Chapter 13 Essay
Emily Ackerman
Mandy Lobraico
Philosophy 101
April 30, 2017
Final Essay: From Chapter 13
As my second part of the final essay I chose the questions from chapter 13. I will discuss the following questions in this essay: Is it possible that what one feels about the problem of evil depends largely on one’s prior beliefs on the existence of God? Isn’t it likely that a theist will find a solution to the problem? Isn’t it likely that an atheist will see it as disproving God’s existence? What side of the fence are you on concerning the question of God’s existence, and what difference does it make in your own view of the problem of evil? First I want to quote Hume and the most famous way the problem of evil is stated: “Is he willing to prevent evil, …show more content…
As I mentioned before religiously I was told the free will defense although I didn’t know it was a philosophy idea as well. There are many different ideas trying to show that both statements are true: There is an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God. And there is evil (Jensen 312). One explanation is that God is limited (Jensen 312). Another is his ways cannot be scrutinized (Jensen 313). Leibniz proposed that a perfect world is not logically possible (Jensen 314). Tennant said that evils are a necessary by-product of nature (Jensen 314). Another idea is that evil is a way to grow as a person a sort of therapy (Jensen 323). Some like John Stuart Mill proposed “radical surgery” by saying that God is not omnipotent (Jensen 311). Alvin Plantinga defended God from being responsible for evil by saying that for moral good to be present humans must be capable of moral evil as well (Jensen 321). My favorite thought in this chapter is from John Hick and his writings on Irenaeus a Christian theologian. Hick suggests that man was created imperfect and immature creature who needed to go through a moral development and growth before his final stage of perfection that was intended for him by the creator. I love this idea because the Bible makes man a sinner who destroyed his perfection and then plunged into sin and misery for the remainder of his existence (Jensen
Mandy Lobraico
Philosophy 101
April 30, 2017
Final Essay: From Chapter 13
As my second part of the final essay I chose the questions from chapter 13. I will discuss the following questions in this essay: Is it possible that what one feels about the problem of evil depends largely on one’s prior beliefs on the existence of God? Isn’t it likely that a theist will find a solution to the problem? Isn’t it likely that an atheist will see it as disproving God’s existence? What side of the fence are you on concerning the question of God’s existence, and what difference does it make in your own view of the problem of evil? First I want to quote Hume and the most famous way the problem of evil is stated: “Is he willing to prevent evil, …show more content…
As I mentioned before religiously I was told the free will defense although I didn’t know it was a philosophy idea as well. There are many different ideas trying to show that both statements are true: There is an omnipotent and omnibenevolent God. And there is evil (Jensen 312). One explanation is that God is limited (Jensen 312). Another is his ways cannot be scrutinized (Jensen 313). Leibniz proposed that a perfect world is not logically possible (Jensen 314). Tennant said that evils are a necessary by-product of nature (Jensen 314). Another idea is that evil is a way to grow as a person a sort of therapy (Jensen 323). Some like John Stuart Mill proposed “radical surgery” by saying that God is not omnipotent (Jensen 311). Alvin Plantinga defended God from being responsible for evil by saying that for moral good to be present humans must be capable of moral evil as well (Jensen 321). My favorite thought in this chapter is from John Hick and his writings on Irenaeus a Christian theologian. Hick suggests that man was created imperfect and immature creature who needed to go through a moral development and growth before his final stage of perfection that was intended for him by the creator. I love this idea because the Bible makes man a sinner who destroyed his perfection and then plunged into sin and misery for the remainder of his existence (Jensen