Evil and Suffering Flashcards
what does suffering describe?
bad things that happen to human beings (a result)
what does evil describe?
the causes of human suffering (a cause)
briefly explain the suffering of Job
one book of the Old Testament, Job, is dedicated to human suffering
Job is a good man who suffers: his children are killed, he loses his property and possessions
afflicted by a painful and disfiguring skin disease
this book offers three explanations to Job’s suffering
what is the first explanation to Job’s suffering?
Suffering is a test
God allows Satan to test Job to see if he deserts him
Job does not lose his faith and is rewarded
what is the second explanation to Job’s suffering?
Suffering is a punishment for sin: theodicy (solution) to the Inconsistent Triad
Job must have sinned greatly to suffer so much
his friends encourage him to search his life for unfocused sins and to repent
Job protests that he has always been good and faithful
God eventually speaks and accuses the friends of being wrong-minded, rejecting their idea - he presents explanation 3
what is the third explanation to Job’s suffering?
Suffering is part of God’s plan, which is beyond human understanding
humans have to accept what they cannot understand
God never says what is plan is but Job seems satisfied - his wealth is restored and he is healed
Why does God not prevent evil and suffering?The balance of nature
the world is balanced
everything is intricately related
natural processes can produce good and bad effects
floods kill people but also waters land which allows others to live
earthquakes which destroy cities and can cause tsunamis are caused by the same forces that created the land on which we are able to live
natural processes are not ‘acts of God’ they are acts of nature which God allows to happen
Why does God not intervene with nature?
God sets the world going then leaves it to its natural course
God should not intervene; this would disrupt the laws of nature
how could God chose between the suffering of one group and the well being of the other?
Why does God not prevent evil and suffering?
The suffering of Jesus
Jesus, as a man, suffered greatly
suffering is part of being human
he was executed in an excruciatingly painful way; crucifixion
just before he died he shouted: “My God, my God, why did you abandon me?” (Mark 15:34)
he also said: “It’s is accomplished!” (John 19:30)
suggests that his suffering had a purpose
Why does God not prevent evil and suffering?
Free will
Christians believe God gives us free will
to live life as we choose
God does not interfere every time people cause harm as this would make people God’s puppets
God has shown us how to live
our connection/love is stronger with God if we chose him
humans decide whether to follow God’s instructions
humans take the consequences of their decisions
leads to human evil
we are made in God’s image but it is our free will and our choice to become like him
what did St Augustine say about free will?
there is evil in the world because we have free will
Why does free will lead to human evil?
Original sin
Genesis 3 begins with the story of the first sin
“the fall” of Adam and Eve introduced sin into the world
before there was no sin, it was all good in the Garden of Eden
we are all seminally present in the loins of Adam and we all bare the same sin and this is why evil exists
people are born with a tendency towards evil
humans are usually attracted to do wrong when given the choice between good and evil
Why does free will lead to human evil?
Satan
some people see evil as the work of Satan
Satan appears at various times through the Bible as the opposite of God
appears as a snake; tempts Eve to eat the apple
Satan tests Job
Satan tempts Jesus to abandon his ministry
some Christians’ lives resolves around ‘resisting Satan’: ban music of rock groups whose lyrics supposedly include Satanic ideas, hold exorcisms to rid people of Satanic influence
Why does free will lead to human evil?
Absence of Good
in the fourth century St. Augustine compared evil to human disease
health is the basic state of human bodies, good is the basic state of human experience
disease is the absence of health (didn’t know about viruses and germs)
evil is the absence of good
when the body gets better disease disappears (does not transfer to another part of the body) and health returns
when good is activated evil disappears
evil is the absence of good in one particular part of the human experience
if enough people do good, they could remove evil entirely
a modern writer puts it like this: “All that is needed for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”
who came up with the Inconsistent Triad?
J.L Mackie theory
