Philosophy of Religion
Theme 2: Challenges to religious belief – the problem of evil and suffering.
A. The problem of evil and suffering:
The types of evil: moral (caused by free will agents) and natural (caused by nature).
A. Moral: caused by free will agents.
B. Natural: caused by nature.
o E.g. On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake ravaged Haiti, claiming up to 316,000 lives
and displacing more than 1.5 million people.
C. Evil: opposite of good/can be seen as a force or negative power.
o Could be seen as a personal being (devil) or physical phenomenon (evil arises from the
mind of a person).
The logical problem of evil: classical (Epicurus) - the problem of suffering.
D. God either wishes to take away evils, and is unable, or He is able, and is unwilling; or He is
neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able.
E. Willing and unable = feeble (not in accordance to character of God).
F. Able and unwilling = envious.
G. Neither willing not able = envious and feeble.
H. Willing and able = from what source then are evils or why does He not remove them?
I. First philosopher to talk about three-omnis.
J. The existence of evil and suffering in our world: challenge to perfect God.
o If omniscient God would know about all of the horrible things.
o If omnipotent, God would be able to do something about evil and suffering.
o Furthermore, if God were morally perfect or omnibenevolent, then surely God would
want to do something.
K. And yet we find countless instances of evil and suffering.
L. These facts about evil and suffering seem to conflict with the orthodox theist claim that there
exists a perfectly good God.
M. Either feeble, envious or not the God of classical theism.
N. Hume: if god is omnipotent "Whatever he wills is executed".
Believer's response
o We have free-will; we are responsible for our own suffering as a
result of our actions.
o Humans make mistakes; therefore, suffering occurs.
o Suffering has many purposes; therefore, we need suffering in the
world.
o God is ineffable and works in mysterious ways.
J. L. Mackie’s modern development - the nature of the problem of evil (inconsistent triad).
Mackie clarifies and updates it:
o "God is omnipotent; God is wholly good and yet evil exists. There seems to be
some contradiction between these three propositions", so that if any of two of them were true the third
would be false. But at the same time all three are essential parts of most theological positions: the
theologian, it seems, at once must adhere, and cannot consistently adhere to all three"
o Several parts of the essential theological doctrine are inconsistent with one another.
o God is omnipotent and omniscient and wholly God, but how come evil/suffering occur in
the world?
o If 2 of them are true, one must be false.
o Contradiction with propositions = any two of them true the third would be false but all
three are essential parts of most theological positions.
o God is either evil and the Omni god we know him as, or he is not an Omni god which is
why evil occurs in the world.
o Therefore, no solutions are viable if we accept God to be the Omni god.
William Rowe (intense human and animal suffering) and Gregory S. Paul (premature deaths).
o Evidential arguments from evil seek to show that the presence of evil in the
Theme 2: Challenges to religious belief – the problem of evil and suffering.
A. The problem of evil and suffering:
The types of evil: moral (caused by free will agents) and natural (caused by nature).
A. Moral: caused by free will agents.
B. Natural: caused by nature.
o E.g. On Jan. 12, 2010, a massive earthquake ravaged Haiti, claiming up to 316,000 lives
and displacing more than 1.5 million people.
C. Evil: opposite of good/can be seen as a force or negative power.
o Could be seen as a personal being (devil) or physical phenomenon (evil arises from the
mind of a person).
The logical problem of evil: classical (Epicurus) - the problem of suffering.
D. God either wishes to take away evils, and is unable, or He is able, and is unwilling; or He is
neither willing nor able, or He is both willing and able.
E. Willing and unable = feeble (not in accordance to character of God).
F. Able and unwilling = envious.
G. Neither willing not able = envious and feeble.
H. Willing and able = from what source then are evils or why does He not remove them?
I. First philosopher to talk about three-omnis.
J. The existence of evil and suffering in our world: challenge to perfect God.
o If omniscient God would know about all of the horrible things.
o If omnipotent, God would be able to do something about evil and suffering.
o Furthermore, if God were morally perfect or omnibenevolent, then surely God would
want to do something.
K. And yet we find countless instances of evil and suffering.
L. These facts about evil and suffering seem to conflict with the orthodox theist claim that there
exists a perfectly good God.
M. Either feeble, envious or not the God of classical theism.
N. Hume: if god is omnipotent "Whatever he wills is executed".
Believer's response
o We have free-will; we are responsible for our own suffering as a
result of our actions.
o Humans make mistakes; therefore, suffering occurs.
o Suffering has many purposes; therefore, we need suffering in the
world.
o God is ineffable and works in mysterious ways.
J. L. Mackie’s modern development - the nature of the problem of evil (inconsistent triad).
Mackie clarifies and updates it:
o "God is omnipotent; God is wholly good and yet evil exists. There seems to be
some contradiction between these three propositions", so that if any of two of them were true the third
would be false. But at the same time all three are essential parts of most theological positions: the
theologian, it seems, at once must adhere, and cannot consistently adhere to all three"
o Several parts of the essential theological doctrine are inconsistent with one another.
o God is omnipotent and omniscient and wholly God, but how come evil/suffering occur in
the world?
o If 2 of them are true, one must be false.
o Contradiction with propositions = any two of them true the third would be false but all
three are essential parts of most theological positions.
o God is either evil and the Omni god we know him as, or he is not an Omni god which is
why evil occurs in the world.
o Therefore, no solutions are viable if we accept God to be the Omni god.
William Rowe (intense human and animal suffering) and Gregory S. Paul (premature deaths).
o Evidential arguments from evil seek to show that the presence of evil in the
