The Problem of Evil and Suffering
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- Date Submitted: 05/02/2016 04:28 PM
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The Problem of Evil
The nature of the problem
Augustine in his ‘Confessions’ expressed the dilemma thus:
“Either God cannot abolish evil, or he will not; if he cannot then he is not all-powerful; if he will not then he is not all-good.”
The assumption is that a good God would eliminate evil as far as it is possible. If he is omnipotent then all evil should be eliminated. However, evil exists. So, why does God allow evil to continue?
This ‘inconsistent triad’ presents Christians with a problem. Should they drop one of God’s characteristics (his omnipotence or his omni benevolence) so that his existence is compatible with the existence of evil?
Evil exists
Evil exists
Inconsistent Triad
Inconsistent Triad
God is omnibenevolent
God is omnibenevolent
God is omnipotent
God is omnipotent
David Hume in ‘Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion’ argues that either (i) God is not omnipotent (ii) not omnibenevolent (iii) or evil does not exist. It is counterintuitive to suppose that evil does not exist but since the notion of God cannot lack omnipotence or omnibenevolence, this means that God does not exist.
Thus, various philosophers have presented theodicies (theories which try to explain the existence of evil while maintaining God’s omnipotence and omni benevolence).
Different types of evil
John Hick described evil as “physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness.” Two types of evil exist:
Natural evil – suffering caused by natural disasters e.g. the eruption of a volcano killing humans and animals.
Moral evil – suffering caused by human selfishness e.g. Hitler’s killing of Jews, homosexuals and Gypsies.
Irenaeus’ theodicy
Irenaeus believed that there were two stages to creation. First, man was first created as an immature being that had yet to grow and develop. Then there would come a period of change where man would respond to situations in life and eventually become a ‘Child of God’.
Irenaeus argued that we were...
The nature of the problem
Augustine in his ‘Confessions’ expressed the dilemma thus:
“Either God cannot abolish evil, or he will not; if he cannot then he is not all-powerful; if he will not then he is not all-good.”
The assumption is that a good God would eliminate evil as far as it is possible. If he is omnipotent then all evil should be eliminated. However, evil exists. So, why does God allow evil to continue?
This ‘inconsistent triad’ presents Christians with a problem. Should they drop one of God’s characteristics (his omnipotence or his omni benevolence) so that his existence is compatible with the existence of evil?
Evil exists
Evil exists
Inconsistent Triad
Inconsistent Triad
God is omnibenevolent
God is omnibenevolent
God is omnipotent
God is omnipotent
David Hume in ‘Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion’ argues that either (i) God is not omnipotent (ii) not omnibenevolent (iii) or evil does not exist. It is counterintuitive to suppose that evil does not exist but since the notion of God cannot lack omnipotence or omnibenevolence, this means that God does not exist.
Thus, various philosophers have presented theodicies (theories which try to explain the existence of evil while maintaining God’s omnipotence and omni benevolence).
Different types of evil
John Hick described evil as “physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness.” Two types of evil exist:
Natural evil – suffering caused by natural disasters e.g. the eruption of a volcano killing humans and animals.
Moral evil – suffering caused by human selfishness e.g. Hitler’s killing of Jews, homosexuals and Gypsies.
Irenaeus’ theodicy
Irenaeus believed that there were two stages to creation. First, man was first created as an immature being that had yet to grow and develop. Then there would come a period of change where man would respond to situations in life and eventually become a ‘Child of God’.
Irenaeus argued that we were...