Natural/Moral/Biblical perspectives of evil: Evil and suffering

Suffering

Mental or physical pain/hardship/distress brought about by both moral and natural evil.

Moral evil

Evil committed by human beings. It can also refer to evil that comes from human inaction.

Examples of moral evil

Rape

Murder

Natural evil

Evil produced by the chance operation of the laws of nature.

Examples of natural evil

Disease

Starvation

Storms

Tsunamis

Which Old Testament passages account for evil ?

Genesis 1-11

Isaiah 45:7 - "I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the Lord, do all these things."

How does Genesis 1 account for evil ?

Evil and suffering's existence was caused by original sin (Adam and Eve's disobedience of God) now all of humanity is being punished for this sin.

How does Isaiah account for evil ?

Everything is under God's control, so God must have created evil as well as good.

New Testament passages that account for evil

Romans 3: 21-31

John - " We know that we are of God, and the whole world is in the power of the evil one."

Revelation - " The great dragon... that ancient serpent who is called the Devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world.."

Luke - "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where for forty days he was tempted by the Devil."

How does Romans account for evil ?

Evil can be overcome by having faith in Jesus, because by having that faith, God counts them as righteous and members of God's kingdom.

How does John account for evil ?

Evil is caused by Satan.

How does Revelation account for evil ?

God allows the Devil to be an evil influence in the world because creation has been given free will.

Just as humans can cause evil by their own free choices, Satan used his own free will to rebel against God and to corrupt humans.

How does Luke account for evil ?

The Devil also tries to tempt Jesus to choose evil rather than good.

Displays that humans are free to choose between good and evil.

Christian view of natural evil (Old Testament)

God uses natural evils in order to punish people, for example, the Seven Plagues of Egypt (Exodus 7:8-11:10) and the Flood (Genesis 6:5-7).

Some Christians view them in a literal sense, whereas others see them as an interpretation of events.

Christian view of natural evil (New Testament)

John - "It was not that this man sinned, or his parents, but that the works of God might be made manifest in him."

Suffering gives an opportunity for God to act, and he did so through Jesus’ healing.

What are humans regarded as ?

Moral agents

Moral agent

Any being capable of following what is right and wrong.

Example of moral evil

1994 Rwandan genocide, where the 85 % Hutu population attempted to eliminate the 14 % Tutsi population.

It also showed the evil of inaction, e.g. the lack of official condemnation and intervention by the UN and the former colonial powers, even though preparations for the slaughter were known in advance.

Impact of Rwandan genocide

Between 500,000 and 1,000,000 Tutsi (and moderate Hutu) were slaughtered.

Example of an event of natural evil

2008 Sichuan earthquake

Impact of Sichuan earthquake

Killed around 70,000 people.

Why is the Holocaust a highly significant incident of moral evil ?

It was a genocide carried out largely based on religion, as over 6 million Jewish people were killed, together with around 3 million other so-called 'undesirables'.

What statement did Rabbi Irving Greenberg make about the Holocaust ?

"No statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of burning children."

Meaning of Greenberg's statement

Any answer to the problem of why God allows such evils can be credible only if it was spoken while watching children die in agony in the flames.