Does Teh Problem of Evil Disprove God's Existence?
Does the existence of evil in our world disprove God’s existence?
March 23, 2011 The argument of the problem of evil contends that the existence of an omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipotent God is incompatible with the existence of evil in the world, which can be observed in war, genocide, and human suffering. One could respond to this argument by stating that human evil is a result of free will, which is the God-given ability to make decisions which are either good or evil. In this way, God does not directly cause evil but rather creates the possibility for evil to occur as a natural consequence of human free will. The occurence of natural disasters; such as floods, or excessive pain and suffering brought about by natural disease or hunger, stands in the way of the view that God does not directly cause evil. One could respond to this objection with the claim that these natural evils are “a necessary condition for the highest moral virtue,” (Campbell 287) and that without these evils, virtues such as compassion and bravery are impossible. As a result, it can be concluded that not only is the existence of evil compatible with the idea of an all-loving God, but evil is in fact necessary for moral perfection; which consists in doing “God’s will which always embraces the intrinsically good”(Lewis 88). The definition of free will according to John Hick is that, “God’s purpose in creating this world was to provide the logically necessary environment in which human persons could respond freely to His infinite love and freely accept a God-centered rather than a self-centered life” (Hick 293). Thus in order for the environment which is necessary for this response to allow for true freedom, God could not simply entice or only present the ‘good’ outcome; despite the fact that he “…always embraces the intrinsically good”(Lewis 88). God must also provide an alternative; evil, which according to Aquinas, “does not exist in its own right, but is merely the
March 23, 2011 The argument of the problem of evil contends that the existence of an omniscient, omnibenevolent, and omnipotent God is incompatible with the existence of evil in the world, which can be observed in war, genocide, and human suffering. One could respond to this argument by stating that human evil is a result of free will, which is the God-given ability to make decisions which are either good or evil. In this way, God does not directly cause evil but rather creates the possibility for evil to occur as a natural consequence of human free will. The occurence of natural disasters; such as floods, or excessive pain and suffering brought about by natural disease or hunger, stands in the way of the view that God does not directly cause evil. One could respond to this objection with the claim that these natural evils are “a necessary condition for the highest moral virtue,” (Campbell 287) and that without these evils, virtues such as compassion and bravery are impossible. As a result, it can be concluded that not only is the existence of evil compatible with the idea of an all-loving God, but evil is in fact necessary for moral perfection; which consists in doing “God’s will which always embraces the intrinsically good”(Lewis 88). The definition of free will according to John Hick is that, “God’s purpose in creating this world was to provide the logically necessary environment in which human persons could respond freely to His infinite love and freely accept a God-centered rather than a self-centered life” (Hick 293). Thus in order for the environment which is necessary for this response to allow for true freedom, God could not simply entice or only present the ‘good’ outcome; despite the fact that he “…always embraces the intrinsically good”(Lewis 88). God must also provide an alternative; evil, which according to Aquinas, “does not exist in its own right, but is merely the
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