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The Problem of Evil and Suffering

The Problem of Evil and Suffering. New Topic Separate Section Answer 1 question. Lesson Aim. To introduce the new topic. To learn about the two main types of evil and suffering. Key Words. Theist Atheist Natural Evil Moral Evil Omnipotent Omniscient Omnibenevolent Theodicy.

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The Problem of Evil and Suffering

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  1. The Problem of Evil and Suffering New Topic Separate Section Answer 1 question

  2. Lesson Aim To introduce the new topic. To learn about the two main types of evil and suffering.

  3. Key Words Theist Atheist Natural Evil Moral Evil Omnipotent Omniscient Omnibenevolent Theodicy

  4. Key Words * The belief that God is all-powerful • A person who believes in the traditional concept of God. • Evil acts performed by man. * The belief that God is all-knowing • He belief that God is al-loving • Events in the natural world that cause suffering. * A person that does not believe in God. * An attempt to justify God and evil in the world, without qualifying his nature.

  5. Introduction: The Problem of Evil and Suffereing • Age-old problem. • Empirical (confirmed by the senses) problem. • Immediate problem. • According to 18th century atheist David Hume, the problem of evil is: “the rock of atheism”.

  6. Evil and Suffering defined by J. Hick in Philosophy of Religion “Physical pain, mental suffering and moral wickedness. The last is one of the causes of the first two, for an enormous amount of human pain arises from people’s inhumanity. This pain includes such as poverty, oppression, persecution, war and all the injustice and inequalities that have occurred throughout history” (pg. 41 Tyler).

  7. Traditionally, philosophers and theologians have distinguished between two types of evil and suffering. *Evil produces suffering* 1. Natural Evil/Suffering • Suffering caused by a malfunctioning of the natural world. • E.g. Tsunami destroyed 1000’s lives. 2. Moral Evil/Suffering • Suffering direct result of human actions and choices. • E.g. Hitler’s Germany engineers the killing of millions of people, including Jews, homosexuals and Gypsies (Genocide). • Both types can overlap (famine/corrupt leadership) • Natural most problematic – happen even if behaved in morally perfect way?? • Innocent suffer most???

  8. Cooperative Learning • Label and categorise – natural and moral. • Select 1 – each group a diff example. • Write 8 questions that you have about this example. • Research and discuss to find out your answers. • Feedback your findings to the class.

  9. PROBLEM???? • Despite all this, theism (belief in an all-loving, all-powerful God) claims that the world was created by an omnipotent God. • Either God is incapable of preventing evil (and therefore not omnipotent) or unwilling to prevent evil (and therefore not good and loving + unworthy of worship). • Richard Swinburne they must have a satisfactory to, otherwise there is no reason why the atheist should share their faith.

  10. How could God do this??? Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) ‘The Life of Man, solitary, poor, nasty, brutish and short.’ • Thomas Hammilton, 43 – 16 children. • 18/11 1993 M40 14 aged 12-14 12 died. • Plenty not caused by humans. (Leviathan, 1651,pt 1 ch. 13). Hobbes was writing during the English Civil War. This was a time of great upheaval, and life was indeed ‘nasty, brutish and short’

  11. Evil = whatever is painful, malicious or disastrous. Examples: Wickedness, moral depravity, sin; whatever is censurable, painful, malicious, or disastrous; the evil part or element of anything. • A wrongdoing, a crime, a sin. • Any particular thing that is physically or morally harmful. • A disaster, a misfortune. • A disease, a sickness. (extract from The Oxford Interactive Encyclopaedia)

  12. Consider: • C.S. Lewis - pack • Book of Job - “I am innocent, but I no longer care. I am sick of living. Nothing matters; innocent or guilty, God will destroy us” (Job 9:22-23).

  13. What’s the problem?? • Where is God? • How could he let this happen? Argument against God For many people, the existence of evil is persuasive evidence for the non-existence of God

  14. Life is fragile – every living thing is engaged in a constant struggle to survive. Creatures survive at the expense of other creatures and nature involves a great deal of suffering. There is disease, famine, accident and death. • Humans also play a role in this scenario. They cause each other pain and suffering through their selfishness and violence. Despite all this, religion claims that the world was created by an omnipotent God. Either God is incapable of preventing evil (and therefore not omnipotent) or unwilling to prevent evil (and therefore unworthy of worship).

  15. Plenary: Answer 2 questions • What is evil and where does it come from? • What is it about suffering that leads us to question the existence of God? • Do you think that God allows suffering and evil to happen in the world? What might a theist/atheist say??

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