WebThe problem of evil develops an argument against the free will concept. McCloskey uses the problem of evil to create evidence against God as he says “No being who was WebJan 1, · In the paper written by Collins entitled,” The Problem of Evil Basics,” It has been noted that reconciling the concept of existence of a perfectly good God and evil is WebJan 21, · Mackie’s writing argues that there is no valid solution to the problem of evil and an omnipotent God co-existing unless at least one of the premises in which theists
The Problem of Evil, Essay Example | blogger.com
Paper Types. You are free to use it as an inspiration or a source for your own work. The presence of evil has always been a fascination and a challenge to humanity. This is itself interesting; good is usually accepted as natural and right, but good is only a moral quality, and just as subject to investigation as evil. Nonetheless, it is evil that is often focused upon, and because it is inexplicable to many, whereas goodness is felt to be the normal and natural force. As God created the world and reality, and God is perceived as acting on behalf of mankind, evil then stands apart.
This is an issue I have struggled with, as have many others. Why, in plain terms, would God permit evil to exist, since He orders all things and evil cannot exist unless He wills it? Philosophers and ordinary people alike have tried to answer this question, and their conclusions vary. My own view is that evil exists because it is a necessary element of life, just as darkness is necessary in order to know and value light. Moreover, I believe that God allows evil because only He is able to comprehend that it belongs to all existence, and creates means of developing goodness and character. In the following, I examine and support that evil is a natural force enabled by God, one that actually creates opportunities for good, and one that is necessary for humans and animals to exercise their own instincts and wills as God wishes them to.
To understand that there is a reason for evil, the problem of evil essay, it is first necessary to know the identity of God, or come as close to this as is possible for human beings, the problem of evil essay. Without question, this has engaged great minds since the beginning of human life and the belief in a single God. He is made in the image of man, in the minds of many, and because this is the only way we can begin to understand a being beyond our scope, the problem of evil essay. Then, we turn to Scripture for a clear idea of who and what He is, but there remains the issue of Scripture as composed — and interpreted — by humans.
In plain terms, God tends to exist as individuals perceive Him, and this ranges from ideas of the all-powerful and vengeful God to the loving, caring deity. This is in keeping with Hegel, who argues that there is a harmonious whole to reality in which all things have meaning and purpose, and a whole that human beings cannot comprehend Rachels, Rachels It must be enough that He is known to be God and that He the problem of evil essay the reality of all things. As there is then no direct explanation for evil from God, it follows that human beings must consider the forms evil takes, which may offer evidence of its purpose.
Setting aside evil in human terms, the suffering of animals raises important questions. If they attack, it is the problem of evil essay they feel threatened. If they eat other animals, it is because this is how they must live and they are acting out of natural impulses. This being the reality, it must be wondered why animals should suffer needlessly. They face evils both natural and gratuitous; they are often starved to death in the wild, and abused by cruel human beings who, behaving in an evil way, enjoy inflicting pain on them.
Human beings have wills and can create their realities, in terms of choices in behaviors. Most animals have no such consciousness or choice, so their suffering seems pointless and like an act of cruelty on the part of God. When this issue is examined more closely, however, the evils faced by animals take on a different meaning. To begin with, most nonhuman animals have no continuing sense of self, the problem of evil essay. Their consciousness is restricted to the moment and they have no real memories of past pains or ideas of death, so their suffering is not the same as human suffering. In fact, it is arguable that we the problem of evil essay human views of pain to animals when they do not apply.
Then, it is also argued that the evils faced by animals serve an important purpose. The pain experienced by an animal in the wild, for example, will drive to animal to do what is necessary to end it and survive. The animal having trouble in locating food suffers hunger, the problem of evil essay is then more driven to locate food. The creature who is pursued by other animals develops the skills to escape Keller These realities explain a purpose to natural evils, and because those evils are parts of existence in the wild. This is the world as ordered by God, in that animals must engage in competition to survive, and is then not a true evil as such. When the issue goes to gratuitous evil, however, more is required. Animals suffer at the hands of humans — and occasionally other animals, as in killer whales — who inflict pain because they desire to do so, or are unconcerned with creating suffering.
This in turn connects to how human beings do the same to one another, the problem of evil essay, as individuals or in group actions going to evil. There is no need to list the many and vile forms such evil takes, from the atrocities of the Holocaust and Bataan Death March to how individuals torture and kill innocent children. All that the problem of evil essay important is recognizing that evil is a consistent the problem of evil essay powerful force in human affairs. This then demands an explanation, as God creates reality and consequently permits such evils. What we are dealing with our two realities, God and evil, and they must be reconciled.
For evil to be explained, then, several approaches are necessary. To begin with, an important question must be addressed: are good and evil only concerns of mankind? Rachels, Rachels Animals suffer pain, but it is unreasonable to assume that they perceive this as evil in any sense, and because the moral attachment is a strictly human device. It may be argued that this is not true. In Scripture, it is consistently clear that evil is the domain of Satan, and exists as opposed to the goodness of God. Considering the Bible further only adds to complicating the issue and reinforcing evil as a human concept alone. In the old Testament, certainly, God demands actions from his children that may be seen as evil.
When defied or doubted, He exacts severe punishments. Even the testing of Job may be viewed as a divine and evil act, as Job was devout and The problem of evil essay allowed him to suffer greatly, to prove his faith. In plain terms, God acts in cruel ways very often, so the idea of evil itself more belongs to mankind. This being the case, good and evil are moral concepts based solely on human thinking and belief. This then changes the idea of how evil itself can exist in a world ordered by God. In a sense, it exists in a way completely removed by God because it is a concept of humanity alone. We decide what is evil, and this is often a subject of debate.
For example, there are people who torture and kill others, the problem of evil essay, and who are identified as having extreme brain disorders. The actions certainly conform to the most horrific ideas of evil, but it is questionable whether this applies, and because these people are under biological influences dictating the behavior. Even so, many still insist that evil is present in such cases, the causes notwithstanding. There can be no real justification for the suffering of such victims, but there is as well a purpose to be seen. In plain terms, evil tends to create the need in others to address it and generate some form of good.
People will care for victims of evil as much as they can, and this brings out the better nature of human beings. The problem of evil essay, the structures of cultures and societies very much go to laws and norms that express good and defy, the problem of evil essay, and prevent, evil. People universally come together to address evil behaviors and make efforts to limit any opportunity for evil to exist, from laws exacting punishment for crimes to support organizations for many kinds of victims of injustice the problem of evil essay cruelty.
Goodness is more than a concept; it is in fact a reaction very often, and a practical effort to redress evil. As noted, light can only be known because of darkness, and the same may be said of evil. This view in place, there is no issue with reconciling a benevolent God with it. It is, as the phrase goes, part of the larger reality understood fully only by God. There is also another consideration regarding the permitting of evil by an otherwise caring God. This goes to the inability of human beings to actually understand the nature of God, and their usual way of attaching expectations to God that do not apply. People historically and today ask the same question: why does God let evil happen, when He is all-powerful and can remove all evil forever? One answer lies in the discussion above, in terms of evil as necessary to create goodness.
The other, however, is that God is not a divine power who directly intervenes in human affairs and behavior. It seems that many perceive God as a kind of employer, and the problem of evil essay who should involve himself in the concerns and matters of all human beings. The reality of the world, nonetheless, offers no evidence of any such involvement, and simply because what humanity does occurs apart from God and divine influence. Then, and importantly, it is an enormous element of Scripture that God does not directly act in human affairs, and the key to this is the affirming of human beings as exercising their own will.
God does not permit evil, then. Rather, he permits mankind to do what it will, and suffer the consequences when it acts in evil ways. Evil is a source of misery to many, as has been true since the earliest days of humanity. As there is widespread belief in God, there then arises the long ongoing question of how evil can be in a world ordered by a benevolent God. There is no one answer, but there are explanations. With animals, the problem of evil essay, the evil of pain prompts behaviors that go to survival. Regarding gratuitous evil to animals and to people, more is necessary, and it is seen that good exists only because evil must be addressed. Finally, and perhaps most importantly, God and evil are reconciled because evil itself is both a human concept and the force created by humans, acting with the wills given to them by God.
He permits evil, then, as He permits the universe itself to exist. Ultimately, and in my estimation, evil is only a natural force among others enabled by God. It is a force that actually creates opportunities for good, and a behavior that is necessary for humans and animals to exercise their own instincts and wills as God wishes them to. Keller, James A. Problems of Evil and the Power of God. Burlington: Ashgate Publishing, Problems from Philosophy, 3 rd Ed. New York: McGraw-Hill Humanities, Protecting Vulnerable Employees, Assessment Example. Ethics and Values Between for Profit and Not for Profit Organizations, Research Paper Example. Need a professionally written Custom Essay? Right now, you can get a professionally written essay in any discipline with a.
The Problem of Evil
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WebSep 21, · The problem of evil is usually seen as the problem of how the existence of God can be reconciled with the existence of evil in the world. The problem simply stems WebJan 21, · Mackie’s writing argues that there is no valid solution to the problem of evil and an omnipotent God co-existing unless at least one of the premises in which theists WebThe problem of evil is the notion that, how can an all good, powerful, loving God exists when evil seems to exist also. The problem of evil also gives way to the notion that if hell exists
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