The Problem with the Problem of Evil
There are several arguments today that reason the impossible existence of God-or a “good” God for that matter. One in particular, “the problem of evil”, greatly supports such claims. It rationalizes that God would never allow evil to flourish based on three specific attributes of Him being omnipotent, omniscient, and just. Essentially, the problem of evil argues that there should be no evil if God is aware of it, has the capability to end it, and the desire to do so. Therefore, He cannot exist. This concept has thrived for hundreds of years, bringing about various arguments. One result from this particular idea, is the confirmation for atheists. The problem of evil serves as a valid, strong …show more content…
As previously mentioned, free will may explain how there is evil, but now the focus shifts as to why there is evil. Although God did not create evil, He instead created the free will within humans that enables certain evil. God, being almighty and intelligent, would surely suggest a reason as to why He allows for evil’s existence despite having the power to stop it. This reason being the price one pays for having free will. Unfortunately, thousands of people have used this free will for bad purposes, leading to evil actions. With that being said, God could easily remove the free will, therefore also removing evil. However, a world in which humans have no free will, may be worse than a world with evil. Having no free will, no ability to make decisions or to do things, in itself would be a tragedy. Humans would succumb to being mindless creatures, unable to do anything for themselves, or for others. Free will allows one to create art, careers, relationships, etc. Without it, the world would suffer. Perhaps there would be none of the beautiful architecture seen throughout Europe, or careers designed to help the world, or even interactions between people. If God has the power to stop evil, then obviously there is a reason as to why He has not yet done so, thus challenging the problem of …show more content…
However, the point here is not to convince any non-believers of a God, but to explain that it is possible for there to be God, especially a just one, despite the problem of evil. An omnipotent God is possible because He is the creator, thus creating the necessary attribute of free will within humans. God is omniscient and aware of the horrors, but He sees the potential goodness from evil, explaining why he allows it to remain on earth. Both of these factors then relate to justice, as they reason that although God may have created free will which would then create evil and then still allow for its existence, He remains just due to the importance of free will and certain good that would only exist from evil. It is very easy to take those three attributes and assume that either God does not exist at all, or that he is not just. However, before deciding, one must consider the other potential aspects that would suggest
There are several arguments today that reason the impossible existence of God-or a “good” God for that matter. One in particular, “the problem of evil”, greatly supports such claims. It rationalizes that God would never allow evil to flourish based on three specific attributes of Him being omnipotent, omniscient, and just. Essentially, the problem of evil argues that there should be no evil if God is aware of it, has the capability to end it, and the desire to do so. Therefore, He cannot exist. This concept has thrived for hundreds of years, bringing about various arguments. One result from this particular idea, is the confirmation for atheists. The problem of evil serves as a valid, strong …show more content…
As previously mentioned, free will may explain how there is evil, but now the focus shifts as to why there is evil. Although God did not create evil, He instead created the free will within humans that enables certain evil. God, being almighty and intelligent, would surely suggest a reason as to why He allows for evil’s existence despite having the power to stop it. This reason being the price one pays for having free will. Unfortunately, thousands of people have used this free will for bad purposes, leading to evil actions. With that being said, God could easily remove the free will, therefore also removing evil. However, a world in which humans have no free will, may be worse than a world with evil. Having no free will, no ability to make decisions or to do things, in itself would be a tragedy. Humans would succumb to being mindless creatures, unable to do anything for themselves, or for others. Free will allows one to create art, careers, relationships, etc. Without it, the world would suffer. Perhaps there would be none of the beautiful architecture seen throughout Europe, or careers designed to help the world, or even interactions between people. If God has the power to stop evil, then obviously there is a reason as to why He has not yet done so, thus challenging the problem of …show more content…
However, the point here is not to convince any non-believers of a God, but to explain that it is possible for there to be God, especially a just one, despite the problem of evil. An omnipotent God is possible because He is the creator, thus creating the necessary attribute of free will within humans. God is omniscient and aware of the horrors, but He sees the potential goodness from evil, explaining why he allows it to remain on earth. Both of these factors then relate to justice, as they reason that although God may have created free will which would then create evil and then still allow for its existence, He remains just due to the importance of free will and certain good that would only exist from evil. It is very easy to take those three attributes and assume that either God does not exist at all, or that he is not just. However, before deciding, one must consider the other potential aspects that would suggest