Evil And Suffering

Question 1

Evil

Answer 1

• The absence of good
• An abstract concept
• Natural evil vs moral evil

Question 2

Suffering

Answer 2

• Can be caused by evil
• Pain or harm to an individual no matter species

Question 3

The concept of God

Answer 3

An omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omniscient and transcendent being of God of classic theism.

Question 4

Theism

Answer 4

The belief in God

Question 5

Moral evil

Answer 5

Evil caused by human agency (e.g., murder, rape)

Question 6

Natural evil

Answer 6

Evil caused naturally (e.g., Tsunamis, droughts)

Question 7

The evidential problem of evil

Answer 7

• There are known facts about evil that are evidence against the existence of God.
• The evidential problem of God is made worse by God’s omniscience.
  There are two types of evil which supply such evidence:
  1. Evil that is overwhelming in quantity and quality.
  2. Evil that is pointless because it serves no useful purpose

Question 8

Theodicy

Answer 8

The word theodicy derives from Greek words, theos and dike. It translates to justifying God or a defence of God.

Question 9

Augustinian theodicy

Answer 9

God exists and evil exists. Both are necessary. God is right to allow evil and suffering as they play an important part in our nature and development as humans.

Question 10

Quote on creation

Answer 10

“God saw all that he had made and it was good.”

Question 11

Quote on the fall

Answer 11

“For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”

Question 12

Key criticisms

Answer 12

Moral: How can an all-loving God allow suffering to occur. It isn’t fair.
Logical: Schleiermacher- it is a logical contradiction to say that a perfect world (Genesis 1) could go wrong.
Scientific: Genesis creation story is challenged by evolution

Question 13

Apologist

Answer 13

A person who offers an argument in defence if something controversial.

Question 14

Summary of Irenaean theodicy

Answer 14

Irenaeus offers a different theory to St Augustine. In Against Heresies, he claimed that God deliberately created an imperfect world so that humans could, through trial and adversity, develop into perfect beings. In a sense, evil and suffering are part of God’s plan for humanity.

Question 15

Free will

Answer 15

The idea that God has given us the opportunity to make our own choices in order to give us independence.

Question 16

Soul-making

Answer 16

Suffering ultimately makes people develop into better beings.

Question 17

Irenaeus theodicy as a upwards theodicy

Answer 17

It offers the opportunity for humanity to improve themselves and work up to perfection.

Question 18

Irenaeus theodicy as a soul-making theodicy

Answer 18

Humanity is on a learning curve, striving towards perfection. Suffering has the benefit of creating an environment where desireable characteristics can be developed by mankind.

Question 19

Quote on Irenaeus theodicy

Answer 19

“A world without problems, difficulties, perils, and hardships would be morally static, for moral and spiritual growth comes through responses to challenges; and in paradise there would be no challanges.”

Question 20

Similarities between Irenaean theodicy and Augustine theodicy

Answer 20

Both credit free will

Question 21

Differences between Irenaean theodicy and Augustine theodicy

Answer 21

Augustine blames suffering on humanity, whereas Irenaeus “blames” God.

Question 22

Why is evil a problem?

Answer 22

• Only a problem for theists.
• Conflict between the ‘omni’ qualities of God and the existence of evil that lead to suffering
• Theodicy = justifying God

Question 23

Purpose on John Hick’s justification

Answer 23

To show that there is a plausible explanation for the existence of evil that is probably true.

Question 24

John Hick: 1. Augustine theodicy is no longer credible

Answer 24

-Hick finds this ‘utterly acceptable’ that Augustine places the origin of evil and suffering in the fall of Adam and Eve.
-Scientifically Genesis is a mythological account, disease was a part of the world as well as natural disasters before humans which contradicts Augustine’s belief that these things were brought to punish Adam and Eve.

Question 25

John Hick: 2. Children of God

Answer 25

-Humans did not fall from creation but were created as imperfect human beings with the potential to become ‘children of God’
-God is constantly described as a father figure of humans
-No human father can force his children to love him; children learn to love their parents through a response to their parent’s care, this is the same as God.

Question 26

John Hick: 3. A ‘two-step process’ of creation and development

Answer 26

-Hick extends the ‘two-step’ process of how humans create and develop their children to God’s creation and development of the human race.
-“Let us make mankind in our own image.”
-Human parents create their children biologically then nurture their development
-We are capable relationship with God, eventually humans can become more Christ-like
-“The fulfilment of God’s purpose for humanity, the bringing of many sons to glory, the creating the children of God.

Question 27

John Hick: 4. Everyone becomes a ‘child of God’

Answer 27

-Some children never learn to response to their parents.
-Eventually all of the human race will respond freely to God, be saved and go to heaven.

Question 28

John Hick: 5. The world is a place of soul-making

Answer 28

-For Hick is the world is a place of soul-making
-For Hick, the idea of hell is unthinkable for a God of love
-God’s salvation is for all humanity

Question 29

John Hick: 6. Epistemic distance from God

Answer 29

-If humans knew God existed, then freedom would be lost because they would just do whatever God wanted them to do.
- The world is full of natural and moral evils so humans can develop and become good.
-Hick agrees with the free-will defence
The counterfactual hypothesis: the benefits of this world, with all its challenges are in contrast to the experience if living in a world without any incentives to do anything. Life currently gives us stimulus for development.

Question 30

John Hick: 7. We must be free to choose the Good.

Answer 30

Hick rejects Mackie’s argument that God could have created us so people always freely choose good.