Finally I am getting to a more typical philosophical debate!
The problem of evil is the term given to the question atheists pose to thiests: if God exists, why does he allow evil to exist is the world? Some theistic answers I have heard include ‘because without evil there is no good’ and that ‘I cannot understand God and His will and I cannot question it, I just have to accept it and have faith in His plan’. Beg your pardon? What kind of Godly plan involves evil? Surely that’s a pretty big contradiction in terms? Take Descartes’ ‘proof’ of God. Simply put, he states God had perfection as an innate quality; it is essential to His nature. Perfection is an existence; there is more perfection in existing that not existing. Therefore, God exists. Now then, God is also by definition all-loving. An all loving God would not allow evil to exist in the world. So…by this definition (and slight manipulation of an age old theory) God can’t exist.
How can you ever get over this criticism? God is an all-loving being. Evil exists in the world. God caused the world. God caused the evil. God is evil; this cannot be so since God is by definition and all-loving being. Therefore God cannot exist.
Right?
Sorry Descartes, your argument is slightly flawed (and open to manipulation by atheists!)
I think you are using David Hume’s argument, which does make sense in many ways. However, it has been refuted among some philosophers like Alvin Plantinga who wrote a successful “Free Will Defense.” God and evil can both exist, if God granted us free will. I am not entirely familiar with the argument, but I am sure you could look it up.
In a more accessible work, I think John Stackhouse’s book, Can God be Trusted? also gives an appealing answer. He argues that this world is after all a good world that shows our needs and provides opportunities to grow towards maturity.
Comment by jantoine — March 15, 2009 @ 2:32 am |