the problem of evil

Question 1

define moral evil

Answer 1

the result from an act or failure by humans. E.g. murder

Question 2

define natural evil

Answer 2

Aries through no fault by humans. e.g. earthquakes

Question 3

define the evidential problem

Answer 3

attempt to show that the existence of evil counts against the probability of the truth of theism.

The extent of suffering

Question 4

define the logical problem of evil

Answer 4

states that it is impossible and irrational to believe in the existence of a good, powerful God with evil in the world.

Question 5

what are the three characteristics of God and what are the definitions of them?

Answer 5

Omnibenevolent =good
omnipotent= great power
omniscient= all-knowing

Question 6

define theism

Answer 6

the belief in the existence of a God or Gods who created the universe and intervenes with it.

Question 7

describe the first point in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 7

• God is perfect and he created a perfect world with no evil in it.
• “God saw all that he made and it was very good”- Genesis (1:3)

Question 8

describe the second point in the Augustian Theodicy

Answer 8

• Since God can’t create evil, evil is not a thing in itself, but a privation of Good.
• if evil is an absence of good, then God cannot be responsible for its creation- it is not logical to say that God created an absence

Question 9

describe the third point in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 9

• God gave humans free will but when they chose to disobey God they create an absence of good within themselves.
• The sin of Adam and Eve destroyed the state of perfect

Question 10

describe the fourth point of the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 10

-natural and moral evil entered the world (the doctrine of the fall of man)

Question 11

describe the fifth point in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 11

all humans inherit the sinful nature of Adam and Eve since we were seminally present in Adam so deserve to be punished

Question 12

describe the sixth point in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 12

• All evil is either sin or the punishment for sin. we all deserve to be punished because of the original sin.
• so God continues to allow evil

Question 13

describe the seventh point in the Augustinian Theodicy (the role of Jesus)

Answer 13

God provides a solution in the person of Jesus who dies to save people from the penalty of Adam’s sin

Question 14

describe the eighth point in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 14

all humans who repent and accept the salvation Jesus brings will escape punishment. At the end of time all will be judged

Question 15

explain the last point in the Augustinian Theodicy (soul-deciding)

Answer 15

the good will be rewarded with eternal happiness. The evil will receive their punishment. The individual chooses. Heaven or hell. This is soul deciding

Question 16

describe schleiermacher’s criticism that Augustine makes a logical error

Answer 16

How can a perfect world go wrong? Either the world wasn’t perfect to start with or God made it go wrong.

Adam and Eve must have had some knowledge of evil to be able to choose it. Where did it come from? Implies there was already knowledge of good/evil.

Question 17

describe Schleiermacher’s criticism that Augustine makes a moral error.

Answer 17

concept as hell as part of design of universe; did God anticipate it would go wrong? Criticism as God supposedly made a perfect world.

Question 18

describe Schleiermacher’s criticism that Augustine makes a scientific error

Answer 18

• contradicts evaluation as the theodicy doesn’t sound like evolution which states that everything is improving over time but the theodicy graphs shows that everything has gone downhill.
• Science has shown that we didn’t all come from 1 person because of races. Shows that we weren’t seminally present in Adam. Why should we suffer for his sin?

Question 19

describe another contradiction that is in the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 19

If God cannot create evil and he made humans in the image and likeness of himself then surely this would mean humans cannot create evil but we can see that this isn’t the case.

Question 20

describe the strength of the Augustinian Theodicy that there is evidence that humans creating evil

Answer 20

• evidential problem of evil
• Augustine’s theodicy states that Adam and Eve’s disobedience lead to evil in the world.
• Evil is a fault of humans. We can see it everyday. e.g. war, terrorism, abuse etc

Question 21

explain how Plantinga supports the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 21

• Genuine free will requires the possibility that humans can choose evil
• Possible that an omnibenevolent God would want to create evil as it brings moral goodness.
• Suggests that Mackie is wrong to believe that evil and God aren’t incompatible

Question 22

Why is it unreasonable to say suffering isn’t a real thing? criticism of the Augustinian Theodicy

Answer 22

• Is Augustine playing word games by calling evil a privation?
• This idea wouldn’t help us comfort a grieving parent who has just lost their child.

Question 23

what is the inconsistent triad ?

Answer 23

God cannot be omnipotent or God cannot be all loving or evil does not exist

Question 24

explain the first part of John Hick’s Ireanaen theodicy (soul making)

Answer 24

• evil has a purpose
• he agrees with irenaeus that humans were created in the image of God but we haven’t yet assumed his likeliness
• we are in a immature, moral state and through the life we learn through suffering and experience to grow into the likeliness of God
• Adam and Eve made a mistake through immaturity. Jesus was sent by God as part of the learning process and also suffered

Question 25

explain the second part of Hick's theodicy

Answer 25

- if God created perfect humans then we would be like robots and our love would be valueless - perfection cannot come ready made, but must develop through free choice, so God had to give us the potential to disobey him. - this meant that he also has to create a world where there is a possibility for causing harm - without suffering, qualities such as courage or unconditional love would be untested and impossible

Question 26

explain the third part of hicks theodicy

Answer 26

- there is necessarily an 'epistemic distance' between God and man - if God intervenes and prevents evil then we would be too aware of his existence watching us and so we would have no real choice. We would choose to obey not because we wanted to, but because we were terrified.

Question 27

explain the fourth part of hicks theodicy (natural laws)

Answer 27

- the world runs to a series of natural laws which are predictable and constant - natural evil happens when these laws come into contact with our own perceived needs. - there is no moral dimension to this

Question 28

explain the fifth part of hicks theodicy (soul making)

Answer 28

- our world is a value of soul making - if we do not have evil we would not be able to develop true virtues such as courage and compassion and we would never know what good is, so we would have no real choice

Question 29

what is the last part of hicks theodicy

Answer 29

for evil to have a purpose hick argues for universal salvation- all must be saved and go to heaven in the end

Question 30

problem with hicks theodicy

Answer 30

- it seems unfair that everyone ends up in heaven - why should mother Teresa and hitler both end up in heaven? - if all of us reach heaven that what is the point in being good

Question 31

what does Mackie argue against hicks theodicy

Answer 31

- 'could not our world be a little more hospitable and still teach us what we need to know ?' - God could have given us the choice to do good with limited potential for evil - he could have created a world where I still have the choice not to hurt someone, but it is impossible for me to organise the genocide of 6 million Jews - why must we learn only through pain

Question 32

Swinburnes argument against theodicy

Answer 32

- if God limited suffering then it would be a 'toy world where things matter, but not very much' - God would be like an over protective parent not allowing his child out of his sight for a moment - he argues that the level of suffering is however limited because there is death - if we were immortal, then we would not have to take responsibility for our actions because there is always another chance, so we can go on and on causing death and mayhem - by limiting our lifespan, we only have a limited chance

Question 33

why does D.Z. Phillip argue against Hick's theodicy ?

Answer 33

- he disagrees with hick by suggesting that true love doesn't use evil as a means to an end or for a purpose - God is omnibenevolent and thus don't create or use evil

Question 34

process theodicy has an alternative solution to the problem of evil. What is it?

Answer 34

- denies that God is omnipotent - God started the world off but cannot control it or solve evil - however, God suffers alongside his creation and empathises with us

Question 35

D.Z. Phillips argument against hick

Answer 35

- true love doesn’t use evil as a means to an end or for a purpose. God is omnibenevolent and thus doesn’t create or use evil

Question 36

How does Brian Davies support Augustine

Answer 36

Evil is a gap between what there is and what there ought to be

Question 37

what is a theodicy ?

Answer 37

attempts to define God despite the existence of evil and suffering in the world

Question 38

key words for Augustine theodicy

Answer 38

``` perfect privation free will natural and moral evil seminally sin Jesus repent and accept should making ```

Question 39

key words for Hicks theodicy

Answer 39

``` purpose likeness epistemic distance natural laws soul making universal salvation ```

Question 40

how does Augustine's theodicy defend God ?

Answer 40

- God couldn't create evil as evil isn't a substance - angels disobeyed God which lead to the fall of angels which created natural evil as punishment for humans . Not Gods fault - sin entered the world through Adam and Eve disobeyed God. Humans are responsible for evil

Question 41

primarily, according to Augustine's theodicy, who is to blame for evil ?

Answer 41

Angels and humans

Question 42

How could it be argued that Augustine's theodicy doesn't get God of the hook ?

Answer 42

- since the perfect world went wrong it could be argued that God isn't off the hook as either the world wasn't perfect to start with or God made it go wrong

Question 43

how does the free will defence support Hicks theodicy

Answer 43

- humans must be genuine my free to choose how they want to reposed to God - it is out of free will that we disobey God

Question 44

3 advantages of process theodicy

Answer 44

- removes the question of God is all loving and omnipotent then why doesn't he stop evil as process theodicy answers this with 'he can't ' - the fact that God suffers encourages people as God can have a personal experience of what they are going through - within process theodicy there is no certainty that God will triumph in the end so it therefore may encourage people to join in the fight against evil

Question 45

three disadvantages of process theodicy

Answer 45

- the argument isn't a theodicy as all theodicies justify God but since it removes the concept of omnipotence in God, it doesn't justify him at all - the conclusions is unacceptable on religious and philosophical grounds as it questions whether a being with such limited power would be worthy of worship - the theodicy creates a despair for the future. If God cannot guarantee anything, what is the point of human efforts ?

Question 46

criticism of Hicks use of free will

Answer 46

if we really have free will why can't be decide where we go after death ? Hicks argues that there is universal salvation for everyone

Question 47

who is responsible for evil according to Hicks theodicy and why ?

Answer 47

- God is responsible for evil - because, God created the world with evil on it as pain is necessary since it teaches us certain values and allows free will