The problem of Evil

Moral Evil

Define and give 2 examples

Moral evil is evil caused by humans - easy to explain (free will)
The holocaust, Russian war with Ukraine

Natural evil

Define and give 2 examples

Results from the malfunctioning of the natural world. Earthquakes in Turkey and Syria in February 2023, COVID pandemic

Problem for believers

What does evil pose to believers

An additional challenge to their faith. This is the problem of how an all-powerful, all-loving God can allow His creation to suffer without coming to its rescue and putting an end to its torment.

Epicurean Paradox

Who is Epicurus - what is his paradox

Epicurus was a philosopher before Christianity (341 - 270 BCE)
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able to? Then he is not omnipotent. Is God able to prevent evil, but not willing to? Then he is malevolent (evil). Is God able to prevent evil and willing to? Then why is there evil?

JL Mackie

How does he add to the Epicurean Paradox

The inconsistent triad -
The following 3 cannot all be true: God is omnipotent, God is Omnibenevolent, Evil exists

Evil exists, so one of the former 2 must be true

Theodicies

What is a Theodicy, which 2 will we look at?

An argument against the problem of evil to explain why God might allow for evil to exist.

Augustinian and Irenaen theodicies.

Augustinian Theodicy #1

What is it based on? What does this mean?

Genesis 1 -3
All God made is good, therefore evil was not created and is privatio boni (absence of good)

Augustinian Theodicy #2

Give an example of privatio boni

Blindness (evil) is an absence of sight (good)

Augustinian Theodicy #3

What is the fall? What did it bring?

A result of the OG sin of Adam and Eve.

Corruption to the world via sin - death, plague, famine etc. (natural evil)

Augustinian Theodicy #4

What is the existence of evil to us? Why?

Adjacent to punishment.

We were ‘seminally present’ in Adam and so inherit his OG sin.