There are many things in the world we dont understand, and how they work together, but we dont deny their existence or that they work. Therefore because there are cases where gratuitous evil can be said to exist god does not exist. In order to be morally good in a meaningful way, a person must have the possibility of choosing evil. What are some arguments against the problem of evil.
God cannot be tempted by evil, and he himself does not tempt anyone james 1. Arguments against gods existence backyard skeptics. Apr 09, 2010 buy evil and the god of love 2010 by hick, j. Beside supporting evolution, both cosmic and biological, using verses from the bible and quran. Books are one of our greatest resources, but many times in history books have been written which are misleading or untrue.
For this amounts to finding fault with gods work, because man is an entity of gods creation. There was a time, in the late nineteenth and early twentieth century, when optimism in human achievement was so strong that evil s existence was associated with ignorance, and its disappearance with greater knowledge. Unlike the logical argument from evil, which holds that the existence of god so defined is logically incompatible with some known fact about evil, the. God is presently using evil to accomplish his purpose as.
A temporal concern the problem of evil permeates all things in this current wicked world. Logical problem of evil internet encyclopedia of philosophy. The second half is dedicated to defending an argument for the existence of god that relies on reason alone, called the ontological argument. Those who advance evidential arguments often argue for a much weaker claim that the existence of evil gives us evidence against god s existence. Evil only perpetuates ones misery and makes the possibility of redemption delayed and more remote. God allows evil to exist so that humans can have free will and develop into moral people. All of the authors of this volume have addressed, in one way or another, the issue of how gods sovereignty relates to human. The brothers treachery and deceit could not have been caused by god. As a young man at oxford, i participated, as was natural to my age and generation, in prolonged and frequent. A compelling new work makes the case that most modern arguments against belief are attacking the wrong god. We need not live in slavery to our sinful inclinations romans 6. One of the principal challenges to the belief in god is the problem of evil. Augustine argued that gods creation was faultless and perfect and that evil came from within the world.
Fortunately, he has kept the treasure he ran off with. It has been some time since the last one so it seems like the time is ripe for another and this one is a great one for discussion. Its important to recognise that there are these two questions. Evil can only be known and measured against a standard of good. And now im thrilled that clays course is available to all, translated into book form.
Wielding the sky poison pearl, receiving the blood of. Still, if i cannot logically reconcile god with evil in the world, then god does not exist, because i know evil exists. What are the best books arguing against the existence of. If religion is true, one must believe, writes james wood in the introduction to the broken estate 1999, a collection of his literary. A man is being chased by various people because he alone holds some kind of treasure. The one theology book all atheists really should read news the. If god is evil or if god isnt even real there would be no justice against evil. God is light, and in him there is no darkness at all 1 john 1.
They should assess both the strong attacks of atheists and the counterattacks of scholarly believers who try to rebut nonbelievers. The most weighty of the arguments against gods existence is the problem of evil. This is by far the most important argument for the conclusion that god does not exist. The heathen are without excuse, according to romans 1. Here we present five arguments in favor of the existence of god, and the counterargument for it.
The problem of evil stanford encyclopedia of philosophy. In contemporary philosophy there are three major theories of ethics, and it is in these three theories that i shall define what is evil. Many scriptures affirm that god is not the author of evil. The inductive problem of evil argument against the existence. In this sense, the argument from evil is the opposite of the design argument. And he will put a yoke of iron on your neck until he has destroyed you. This book is the case for god in a world filled with pain, and it makes for a sober read. There would be no justice at all, and evil would forever have the upper hand in all. God inflicts tragedy evil on those who fail to keep his laws. He jumps off a cliff to not let any of them have it and wakes up in the body of a boy with the same name. A force working in opposition to an equal and contradictory force of good.
We know that god exists because of the complexity of the universe b. God is allpowerful and can defeat evil god is loving and will defeat evil evil is not yet defeated god can and will defeat evil at a future time. For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the father, but is of the world 1 john 2. The two major arguments in support of nonexistence, the more established argument from evil and the recent argument from. God and the problem of evil with john lennox duration.
The catechism of the catholic church teaches, god is in no way, directly or indirectly, the cause of moral evil. Stephen fry has denounced god as utterly evil, capricious and monstrous, if he were to exist the comedians attack on the notion of a deity will be heard on an irish religious affairs. In some cases this has lead to widescale death and destruction and evil governmental regimes. So, the existence of goodness does not prove the existence of god. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. What does the bible say about dealing with evil people. God knows best and, as such, he knows that our world is the best way to the best possible world. The problem of evil popular writings reasonable faith. If god is omniscent, omnipotent, and omnibenevolent then there shouldnt be any evil around if god does in fact exist. Theodicies have been put forward in an attempt to justify the existence of god alongside the presence of evil in the world. The logical version of the argument argues that the existence of evil is logically incompatible with the existence of god. Of all the atheistic arguments, this is the one that has been around for longest, that has had the most words written about it, and that draws the most diverse responses from christians.
Oct, 2015 introduction in this article i will consider the problem of evil, one of the main arguments against the existence of an allgood and allknowing god. Is it because god is not powerful enough to eradicate evil. Geisler outlines the arguments against the theistic worldview and then poses counterarguments. Years of pastoring and teaching have allowed him to craft a solid theodicy, a defense of gods goodness in the face of great evil. Two arguments for the nonexistence of god by theodore drange charles echelbarger explains the atheistic arguments of theodore drange theodore drange is one of a relatively small number of academic philosophers who have devoted a large part of their intellectual efforts over the last thirtysome years to systematically opposing theism. Stephen fry calls god an evil, capricious, monstrous. God did not create evil as nothing evil can come from good god. Desiring god national conference on suffering and the sovereignty of god. The pascal lectures on christianity and the university,169 views 1. If they can be convinced that evil is not evidence against the existence of god, one of the most severe intellectual obstacles to their coming to faith may be removed. Meister and dew have collated a series of essays about the problem of evil, with noted theologianstwenty one in allexamining the. There is, we are told, a revival of interest in religious matters.
Consider gods rebuke of job, where were you when i laid the foundations of the earth. God and evil if god is such a nice guy, why is there so much misery and suffering in the world. Therefore, god does not punish evil because evil is inevitable. You meant evil against me, but god meant it for good in order to bring about this present result gen. Dont let its analytical tone make you forget, as many do, that its author lost his mother. Okay, we may not know everything, but someday we will.
I venture to introduce this personal reference in what is intended to be a nonpersonal book because it explains the book s existence. If you defend against the problem of evil by claiming we cannot know gods motivations, you have not only thrown out the problem of evil, but also any christian claim regarding gods motivations. The existence of evil does not argue against the existence of god. If god, why evil a new way to think about the question by. There are six things which the lord hates, yes, seven which are an abomination to him. The problem of evil is certainly the greatest obstacle to belief in the existence of god. Are the evils in the world strong evidence against the existence of an allpowerful and allgood god. Gods response to evil the good book blog biola university. Wonderful to worship and sing together these great truths. Either god labels something as good because it is already good or he labels things good and bad arbitrarily, for no real reason.
The aim of at least the simplest form of this argument is to show that the existence of evil in the world shows that god does not exist. But what kahn shows brilliantly is how quixotic this effort is, because popular sovereigns, just like kings and emperors, still demand allegiance and the sacrifice. If god is all good, then he will want and will stop all those evils from happening. God could stop a random event that will likely have negative consequences. The arsenal it attempts to use to prove its assertions is one common to many other atheist web sites and publications. Good and evil there is no such thing as evil good and evil it seems the great struggle of good vs. The most weighty of the arguments against god s existence is the problem of evil. But for some mysterious reason, this voluntarily selflimited god doesnt momentarily become unselflimited to prevent genuine evil. The god of the bible also allows slavery, including selling your own daughter as a sex slave exodus 21. Because of these verses in the king james bible, people say, i could never serve a god that is evil. There is more evidence that god exists than that he doesnt. If god, why evil a new way to think about the question. The theists not knowing why god permits evil does not by itself show that he is irrational in thinking that god does indeed have a reason alvin c.
Through the philosophical scope, there is a problem of evil that challenges the existence an allpowerful god if there is evil in the world. The contributors have graciously agreed to convert their oral presentations into written chapters in order to serve a wider audience. But if god labels things good because they are already good before any labeling, then god isnt necessary for goodness to exist. For gods existence to be compatible with the evil in the world, there would have to be no occurrence of evil that is gratuitous and beyond justification. People may not go to church in large numbers, but, increasingly, they discuss the questions which are the churches concern and, since the war, there has been some increase in the number of those who go to church. God and evil is an excellent contribution to the literature. The basic forces of creation are not opposites evil is not the opposite of god evil is outside of gods oneness and creates its own opposites evil beings must steal light from humans in order to survive they do this by fooling us to enter their selfcreated struggle you have free will you can choose to follow gods laws or. Arguments are a hedge against naive assumptions about reality.
Second, god may be letting evil run its course in order to prove that evil is malignant and that suffering, which is the unfortunate product of evil, is further proof that anything contrary to gods will is bad, harmful, painful, and leads to death gen. For what can be known about god is plain to them, because god has shown it to them. God create the tools for evil and adam and eve put used them to create evil when they first sinned or the fall. Therefore, if anyone says that simply to be a man is evil, or that to be a wicked man is good, he rightly falls under the prophetic judgment. Notice, that i am not making a similar mistake when trying to validate god. As for you, you meant evil against me, but god meant it for good, joseph said to his brothers, in order to bring about this present result, to preserve many people alive gen. Does the existence of evil prove god does not exist. Green, in response to an essay on his web page which i can no longer find online.
Mittelberg told the christian post recently that in fact, it was the issue of evil that initially led the renowned author and scholar c. This type of criminal behavior should shock any moral person. God is not the author of confusion 1 corinthians 14. If god is all powerful, then god can stop those evils from happening. The existence of god and the battle between good and evil 86 words 6 pages. Read the fulltext online edition of god and evil 1943. Evil has no absolute or permanent existence topics.
The antigod, also known as an antideity or antisupreme being, represents the counterpart and sometimes the negative aspects of a supreme god in many verses, they existed before the multiverse itself and are considered the essence of all evil and the ultimate decreator of the universe ranking them among the most powerful beings antigods known in plural as antideities or anti. Lewiss classic is still the most wideranging, accessible, and cogent response to the problem of evil. And i said to some of you the other day, the reason we keep singing these old hymns is because nobodys writing anything better, and thats. Many atheists believe that the correct answer to both of these questions is.
God is the best explanation for why we should be moral d. Sep 14, 2014 below is a message i sent to a fellow ill call mr. Satan and other demons were at first good angels, created by god, but they became evil by their own doing. Christian evidences 19th annual midwest lectures page 1 2001 this material may be freely distributed as long as it remains unchanged and proper credit is given for source. When i ponder both the extent and depth of suffering in the world, whether due to mans inhumanity to man or to natural disasters, then i must confess that i find it hard to believe that god exists. God didnt create evil, because the scriptures say both that god is not the author of confusion and that god quite literally hates evil. Not that i loved his site and will miss it, but i almost wish it was still therejust so you could see his.
He permits it, however, because he respects the freedom of his creatures and, mysteriously, knows how to derive good from it. Murder, rape, pillage, plunder, slavery, and child abuse can not. There seems to be some contradiction between these three propositions, so that if any two of them were true, the third would be false. He cannot create a world without evil because then we wouldnt have free will. The face of the lord is against evildoers, to cut off the memory of them from the earth. The antichristian series book 3 kindle edition by weishaupt, adam, hockney, mike. While the book is brief, geisler brings all his apologetic weight to bear and the result is a pleasure to read. If we only have materialism, any belief in a heaven, god, etc. Because you did not serve the lord your god with joyfulness and gladness of heart, because of the abundance of all things, therefore you shall serve your enemies whom the lord will send against you, in hunger and thirst, in nakedness, and lacking everything.
And if they are, should we conclude that such a god does not, in all likelihood, exist. This article is written largely in response to a conference on the problem of evil i attended recently at which christian apologist john dickson presented keynote lectures. The argument from evil or problem of evil is the argument that an allpowerful, allknowing, and perfectly good god would not allow anyor certain kinds ofevil or suffering to occur. That god could be essentially goodperfect evenbut use existing evil in the world for his purposes without being contaminated by it is a bit of a. Haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that run rapidly to evil, read more. My book above has been a twenty years result of research on science and religion, with the aim to use science and logic to prove the existence of god. If we believe in god and he exists, we gain everything and if we believe in god and he doesnt exist, we dont lose much c. Oct 25, 2012 god created ethical evil or moral evil because he purposed to use it to cause evil wicked men to be responsible for the slaying of christ here acts 2. Are there any counter arguments to the claim god does not. Yes, there will be evil and suffering along the way. My top 5 books on the problem of evil christianity today. How can you reconcile the existence of so much suffering with the existence of an omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent god.
Belief in god is too important to be determined by default cultural circumstances. We often ask this question as we look at the suffering and pain around us, and the question that is really on the heart is, how can i come to understand how god is love when there is this suffering. The existence of god and the battle between good and evil has been a topic of much discussion for centuries. Admittedly god hasnt told us everything wed like to know about evil and why it exists, but one thing is clear. However, upon further reflection, lewis began to see that if there is no god, then there is no such thing as evil either. While one can simultaneously believe in darwinian evolution and in god, evolution is more likely in a godless world. Alternatively, rather than being formulated as a deductive argument for the very strong claim that it is logically impossible for both god and evil to. For the wrath of god is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
Feel free to comment on the veracity or your opinion of each but remember to. God cannot cause moral evil because it is impossible for god to act against what he isgoodness itself. Can god s nonexistence be established by good, clear, objective evidence. The best books on evil five books expert recommendations. Generally, evil works against the lifegiving god and to put anything in god s place. God cant possibly exist given the evil in the world. We can rejoice with the apostle paul when he wrote, i consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us romans 8. Randal rauser, apologist and author of the swedish atheist, the scuba diver and other apologetics rabbit trails for thoughtful believers, this collection of essays in god and evil by prominent christian thinkers will be useful for reference and teaching. In essence, god allows evil because he desires relationship with us. What then is the meaning of the words used in those verses that seem to indicate god is the author of evil. God created us with free will and in doing so he gave us the option of choosing good or evil. Many who say god allows evil and permits randomness say god voluntarily selflimits. God cannot exists because he is most likely made of a nonmaterial substance. Humans are limited in their capacity to conceptualize god, and thus are incapable of accurately judging the relationship between evil and a divine being.
Philosophers and religious apologists have struggled and argued these questions for thousands of years, and i would be a fool to think i can continue reading the controversy of evil if god is good, why. William lane craig the question what is the argument of evil and suffering against the existence of. Modern politics tries to cabin love and evil as the realm of private life and psychopathology, respectively. This book expands the frontiers of philosophy by exploring this nest of issues in more detail than ever before, while presenting a strong case for atheism. Very few people are aware of this fact, and that is, that the king james bible was translated by a secret society for their use. This fall also came from the free choice of these created spirits, who radically and irrevocably rejected god and his reign. Religious topics abound on listverse and they are frequently the most commented upon.
Download it once and read it on your kindle device, pc. God is not the author of evil, nor does he give in to its allure. For god s existence to be compatible with the evil in the world, there would have to be no occurrence of evil that is gratuitous and beyond justification. Evil is random, even for god for the love of wisdom and the.
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