The Problem of Evil of Suffering

THIS IS THE BASIC SKELETON OF WHAT WE WENT THROUGH IN CLASS.

MORE WILL BE COMING SOON.

Why is there evil and suffering in this world?

Why is it important to think about this tough question?

This is the toughest question

Logical → philosophical

Personal

 

What is evil?

 

Good without evil.

Evil needs good

Kinds of evil:

Moral evil

Natural evil

 

What is the problem of evil?

1. God exists
2. God is omnipotent
3. God is omniscient
4. God is omnibenevolent
5. God created the world
6. The world contains evil.

ANOTHER WAY TO THINK ABOUT

A perfectly powerful being can prevent any evil.

A perfectly good being will prevent evil as far as he can.

God is perfectly powerful and good.

So, if a perfectly powerful and good God exists, there will be no evil.

There is evil.

Therefore, God doesn’t exist.

Where is the contradiction?

Deductive problem of evil.

→ logical contradiction at its core. Therefore necessarily false

We will look at this and show why it is not logically true

Inductive problem of evil

→ Christianity probably false

We will look at evidential form, rather than logical form of the problem of evil

"variety and profusion of evil in our world, although perhaps not logically inconsistent with the existence of the theistic God, provides rational support for atheism" Nash 195

move from strong assertion (logically impossible) to moderate assertion (rationally improbable)

 

What is theodicy?

a defense of God’s righteousness in light of the reality that evil exists in the universe He created.

 

What types of theodicy are there

Free Will Theodicy:

Argues that God created humans with free will, which is a great good. However, this allows for the possibility—and actuality—of humans choosing evil.

GOD COULD HAVE CREATED A WORLD WITHOUT MORAL EVIL.

natural law theodicy

God allows natural evil—such as earthquakes or disease—to exist because it shows order and stability

Human development -> free will

Soul making

"In order for God to produce the virtuous beings with whom he wants fellowship, these individuals must face challenges that teach them the intrinsic worth of the virtues he possesses perfectly.

Contrast and Appreciation Theodicy:

Maintains that goodness cannot be understood or appreciated without the contrast of evil, similar to needing darkness to appreciate light.

Eschatological Theodicy (Appeal to the Afterlife):

Asserts that the injustices and sufferings of this life will be rectified in an afterlife, where ultimate harmony and justice are achieved.

Finite God Theodicy:

Modifies the definition of God, proposing that God is all-good but not all-powerful (omnipotent), and therefore cannot stop all evil.

Anti-theodicy:

Argues that attempting to justify God’s allowing of suffering is morally wrong or offensive.

AND EVEN MORE

Some theodicies have no Biblical support.

Other have some

 

Plantinga

Can an omnipotent being truly do anything?

Pseudotask  (logically impossible action)

Is it true a good being always eliminates evil as far it can?

Plantinga’s three statements

An omnipotent, omniscient, omniscient God created the world

God creates a world containing evil and has a good reason for doing it

Therefore, the world contains evil

So, why Is #2 true?

 

Why is there evil and suffering in this world?

 

"Our response the problem of evil, then, may take either of two approaches. We may argue that the second premise above is false and seek to demonstrate that it is false by showing God’s reasons for permitting evil – the way of “theodicy.” Or we could argue that the second premise is unproven because unbelievers can’t rule out God’s having a good reason for permitting evil – the way of 'inscrutability.'”  - MacArthur

Inscrutability

Romans 11

Mystery/Inscrutability/ Submission:

Holds that the reasons for suffering are beyond human comprehension and must be accepted as a mystery of God’s sovereignty.

definition of inscrutability

the quality or state of being inscrutable

not readily investigated, interpreted, or understood : mysterious

 

The Gospel Coalition

"The way of inscrutability argues, more modestly, that no one knows that premise (2) is true because no one can know enough to conclude that God doesn’t have good reason for permitting evil. We just cannot grasp God’s knowledge, the complexity of his plans, or the deep nature of the good he aims at in providence. And there is no proof that God does not have good reasons for allowing evil, but because he is good we can only assume that he does. Here we don’t have to come up with ‘theodicies’ to defend God against the problem of evil. Rather, the way of inscrutability shows that it is entirely to be expected that creatures like us can’t come up with God’s reasons, given who God is and who we are."

Romans 11:33-36

Hebrew 11

Last chapters of Job