Is it possible to have an all good God when there is evil?
Question asked by: mrquestion
Asked on: 02 Apr 2008
This is a very interesting question and is a version of the so-called problem of evil.
Theologians have grappled with this for many years, and most believe that there is a way of resolving this, those outside belief systems tend to use it as emphatic evidence against an all-good God (if a god were evil then the problem would cause no problem).
Many believe that we have free will, firstly, so evil that is of human origin is down to our expression of free will and that our ability to reject God by doing evil is important even if it leads to suffering.
Others believe suffering is necessary to bring us closer to God, just like Jesus suffered on the cross for the good of humanity as a whole it can be seen suffering is quite central to a lot of content in the Bible and therefore the problem of evil should be expected to arise.
By: knowitall
Replied at: 02 Apr 2008
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This is an interesting question. Many people feel that the concept of an all good God and the existence of evil are mutually exclusive concepts, but in reality they are not.
The question you are asking can be further defined like so:
1.An all-powerful God could prevent evil or hardship from existing in our world.
2.An all-knowing God would know that there is evil or hardship in our world.
3.An all-good God would wish to prevent evil or hardship from existing in our world.
4.Evil or hardship exists in our world.
There is a Christian apologist by the name of lvin Plantinga who presented what is called the free will defense as an argument for this, it goes like so;
1.Creatures who are free cannot be causally determined to do what is only right.
2.Thus, if God creates creatures who are significantly free, he cannot causally determine them to what is right.
3.Thus, if God creates creatures who are significantly free, he must create creatures who are capable of moral evil.
4.Thus if God creates a world containing creatures who are significantly free, it will contain creatures who are capable of moral evil.
5.If God creates a world containing creatures who are capable of moral evil, he cannot then guarantee that there will not be evil in the world.
6.Thus, if God creates a world containing creatures who are significantly free, He cannot guarantee that there will not be evil that world.
7.A world containing creatures who are significantly free is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all.
8.Thus, God has good reason to create a world containing creatures who are significantly free.
9.Thus, God has good reason to create a world, which He cannot guarantee will not contain evil.
For more info on this please see:http://darcylbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people.html
By: dblam1
Date of comment: Wed, Feb 17th 2010
Comments and other answers:
This is an interesting question. Many people feel that the concept of an all good God and the existence of evil are mutually exclusive concepts, but in reality they are not.
The question you are asking can be further defined like so:
1.An all-powerful God could prevent evil or hardship from existing in our world.
2.An all-knowing God would know that there is evil or hardship in our world.
3.An all-good God would wish to prevent evil or hardship from existing in our world.
4.Evil or hardship exists in our world.
There is a Christian apologist by the name of lvin Plantinga who presented what is called the free will defense as an argument for this, it goes like so;
1.Creatures who are free cannot be causally determined to do what is only right.
2.Thus, if God creates creatures who are significantly free, he cannot causally determine them to what is right.
3.Thus, if God creates creatures who are significantly free, he must create creatures who are capable of moral evil.
4.Thus if God creates a world containing creatures who are significantly free, it will contain creatures who are capable of moral evil.
5.If God creates a world containing creatures who are capable of moral evil, he cannot then guarantee that there will not be evil in the world.
6.Thus, if God creates a world containing creatures who are significantly free, He cannot guarantee that there will not be evil that world.
7.A world containing creatures who are significantly free is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all.
8.Thus, God has good reason to create a world containing creatures who are significantly free.
9.Thus, God has good reason to create a world, which He cannot guarantee will not contain evil.
For more info on this please see:http://darcylbell.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-do-bad-things-happen-to-good-people.htmlBy: dblam1
Date of comment: Wed, Feb 17th 2010
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