not chosen? Those whom God has not chosen he reprobates (Calvin)Why damn those who cannot respond? The reprobate still makes a deliberate choiceMany Christians rationalise election to diminish its force

Christian SufferingUniversal suffering is difficult to explainChristian suffering is more explicableWe are to arm ourselves to suffer as Christ suffered and to follow in his steps (1 Peter 4:1)We are to fill up what is lacking in Christs afflictions (Colossians 1:24) (weird?). Righteous suffering is not just inevitable; it also has a redemptive purposeSuffering is not just permitted by God; it is ordained

Explanatory Biblical DoctrinesGods goals:Not happinessNot utilitarianismKnowledge of GodGrow into image of ChristEntails suffering.Man is in rebellion against God - evil that we observe in the world is not unexpected. Gods purpose is not restricted to this lifePurpose is completed in the next life. Earthly existence may seem unfair God will administer true justice at the judgement. Knowledge of God is an incommensurable good - not worth comparing with our earthly sufferings (2 Corinthians 6:4-5).

SummaryNot a problem for the atheistNatural evils are just bad luckHuman selfishness is simply a by product of the survival of the fittestIf only argument considered - simpler to conclude that God did not exist. A number of theodicies have been considered for how God can be omnipotent and omni-benevolent and yet allow evil:God can use evil for good purposes The pain or suffering that we experience can have educational or redemptive purposesMuch of our suffering is also due to our choicesMay be inevitable considering the nature of our choice facultyNeither of Hume's premises are necessarily trueElements of truth in most of these theodiciesOpen up possible explanations but do not provide definitive solutions

Justice of GodBible does not provide an explanation for the origin of evilIt does not resort to a free will defence It does not provide an explanation of how God can have morally sufficient reasons for allowing evil. God does not justify himself to us. Biblical writers maintain that God is just, merciful and righteous altogether God knows the end from the beginning.Final judgement God will be revealed as being just in all of his acts and decisions

The Final RevelationGod will be revealed as being just:After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a great multitude in heaven shouting: Hallelujah! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God, for true and just are his judgments (Revelation 19:1-2).Will not the Judge of all the earth do right? (Genesis 18:24) It is implied that he willFaith but not a blind faith Based on what we know about God fromSpecial revelationOur own experienceWe believe God can resolve things in a loving and just mannerWe currently cannot understand all of the detailsHe is omniscient, but we are notThis world is not the best of all possible worlds but it may be the best way to the best of all possible worlds

BibliographyCraig, W.L. Reasonable Faith: Christian Truth and Apologetics, 3rd edition (Crossway: Wheaton, Illinois, 2008)Craig, W.L. On Guard: Defending your faith with Reason and Precision, 1st edition (Crossway: Wheaton, Illinois, 2010)God, Reason and Religion Manual (Tabor College Adelaide).Hume, D. Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion, first published 1779.Leibniz, G. W. The Philosophical Works of Leibniz, ed. G. Duncan (London, 1890), 101.McGrath, A.E. Christian Theology: An Introduction, 4th edition (Oxford: Blackwell, 2007).Voltaire, Candide, first published in 1759 (New York: Random House, 1956), 188f.