Grace Doubt And Evil Analysis

The unfortunate reality of evil being an element of humanity is a hard pill for some to swallow, and can be an even more difficult concept to comprehend and breakdown philosophically. In a pluralistic world with many competing religions and worldviews, the concept of what is morally wrong can definitely be distorted to fit one’s lifestyle, or the norms of a particular culture. The presence of wickedness introduces the proverbial monkey wrench scenario for atheists, pantheists, agnostics, and to some extent Christians. A current example of evil that abounds in our world is the abuse of people by the hand and will of another, whether it be physical or emotional, which can precipitate the death of one’s body and/or spirit. Each belief system …show more content…
A key issue would be the unclear determination of what constitutes morally right or wrong actions, or the lacking of a solid worldview foundation. In an article titled Grace, Doubt, and Evil: The Constructive Task of Reformation Theology (2002), the author Ted Peters wrote about how agnosticism falls under the realm of naturalism, and is also aligned with the idea of pluralism when it comes to religion. Peters (2002) made a mentionable point, and stated “when evidence is insufficient to be convincing, a person committed to truth must withhold judgment” (p. 278). Thus, an agnostic person would likely accept the occurrence of abuse towards others, but might try and rationalize away the action. They could have fluctuating theories concerning evil and struggle when confronted by a victim, thereby not having the capability to offer much solace. This stance is very representative of the Laodicean church, and God’s view of ambiguous mentality was clearly stated in the Bible, “So then, because you are lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, I will vomit you out of My mouth” Revelation 3:16