Julian's Theory Of Evil

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The problem of evil is an atheistic argument, against the existence of God. It is a deductive argument that pits the existence of unjustified evil against the existence of any kind of divine being. Julian of Norwich presents a response to the problem of evil, but there are also some possible holes in Julian’s theory. This paper explores the problem of evil and how it is connected to human suffering, Julian’s theory in response to the problem, and a critique of Julian’s theory.
One must assume that an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent God exists. He is omnipotent because he has complete, unlimited and unmatched power. He is omniscient because he knows and understands everything. He is omnibenevolent because he will always act in moral …show more content…
Natural evil may also be called unjustified, as it cannot be justified by reason or explanation. The problem of evil is relying on the existence of natural evil. It cannot use metaphysical evil because by definition it depends on God’s existence. The evil exists simply because God exists and is perfect. It cannot use moral evil because this can be explained by the necessary existence of free will. Humans are able to sin because they have free will to obey or disobey God. If God made creatures that automatically loved him, it would not be real love, but a robotic semblance of a relationship. The argument must rely on natural evil because it does appear that these things are caused by man’s choices or God’s power. Once it is assumed that God exists, and proven that natural evil exists, it must be shown that it is impossible for the two to exist in the same universe. If God is omnipotent, or all powerful, he would have the ability to create a world without evil. His omnipotence gives his the ability to create each of the infinite possible universes. Among those infinite possibilities, there would be another infinite number of universes without evil. If God is omniscient, he would fully know and fully understand …show more content…
Julian of Norwich had an encounter with Jesus in a vision, which she writes about in her Revelations of Divine Love. Primarily, Julian discusses that God has purpose in everything and causes everything. She believes that God does all things and God does all things for good. She repeats the phrase, “all shall be well.” Julian believes that sin itself is not a thing and it does not have substance. When people discuss the problem of evil or sin, they are more accurately talking about the pain that sin causes. The pain is the substance that humans can feel, understand and analyze. This helps bridge the connection between the problem of evil and the problem of human suffering. Without that pain, there is no result or consequence from sin. As mentioned earlier, Julian thinks that God has good reason for everything. She concludes that God’s ultimate desire, and why he allows pain and suffering, is so he can comfort his people. Despite the immense difficulty of life on earth, those who believe in the 3-0 God are offered peace and rest for following him. This peace and rest bring comfort and relationship through God from the pain and suffering caused by sin. God’s good purpose for pain, his plan for “all shall be well,” is for his people to come to him for comfort, peace and rest. Julian, in response to the problem of evil,

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