Evil and Suffering

Question 1

Natural Evil

Answer 1

The Flood/ Plagues (bad)
Jesus Feed 500 (good)
most difficult to accept
why does God not control nature?

Question 2

Can the FWD account for Natural Evil?

Answer 2

Natural forces inevitable
If God intervened - conscious of creator
freedom developed if God doesn’t

Question 3

Moral Evil

Answer 3

Will - bad consequences
‘inaction’
Rwandan genocide 500,000 +
Rabbi Greenberg - “No theological statement…should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children.”

Question 4

Logical problem of evil

Answer 4

Logic imposs coexistence God and evil
Epicurus “is god willing but not able?” Inconsistent T
Can - deny omnipotence - worthy?
Can - deny benevolence - God love NT
Can - Deny evil - not acceptable

Question 5

Evidential problem of evil

Answer 5

Theists/Atheists agree evil exists
Quality + Quantity - overwhelming (CT doesn’t work)
John Stuart Mill - God doesn’t exist or is cruel
Rowe - pointless evil (fawn)

Question 6

Christian FWD

Answer 6

God justified allowing evil for humans to prefer good
develop qualities - compassion
problem - pain develop bad qualities

Question 7

Mackie and the FWD

Answer 7

FW and God an illusion if evil not allowed
“act freely yet always go right?” - no frame ref good

Question 8

Plantinga and the FWD

Answer 8

“any world in which God exist…enormously more valuable”
mackie logically incomplete
DEFENSE
world w/o evil - wouldnt think evil - not free

Question 9

Plantinga Quote

Answer 9

“best possible world contains God…also…evil”

Question 10

Ireanean Theodicy

Answer 10

God - imperfect world
humans develop from Image to likeness of God
pain makes us perfect
SOUL MAKING

Question 11

Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 11

God - perfect world
God’s creation ruined by human sin
We were seminaly present Adam
punishment - Adam and Eve “be like God, knowing good and evil”
SOUL DECIDING

Question 12

Criticisms of Ireaneas

Answer 12

Suffering doesn’t always have postive development (Rowe)
Quality and quantity?
D.Z Philips - love never by allowed by suffering

Question 13

Criticisms of Augustine

Answer 13

Schleiermacher - World perfect - wouldn’t go wrong
Evil must have existed to be chosen
Survival of fittest good
God is unjust

Question 14

What is John Hick’s development of Irenaean Theodicy? pt.1

Answer 14

If God made humans perfect - “goodness of robots”
Epistemically distance humans not overwhelmed
God allows to choose FW

Question 15

John Hick Ireanaean Theodicy pt.2

Answer 15

Evil allows humans develop
Counter factual hypothesis if interfered
The perfect world is to look forward to
Both - universal salvation/ Soul Making

Question 16

What does Hick say we will become?

Answer 16

Children of God
“fulfilment of God’s purpose for humanity…creating of children of God”

Question 17

Hick response to Mackie?

Answer 17

God could not have created w/ built in awareness of virtues
Love cannot be forced

Question 18

What does Griffin’s Process Theology reject?

Answer 18

Rejects key doctrines
- creation ex nihilo (mistranslation) (persuaded/evolution)
-God’s omnipotence (chaotic material power)
-Abandons Key Christian belief (doctrine truth cannot be guaranteed) ( x privation)

Question 19

What does Griffin say about God and the universe?

Answer 19

God is soul of universe - panentheistic
organised pre exist materials
evil within God - process he experiences

Question 20

What does Griffin say about how God created the world?

Answer 20

God persuaded world into existence/ chaotic matter
Evidential problem doesn’t arise - God cannot intervene

Question 21

What does Griffin say about problem of evil and God?

Answer 21

Complexity - greater ability to oppose God
God not bring about evil - worse evil
God is ‘fellow sufferer’

Question 22

Who is Griffin influenced by?

Answer 22

Whitehead - God always growing/changing
“great companion…the fellow sufferer who understands”

Question 23

Quote Griffin

Answer 23

“God has never had and could never have a monopoly on power”
“All creatures…have some power with which to deviate from the divine will”

Question 24

Weaknesses of Griffin Process Theology?

Answer 24

-Lack God’s Omnipotence not worthy
-God cannot control evil ‘risk’ God’s strategy humans power God persuasion
-Unchristian

Question 25

Griffin Strengths

Answer 25

-Reality constantly changing (chaotic) evolution
-We will never know God omnipotent or ex nihilo - Griffin poses rational possible explanation (God can still be worshipped)

Question 26

Griffin Weaknesses pt.2

Answer 26

Evidential problem of evil
why did God cease in his efforts?
Like Hick and FWD does not answer Karamazov complaint universe ‘is not worth it’