The problem of evil

Question 1

What is Aquinas’ definition of natural evil?

Answer 1

Only evil when looked at from a human perspective- e.g. earthquakes are just the natural world completing its natural processes

Question 2

What is Aquinas’ definition of moral evil?

Answer 2

Caused when humanity turns away from its true potential

Question 3

C.S. Lewis (Apologist) on evil?

Answer 3

Blows of chisel, which hurt us so much, are what make us perfect

Question 4

What is the logical problem of evil?

Answer 4

The conflicting of God’s attributes in classical theism with evil

Question 5

What is the evidential problem of evil?

Answer 5

The observation of suffering and evil in the world

Question 6

Who first made the ‘Inconsistent Triad’ and who was this developed by?

Answer 6

Epicurus (the concept of God), Mackie (Christian God)

Question 7

What is the ‘Inconsistent Triad’?

Answer 7

God willing, but not able - not omnipotent

God able, not willing - not omnibenevolent

So, God either does not have the classical attributes or does not exist

Question 8

What does David Hume propose?

Answer 8

God is either not omnipotent, not omibenevolent, or evil does not exist

Evil clearly exists, so the God of classical theism does not exist

Question 9

What did John Stuart Mill say? (After Hume)

Answer 9

God of classic Theism doesn’t exist

Question 10

What did Mary Eddy Baker say?

Answer 10

Evil and suffering do not exist- they are a construct in our mind

Question 11

What did Bertrand Russell say?

Answer 11

Evil is just a ‘brute fact’- God is used as a smoke screen

Question 12

What is a theodicy?

Answer 12

A justification of God’s existence alongside the existence of evil

Question 13

What does Augustine’s theodicy rely on?

Answer 13

A literal interpretation of Genesis story

Question 14

What are the criticisms of a literal interpretation of the Genesis story?

Answer 14

✔ True word of god
✖ Edited
✖ Patriarchal
✖ Failed translations
✖ Darwinism

Question 15

What does Augustine believe is the orgin of evil?

Answer 15

The first rejection of God by Lucifer’s rebellion (moral evil)

The angel ‘fell’, causing natural evil

Question 16

What does Augustine believe about humans?

Answer 16

Humans are created in ‘imago dei’ (Genesis 1:27), but gave them free will
- link to the Hierarchy of Being: God is ‘supreme being’ and ‘arranged an order of natures’ in this hierarchy (we have more of God in us than other things)

Question 17

What did Adam and Eve’s misuse of free will lead to?

Answer 17

The breaking of the first covenant, which corrupted and destroyed God’s natural perfect order (prelapsarian), creating disharmony and resulted in natural evil (postlapsarian)

Question 18

What did Augustine believe about punishment after Adam and Eve?

Answer 18

Original Sin has been ‘seminally transmitted’

We deserve punishment, and natural evil is this fitting punishment

Question 19

Augustine quote about moral and natural evil?

Answer 19

All evil is either sin or a punishment for sin

Question 20

What does Augustine believe about God’s responsibility?

Answer 20

God created everything perfectly, he did not create evil

Evil is an ABSCENCE OF GOOD - PRIVATIO BONI

E.G. Blindness is an absence of sight, rather than a thing in itself

Question 21

What does Augustine believe about God giving us free will?

Answer 21

It is more valuable for humans to have free will, rather than just obedient followers

So, this world is ‘soul deciding’- we have to choose to accept God

Question 22

What are criticisms of sin being ‘seminally transmitted’?

Answer 22

Darwinism

Why would we still need to be punished today, if Genesis is taken literally?

If God did create Hell, he must have anticipated needing it- why not change humans’ fates?

Schleiermacher: A perfect world should not have gone wrong- so, the world was either not perfect or God enabled it to go wrong

Question 23

What does John Hick’s theodicy rework?

Answer 23

Irenaeus’ theodicy

Question 24

What did Hick believe about humans?

Answer 24

Humans were not created perfectly

We develop in two stages

Question 25

What is stage one of Hick's theodicy?

Answer 25

'Image' The development from spiritual immaturity to spiritual maturity (The Fall is a result of a lack of sufficient wisdom and people who are only in 'image' of God)

Question 26

What is stage two of Hick's theodicy?

Answer 26

'Likeness' The growth of a relationship with God- since God's presence is not always obvious, so humans have a choice whether or not to believe in God (he has to remain absent in some evil) (ENABLES FREE WILL)

Question 27

What is Hick's 'vale of soul-making'?

Answer 27

The belief in universal salvation- post-death we will endure soul making (purgatory) But, this salvation needs to be earned - this is in this world This is the main distinction between Irenaeus' theodicy and his reworking

Question 28

What Genesis quote does Hick's theodicy rest on?

Answer 28

1:26 Let us make man in Our image, in Our likeness

Question 29

How is natural evil a test for humans?

Answer 29

We have the choice to commit or not commit moral evil The EXPERIENCE of natural evil is a test- helping one another to be rescued from rubble and get to safety The RESPONSE to natural evil- international aid, charity

Question 30

What analogy does Irenaeus use in 'Against Heresies'?

Answer 30

The Potter and the Clay Potter needs clay to be wet so it can be molded- when it is dry it can no longer be transformed God = potter, humans = clay We must remain open to God so he can help us achieve moral and spiritual perfection- humans cannot get to God by their own means

Question 31

Hume quote?

Answer 31

Why cant the world be more 'hospitable' and still 'teach' us what we need to know, why does evil have to be so 'extreme'?

Question 32

Elie Wiesel?

Answer 32

'Trial of God' In Psalms, Job has everything (speculated this is why he loved God) God took everything away, and Job still loved God God rewarded him Wiesel had faith in God during the Holocaust, despite going through torture and losing all family- where is his reward?