Would an All-good, All-powerful, All-knowing God Allow Evil to Exist?

875 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Argument about god's existence

Introduction: This essay features the discussion of the problem of evil in relation to the existence of god. Specifically outlining two sections where the problem of evil is discussed from atheist and theistic viewpoint. Statement: The problem of evil features an argument questioning the existence of god in relation to evil, attributing both atheistic and theistic replies. First reply to problem of evil: (atheist). If god was all good, all powerful and all knowing, he would not allow the existence of evil. 3.1 First reply to the first reply: There is a lot of evil in the world, and much of it happens unexplainably. In the history of life on Earth bad things have happened and evil has caused problems. In relation to some world wide events, 6 million people died in the holocaust, 65 million people died in the war, 800 thousand died in the Rwanda genocide and 230 thousand people died in the 2004 boxing day tsunami. There is a lot of human suffering in the world, but there is also suffering of animals too. A lot of suffering in humans is due to other humans, however some of it can be caused by non-human causes, such as natural disasters etc. Under religious beliefs god was the creator of life on Earth, so if he was all good, powerful and knowing then he would be capable of at least preventing natural disasters from erupting as they cause life to undergo suffering. Likewise, capable of preventing human suffering from natural disasters, i.e. saving people from hurricanes, tornados, earthquakes etc… 3.2 Second reply to the first reply: Under all religions there are common attributes associated with god. God is known to be all good (omnibenevolent), all powerful (omnipotent) and all knowing (omniscient), which together form t... ... middle of paper ... ...t have allowed it. Conclusion: In relation to the replies about the problem of evil it is very implausible that an omnibenevolent god could exist since evil is present. However in terms of the problem of evil, there is not enough information or reasoning to suggest either god’s existence or non-existence. Christians could simply argue that god is not always omnibenevolent and that everything happens for a reason, including evil, perhaps part of a plan that current generations undergo suffering for the greater good of future generations. In contrast, atheistic people could suggest that if that were true then that is unfair and god is not suppose to be unfair. Reference list: Ian Ravenscroft Lecture notes. Tooley, Michael 2013, The Stanford Encyclopaedia of Philosophy, 25th April 2014,

Show More
Related

  • John Hick And Richard Swinburne: The Problem Of Evil Argument

    1651 Words  | 4 Pages

    Throughout the world, most people believe in some type of god or gods, and the majority of them understand God as all-good, all-knowing (omniscient), and all-powerful (omnipotent). However, there is a major objection to the latter belief: the “problem of evil” (P.O.E.) argument. According to this theory, God’s existence is unlikely, if not illogical, because a good, omniscient, and omnipotent being would not allow unnecessary suffering, of which there are enormous amounts.

    Read More

  • Comparing God, Evil, And Suffering

    715 Words  | 2 Pages

    There is evil. 3. So, God does not exist”. Since there is evil, then that means God does not exist. So there is no loving and powerful God. However, if there is a God then he is not all loving and powerful. Daniel Howard-Snyder states in his article “God, Evil, And Suffering,”: “We would have to say God lacks power and knowledge to such an extent that He can 't prevent evil. And there lies the trouble. For how could God have enough power and knowledge to create and sustain the physical universe if He can 't even prevent evil? How could He be the providential governor of the world if He is unable to do what even we frequently do, namely prevent evil?” (5). This statement argues that God is not all powerful because he is unable to prevent evil in the world. Daniel Howard-Snyder then argues that: “Would a perfectly good being always prevent evil as far as he can? Suppose he had a reason to permit evil, a reason that was compatible with his never doing wrong and his being perfect in love, what I 'll call a justifying reason. For example, suppose that if he prevented evil completely, then we would miss out on a greater good, a good whose goodness was so great that it far surpassed the badness of evil. In that case, he might not prevent evil as far as he can, for he would have a justifying reason to permit it” (5). Even if God had a reason to allow evil, he who is all loving and powerful would want the least amount of people to suffer and feel pain. Since God knows

    Read More

  • Descartes Leibniz Essay

    593 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Problem of Evil is the question that asks if God is perfectly benevolent, all-powerful, and all-knowing, then how can he allow evil to exist? Many philosophers have tried to answer this age-old question, often focusing on the intellect and the will. This essay will explore and compare the ways in which Descartes, Leibniz, and Berkeley each attempt to solve this dilemma.

    Read More

  • Griffin God Power And Evil Analysis

    782 Words  | 2 Pages

    The author suggests that an effort in attempting to figure out “why” evil exists will not provide substantial answers, but more focus on understanding the necessity of evil to allow

    Read More

  • God’s Existence and the importance of the resurrection to Christianity

    1285 Words  | 3 Pages

    Opponents of God’s existence argue if an all-knowing and good god exists, why is there such an abundance of evil in the world.

    Read More

  • Moral Evils, Evil, And Evil In Non-Believers

    520 Words  | 2 Pages

    The question of evil is a common topic among non-believers. Evil has existed since the beginning of time. In today’s society people have become so desensitized to evil, the true origins become hard to understand. God gave us each the free will and ability to choose right from wrong, although many of God’s creation continue to choose sin. The Holy Bible explains to us the nature and root of sin. This explanation helps us understand why bad things happen and how it might affect our relationships with the Most High.

    Read More

  • Knowing Otherworldly Goodness Through Worldly Evils

    1738 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...which have varying amounts of goodness, something must be good beyond all the other things. In such a world, we might know God is good beyond all else, but without evil, the significance of that knowledge is diminished. When there is good and evil, another dimension is added. A tension is added. Even if it is a psychological response, humans are more compelled when there are two opposing sides. We see God as being so good, that he can easily overcome and conquer the most evil of things. Mackie is wrong to claim it is fallacious to believe the universe is better off with evil. Without evil, our minds could not begin to understand how special God truly is.

    Read More

  • Atheism Argument

    1317 Words  | 3 Pages

    The existence of god has been relentlessly debated with many strong arguments. This essay will primarily discuss the most prevalent arguments for and against the existence of a higher being. Although there are many strong arguments for both atheism and theism, ultimately the theist point of view is greater justified morally and logically.

    Read More

  • The Problem of Evil

    1691 Words  | 4 Pages

    All in all, the problem of evil has been debated for thousands of years. Some believe that evil is caused by Satan and not humanity, such as the Manichaeanists and Bogomilists, and some believe that humans are the cause of evil, rather than God, such as Augustine, Peter Kreefe, and myself. While God is aware that a lack of goodness could occur, he is not the cause of it. He is omniscient, omnipotent, and all-loving and creates human beings with absolute goodness; however, with that that absolute goodness comes free will. With free will, humans have the ability to choose wrongly and therefore experience evil or a lack of goodness. God has given us that right because it is the only way to become happy. God cannot make one happy. The individual is the cause for their own happiness.

    Read More

  • Peter Van Inwagen The Argument From Evil Summary

    1153 Words  | 3 Pages

    The simultaneous presence of evil and God has been an ongoing debate for a long time. Evil is defined as being morally wrong and by definition, God is the supreme; he is morally perfect and has the power to control everything and everyone. He should then be able to prevent evil from existing or get rid of the evil that does exist, but this is not the case. The question that arises, is if there is a God and he is morally perfect, why does God allow for evil in the world if? The problem is that there is no straightforward answer to this question. Or as some philosophers argue, this is only a problem for those who believe in God and that God is morally perfect and omnipotent (J.L Mackie).

    Read More

  • Problem Of Evil Research Paper

    2055 Words  | 5 Pages

    If evil cannot be accounted for, then belief in the traditional Western concept of God is absurd” (Weisberger 166). At the end of the day, everyone can come up with all these numerous counter arguments and responses to the Problem of Evil but no one can be entirely responsible or accountable for the evil and suffering in a world where there is the existence of a “omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent God.” Does the argument of the Problem of Evil or even the counter arguments help the evil and suffering of innocent human beings across this world? No. However, the Problem of Evil is most successful in recognizing the evil and suffering of the world but not presenting a God that is said to be wholly good and perfect to be blamed and as a valid excuse for the deaths and evil wrongdoings of this world.

    Read More

  • The Relationship Between God and Evil

    2975 Words  | 6 Pages

    Evil exists. This bizarre conundrum has perplexed philosophers since the dawn of civilization, and remains in hot debate today because of the theological implications inherent in the statement. To many on this planet, the source of life is an all-loving, all-powerful, omniscient god who created the universe – and all the laws therein – in seven days, as described in the Bible. And yet still, evil exists. How can these two premises be simultaneously true? Surely, an all-loving god would want to do something about this problem, and an all-powerful god could absolutely remedy a situation if it so desired. It seems as though the common perception of the Bible’s god is inaccurate. However, it could be argued that the Bible’s god is accurate, and that said perception is somewhat skewed, considering that on numerous occasions, God claims responsibility for evil. “I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7). The Greek philosopher Epicurus put the Good God’s Evil puzzle in a very clear logical progression:

    Read More

  • Leibniz: The Problem Of Evil

    708 Words  | 2 Pages

    The problem of evil has been a huge debate between atheists and theists. The problem of evil is how can evil occur in the world if God, a perfect being, created the world, and why do bad things happen to good people if God is in charge. Used to critique theism, the problem of evil questions God’s perfection and his existence. It questions God’s perfection by saying, “Whoever does not chose the best is lacking in power, or in knowledge, or in goodness” (Leibniz 89). This means that people do not think that God can be all powerful or perfect because they do not think that this world was the best possible choice. The problem of evil also critiques the question of God’s existence by saying, “If there is more evil than

    Read More

  • The Argument of Evil for the Existence of God

    677 Words  | 2 Pages

    one action on which Man would go wrong, or else he could not create any world at all. This phenomenon he calls transworld depravity. Therefore, for God to create a world in which humans had moral freedom, the existence of both Good and Evil is

    Read More

  • The Christian's Response To The Problem Of Evil

    1924 Words  | 4 Pages

    Suffering and pain are all around us. The world is filled with famines, wars and diseases. Evil is a part of everyday life. Some of these evils are due to man’s own inhumanity (moral evils), while others seem to have no reasons for occurring (natural evils). At times it seems as if it is too much to bear and people begin to question the evil in the world. The problem of evil leads people to question the existence of God. Surely if there was a loving and all powerful God, there would be no evil. Why would a God who loves His people allow so much pain and suffering to occur? According to Moreland and Craig, “The greatest intellectual obstacle to belief in God is the so-called problem of evil (Moreland and Craig 536).” This paper will look at the logical argument for evil and the Christian’s response to the argument.

    Read More

More about Would an All-good, All-powerful, All-knowing God Allow Evil to Exist?

Open Document