1) In this paper I argue that B.C. Johnson’s argument about the problem of evil and God when it comes to dependence is weak because his work field explanation fails. I will address this argument as the “Dependence Argument.” As you read you will notice the simple addition to the job field he addresses points out holes in his “Dependence Argument.” Johnson’s following argument, which I will call the “Moral Urgency Argument,” provides a similar attack to the theist explanation for God allowing evil, but by taking out the “Dependence Argument” Johnson’s argument becomes stronger.
2) In Johnson’s “Dependence Argument” he attacks the theist argument of God allowing evil to prevent us from having a dependence on God as an outside power to prevent evil. Johnson then goes on to argue that people have become dependent on job fields such as medical care and firefighters. He uses these two fields of work to point out their …show more content…
For example, a firefighter directly saves a person or child stuck in a fire, which is the same way we have a problem with why God doesn’t intervene in these disasters like the fireman. This form of saving is a more direct saving from a tragedy than the plumber I referred to earlier. As the firefighter is directly saving the child from a fire like an act of God, God fixing a leaky sink would not be seen as a problem of evil, more of an inconvenience. The same example could be used for a medical professional, a neurosurgeon doing a heart transplant would be seen as acting as God much more than the plumber. Both the firefighter and the medical field have people depend on them from protecting the people from “evil.” As the plumber is skilled in his work and people have a dependence on the plumber, but only a dependence to help from a daily inconvenience, not a life threatening
2) In Johnson’s “Dependence Argument” he attacks the theist argument of God allowing evil to prevent us from having a dependence on God as an outside power to prevent evil. Johnson then goes on to argue that people have become dependent on job fields such as medical care and firefighters. He uses these two fields of work to point out their …show more content…
For example, a firefighter directly saves a person or child stuck in a fire, which is the same way we have a problem with why God doesn’t intervene in these disasters like the fireman. This form of saving is a more direct saving from a tragedy than the plumber I referred to earlier. As the firefighter is directly saving the child from a fire like an act of God, God fixing a leaky sink would not be seen as a problem of evil, more of an inconvenience. The same example could be used for a medical professional, a neurosurgeon doing a heart transplant would be seen as acting as God much more than the plumber. Both the firefighter and the medical field have people depend on them from protecting the people from “evil.” As the plumber is skilled in his work and people have a dependence on the plumber, but only a dependence to help from a daily inconvenience, not a life threatening