UNIT 3 PR Revision - The Problem of Evil and Suffering

UNIT 3 PR Revision - The Problem of Evil and Suffering

AO1 - Assessment of knowledge and understanding of topics and key concepts

AO2 - Assessment of evaluation and expressing opinion

The Problem; why doesn't God stop suffering?

The biggest problem that atheists have with trying to believe in God is the problem of evil and suffering. The argument is as follows:

• God is omnipotent, so he can do anything he wants; he is all powerful and the creator of the world; why doesn't he stop suffering?
• God is omniscient, so he knows everything and knows what is happening everywhere at any time, so he knows about suffering.
• God is benevolent and loves us all; he wants to keep us safe and happy like a loving parent, so why does he let suffering continue?

Theists have come up with ways to explain this:

What is moral evil?

Moral evil is human evil; humans doing deliberate acts of unkindness which cause pain to other people, often thought out intending to cause harm. There are four ways how theists explain moral evil: 

Satan/ The Devil

Satan personifies evil and possesses people to do bad, immoral things. For example, he possessed the snake and tempted Adam and Eve to eat the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge (more and that next).

• God should and can destroy him because he is omnipotent
• Satan hurts His creation; if he is benevolent, why does He allow him to exist?

The Fall

In Genesis 3 of the Bible, Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of Knowledge. This disobedience of God is known as Original Sin. Therefore, some theists claim that moral evil was made possible by humans because we were given free will by God.

• If God is super clever and omniscient, why does he create the tree and tell them not to eat from it; surely He would know that this  would happen; did He set them up?
• Now, everyone has nothing to do with the fruit; it is not fair.

All in the mind (psychological phenomenon)

Some theists claim that moral evil is a hidden force in our brains, released by triggers; something within. These triggers are dramatic events, such as bereavement for example.

• God created everything, so he must have made this hidden force; is He not so 'good' as He really is?
• Evil people have existed who have never had a scrap of evil in their lives.

An Impersonal Force

This theory states that moral evil is part of nature, randomly generating it, like a magnet.

• God created everything, so He must have made this; if He made it by accident then He isn't omnipotent, if He made it deliberately, then He isn't benevolent.

What is natural evil?

Natural evil is evil that causes suffering which is uncontrollable. For example, earthquakes, hurricanes, tsunamis; natural disasters. Because God made everything, natural evil is a big problem for theists and they have come up with solutions known as theodicies. There are seven theodicies:

Punishment

Some theists believe that there is natural evil because God is punishing us for our sins. 

• For example, if bank robbers get cancer.
• However, some criminals get away with it and very kind people die with suffering as well.

Faith

Some theists believe that God tests our faith in Him when he makes us suffer.

• In the Bible, Job lost all his possessions and became ill, but he kept his faith in God and and became rich, getting better again.
• However, lots of people with faith die, such as cancer victims

Education

Some theists believe that natural evil teaches us about life and makes us stronger.

• We do learn from mistakes
• However, cancer victims die before they can

Balance

Some theists believe that we need bad to balance out and appreciate the good.

• We wouldn't appreciate things without the bad
• Why don't we have a paradise

Free Will

Some theists believe that God gave us a free will which we have abused. Natural evil is due to bad things happening in different places of the Earth.

• The Fall proves this
• We get undeserved suffering; surely God would not let this happen

No Question

We should not question God because he is beyond our understanding.

• God is transcendent and does not interact with us
• This could be argued to be just a cop out.

Devil

It isn't God who does natural evil, it's the devil.

• The Devil possessed the serpent in Genesis 3
• God could easily destroy the devil because he is omnipotent.

Responding to evil and suffering

How do theists respond when they go through evil and suffering? Here are a few responses;

• Some find the good in evil and be optimistic
• Some accept it as part of life and move on
• Some think it is a test of their faith and that the experience strengthens you
• Some feel that they know God is with you and won't let you suffer too much; if He does, you can go to paradise/heaven and live with Him; religious belief gives them hope.
• Some think prayer gives them strength when they worship God

How do theists respond when they see others go through evil and suffering? They see it as a duty from God to help others; a responsibility for everyone. helping others is also a way to develop as a better person and justify to get into Heaven. Here are a few responses:

• Some donate money to charity
• Some do charity events and help in charities
• Doctors and nurses try their best to help people in hospital