THE PROBLEM OF EVIL
Posted on July 13, 2010 with 0 comments
No, really, I mean horrible things. The German concentration camps of WWII where millions died are an example. Other examples might be an ocean tsunami that wipes out thousands of innocent men, women and children, a psychopath who opens fire and kills dozens of innocent people in a school, or a serial killer who tortures and murders innocent victims. On a personal basis many of us even struggle with the death of family members and loved ones, sometimes due to untimely accidents or even due to natural causes.
None of this seems to have an explanation, and so many atheists have decided that these events are proof that there is no God. Their argument goes like this. If there is a God, He is by definition all powerful. If He is all-powerful He is in a position to stop pain and suffering. But it is obvious that pain and suffering continues in the world, hence there must not be a God.
In fact, all pain and suffering prove is that we presently have no generally accepted explanation for pain and suffering that they understand. There may well be reasons for evil and suffering in the world, but our understanding is too limited to understand it yet. Perhaps God understands, and humans do not. All that can be said is that, as humans we have limits to what we understand. But rather decide that they might not understand something, they assume that God (who they have already defined as all powerful and all knowing) doesn't understand or exist. Atheists are not generally known for their humility.
In the next couple of weeks I want to address this argument of the problem of evil from some other perspectives. Hope you'll come back and visit.
None of this seems to have an explanation, and so many atheists have decided that these events are proof that there is no God. Their argument goes like this. If there is a God, He is by definition all powerful. If He is all-powerful He is in a position to stop pain and suffering. But it is obvious that pain and suffering continues in the world, hence there must not be a God.
In fact, all pain and suffering prove is that we presently have no generally accepted explanation for pain and suffering that they understand. There may well be reasons for evil and suffering in the world, but our understanding is too limited to understand it yet. Perhaps God understands, and humans do not. All that can be said is that, as humans we have limits to what we understand. But rather decide that they might not understand something, they assume that God (who they have already defined as all powerful and all knowing) doesn't understand or exist. Atheists are not generally known for their humility.
In the next couple of weeks I want to address this argument of the problem of evil from some other perspectives. Hope you'll come back and visit.