I agree with Marilyn McCord Adams’ assertion that Hell is a bigger problem than evil. For the purposes of this essay, “Hell” will refer to the fire and brimstone or “Traditional Hell” (Adams, p. 276). Adams’ position will be elaborated upon by first discussing the non-fatalistic aspects of the problem of evil. Next, her position will be strengthened by inspecting Richard Swinburne’s theodicies. Lastly, an examination of Adams’ discussion on human agency will support her view that Hell is a bigger problem than evil.
The problem of evil as described by Swinburne is not as bad as the problem of hell as described by Adams due to hell being a permanent prison of eternal suffering rather than a temporary place of earthly pain as described in the …show more content…
Swinburne’s theodicies state that if God were to exist then God’s existence could be reconciled with the existence of evil whereas Adams’ views imply that if God and hell did indeed exist together then that would be an unjustified coexistence. In other words, Swinburne speaks of the probable existence of a positive reality whereas Adams warns the reader of the possible existence of an extremely negative reality. According to Swinburne’s theodicy, the natural possibility of moral evil is necessitated by the existence of free-will in human beings. As a result, evil is a necessary condition for the existence of a greater good. For example, a man who can easily rescue a child from drowning in a stream and chooses to do so has done so on the basis that he should choose righteously. If he had not the option to choose the evil alternative of letting the child drown, his decision to rescue the child would not have existed to begin with. Furthermore, natural evil creates the infinite range of possible circumstances that cause human beings to have free-will. In regards to the earlier example, a flood that raised the water level and caused the child to slip into the stream subsequently creates the situation in which a man must choose between rescuing the child or criminal negligence. If not for natural evils, human beings would have no external universe to react to. For example, someone imprisoned in a stagnant and man-made prison cell reasonably would not experience the multitudes of human emotions and philosophical choices as someone who lives outside in the natural world. In conclusion, evil serves the purpose of establishing the existence of free-will which subsequently enrichens and deepens the meaning of human existence. Hell, however, serves no other purpose than the eternal torture and dehumanization of its victims. Evil is a
The problem of evil as described by Swinburne is not as bad as the problem of hell as described by Adams due to hell being a permanent prison of eternal suffering rather than a temporary place of earthly pain as described in the …show more content…
Swinburne’s theodicies state that if God were to exist then God’s existence could be reconciled with the existence of evil whereas Adams’ views imply that if God and hell did indeed exist together then that would be an unjustified coexistence. In other words, Swinburne speaks of the probable existence of a positive reality whereas Adams warns the reader of the possible existence of an extremely negative reality. According to Swinburne’s theodicy, the natural possibility of moral evil is necessitated by the existence of free-will in human beings. As a result, evil is a necessary condition for the existence of a greater good. For example, a man who can easily rescue a child from drowning in a stream and chooses to do so has done so on the basis that he should choose righteously. If he had not the option to choose the evil alternative of letting the child drown, his decision to rescue the child would not have existed to begin with. Furthermore, natural evil creates the infinite range of possible circumstances that cause human beings to have free-will. In regards to the earlier example, a flood that raised the water level and caused the child to slip into the stream subsequently creates the situation in which a man must choose between rescuing the child or criminal negligence. If not for natural evils, human beings would have no external universe to react to. For example, someone imprisoned in a stagnant and man-made prison cell reasonably would not experience the multitudes of human emotions and philosophical choices as someone who lives outside in the natural world. In conclusion, evil serves the purpose of establishing the existence of free-will which subsequently enrichens and deepens the meaning of human existence. Hell, however, serves no other purpose than the eternal torture and dehumanization of its victims. Evil is a