The Problem of Evil
One of my pet peeves is people who try to tell me that the problem of evil proves that God doesn't exist. Some of them are so agressive as to call me a fool for believing in God, because the problem of evil proves me wrong. That's when I start to get mad. These are people who just don't understand the problem of evil.
Quick Review
The problem of evil goes something like this (a-one, a-two, a-one, two, three, four):
- God is omnipotent (assumption)
- God is omniscient (assumption)
- God is omnibenevolent (assumption)
- God would stop any evil He could, that He knew about. (3)
- God would stop any evil He could. (2, 4)
- God would stop any evil. (1, 5)
- There is evil (givensee my article on Congress)
- God does not exist. (6, 7)
Okay, so it's not perfect Predicate Logic form. Give me a break, it's been six years and I don't have my textbook handy.
A Word About Evil
The evil we are talking about here is not the same as the evil we think of in the real world. Frex, a mudslide kills twenty people in California. Sad and lamentable. But we don't think of it as evil, just as a force of nature. However, by the definition used in the above argument, that is evil, because pain and suffering was caused. The argument goes that God would have known the mudslide was going to happen, could have stopped it, and would have stopped it. He didn't, so therefore He doesn't exist.
The Problem's Problem
I don't want to get into a lengthy discussion of the problem of evil. I have several problems with the argument on logical grounds, but in the end that's all irrelevant. Let's assume for a second that the argument has no logical objections. What does it prove? Does it prove that God doesn't exist? No. It proves that it is impossible for an omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent being to exist.
It is the assumption of the problem of evil that God fits those criteria. Let's step back for a moment. What God are we talking about here? Historically, the problem of evil was designed around the Judeo-Christian God shown in the Holy Bible. Now, correct me if I'm wrong here. Didn't God flood the entire planet in the Bible, allowing only one family and a boatful of animals to live? Didn't God kill every first born Egyptian child, to get the Pharoh to release his people from slavery? That sure doesn't sound like omnibenevolence to me. In short, the problem of evil is based on false assumptions.
And if the false assumption that God is omnibenevolent isn't enough, how about the false assumption that we know as much about evil as an omniscient being?
Extra Credit
Explain to me why I spent a semester of college studying this fool argument. (500 words or less)
Last Modified 6/7/99
Created 8/31/98