The problem of Evil

The problem of evil and suffering forms the foundation of the examination
- Part A: Worth 20 points
- Part B: Worth 30 points

Types of Evil:
- Moral Evil: Actions that cause suffering due to human choices.
- Natural Evil: Suffering resulting from environmental phenomena.
Logical Problem of Evil:
- Classical formulation by Epicurus focusing on the contradiction among God's characteristics and the existence of evil.
- J. L. Mackie's modern interpretation - the Inconsistent Triad.
- William Rowe's focus on intense suffering of humans and animals.
- Gregory S. Paul's view on premature deaths.

Core Concept: Evil is a consequence of sin and human actions; it is a privation (absence) of good.
Fundamental Themes:
- The Fall of humanity and creation.
- The idea that Christ's sacrifice overcomes evil (soul-deciding).
**Challenges faced: **
- Validity of the Genesis accounts and scientific issues.
- Moral contradictions of an omnibenevolent God allowing Hell.
- Geological and biological evidence challenging the concept of a perfect creation.
- Relevance of Augustinian type theodicies in the 21st century.
- Success of Augustine’s theodicy as a defense of Classical Theism.

Core Concept: Evil and suffering are essential for soul-making; humans were created imperfectly and need to learn through experience.
Key Components:
- Concept of epistemic distance (the distance of knowledge between God and humanity).
- Existence of second-order goods that arise from the experience of evil.
- Eschatological Justification: Earthly suffering is justified by eventual salvation.
Challenges faced:
- Questions of justice regarding universal salvation.
- Use of evil and suffering as tools by an omnibenevolent God deemed unjust.
- Inequality in the distribution of suffering.
- Relevance of Irenaean type theodicies in the present day.
- Effectiveness of Irenaeus' theodicy in defending Classical Theism.

Atheism: The belief that there is no deity.
Augustine: Early Church Father and theologian known for his definitions of original sin and the nature of evil.
Classical Theism: Traditional attributes of God including omnibenevolence, omnipotence, and omniscience.
Empirical Evidence: Information acquired by observation or experimentation.
Evil: Refers to the presence of suffering and wrongdoings within human experience.
Free Will Defense: A justification arguing that God allows evil for the sake of human freedom.
Hume, David: 18th Century philosopher who formulated critiques about religious belief and the existence of evil.
Inconsistent Triad: A philosophical term describing the difficulty of reconciling the existence of evil with an all-powerful, all-good God.
Process Theology: A belief system focused on God's immanence rather than absolute power.
Soul-Making: A concept indicating that human suffering is necessary for moral and character development.

J.L. Mackie: Australian philosopher known for discussing the Inconsistent Triad.
John Hick: Philosopher who developed the Irenaean Theodicy.
Gregory Paul: 21st Century theologian that analyzed the implications of suffering on theism.
William Rowe: Current philosopher critiquing theodicies and examining the evidential problem of evil.

Moral Evil: Caused by human action (e.g., war, genocide).
Natural Evil: Caused by environmental factors (e.g., earthquakes, diseases).

Central philosophical challenge to believers in God.
Raises questions of how a just, loving, and powerful God can permit suffering.
Influences atheistic arguments by challenging belief in the Classical Theistic God.

Three components:
- God is omnipotent.
- God is omnibenevolent.
- Evil exists.
- These statements cannot all be true simultaneously,
- Philosophers argue the need to challenge one of the premises to resolve.

Overview: Goodness and order initially established by God, disrupted by sin.
Evil as Privation: Augustine argues evil does not exist as an independent entity but rather as a lack of good, similar to blindness being a lack of sight.
Human Responsibility:
- Free will introduces the potential for moral evil.
- Natural evil is a consequence of moral evil introduced by humanity through the Fall.
Conclusion: God is not to blame since all goodness derives from Him while the evil results from misuse of free will.
Emphasizes God's grace through salvation.

Overview: Becoming God-like requires a process, hence creation of imperfect humans.
Evil’s Role: Facilitates moral growth and the understanding of good through the experience of suffering.
Epistemic Distance: A necessary separation from God allows true freedom of choice.
Universal Salvation: Everyone ultimately reaches moral perfection and enters heaven.

Augustinian: Scientific critiques, issues with predetermination of sin, lack of modern acceptance for Genesis narratives, and ancient cosmological beliefs.
Irenaean: Universal Salvation questioned for fairness, suffering in cases of immense tragedy (thus questioning divine justice).

Moral implications:
- Divine justice vs. mercy: Why do innocents suffer if all are offered salvation?
- Animal suffering: Lack of redemption for animals under Augustinian and Irenaean models.

Philosophers like Swinburne suggest that suffering promotes positive human traits such as compassion.
Critiques focus on the disproportionality of suffering and the failure of theodicies to address certain types of suffering.

Examining the implications of the problem of evil in theology is ongoing. Current theodicies must harmonize with contemporary philosophical, ethical, and scientific understanding.
Beliefs about suffering and evil continue evolving in light of new perspectives on justice, mercy, and human experience in light of the divine.