Can God exist if this happens?
The Problem of Evil
• To define the Problem
of Evil & theodicy
• To evaluate some
theodicies
Watch the video.
What is the
Problem of Evil ?
To 1:15/ 2:56
The Problem of Evil
God is omniscient
- so he knows evil is happening
God is omnipotent
- so he can stop evil
God is omnibenevolent
- so he cares about stopping evil
BUT…evil still happens…so one of these
things can’t be right – God is either not allknowing, or not all-powerful, or not-all
loving? Or maybe He just does not exist?
1.
2.
Write out the Problem of Evil
Explain how it suggests that God
does not exist.
*What do you think?
1. What are 2 ways that the video
suggested you can explain evil?
**Do you think you can still believe in
an all-loving, all-powerful God in
such a world if evil exists? How?
Explain the Problem of
Evil to your partner.
1.
Write out and complete the
gap-fill definition of
theodicy.
A Theodicy is…
An ………………… that
tries to explain why
there is ………. in the
……… if ……..is……………
good
evil
God
argument
world
To 1:15/ 2:56
What theodicies have we looked at
already? Mindmap them
Choose one and argue
your case why your
answer to evil is the
best correct answer.
Some important people in the Church suggested
their own theodicies. Which ones did the video
discuss?
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
St Irenaeus: Evil makes us responsible, as we get
to see that we can make choices that have good
or evil consequences. Otherwise, we would just
be like babies, protected from doing or suffering
any evil.
St Augustine - Evil happens because people use
free will to do evil. It’s not because God doesn’t
care – He just can’t interfere with free will. The
evil we suffer, is our fault for choosing evil, not
God’s.
Job: evil can’t be explained. God’s ways are too
mysterious for us to understand. We should just
be silent in awe and respect of the way God
made the world to be.
Plantigna: the existence of evil gives us the
chance to choose the good freely, out of choice.
So it helps us to become better people freely.
St. Aquinas: There really isn’t any evil – because
God is love, and God made everything so
everything must all be good. Evil is only the
absence of good, like a cavity in a tooth. The
problem should really be “why isn’t there more
good?”
•Match the pictures to the
theodicies on your sheet.
•Order the theodicies from
best to worst way of
explaining why there is evil.
1. Explain the theodicy you
most agree with.
2. Explain why you agree
with it.
3. Explain what you think is a
bad theodicy... Why?
*Draw your own pictures for
the theodicies you discussed.
What do you think?
• Job’s friends had a theodicy.
– Bildad said suffering and evil were due
to sin
– Eliphas said suffering evil was because
of human pride
– Zophar said suffering evil was only
temporary, and a test from God.
• God himself answered Job saying that
human beings cannot understand
why evil happens – because God is a
great creator whose ways we cannot
understand.
From the video,
you saw that some
people believe evil
is there
• to make us more
responsible for
others.
•as a result of
human free will to
do evil
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
St Irenaeus: Evil makes us responsible, as we get to
see that we can make choices that have good or evil
consequences. Otherwise, we would just be like
babies, protected from doing or suffering any evil.
St Augustine - Evil happens because people use free
will to do evil. It’s not because God doesn’t care – He
just can’t interfere with free will. The evil we suffer, is
our fault for choosing evil, not God’s.
Job: evil can’t be explained. God’s ways are too
mysterious for us to understand. We should just be
silent in awe and respect of the way God made the
world to be.
Plantigna: the existence of evil gives us the chance to
choose the good freely, out of choice. So it helps us to
become better people freely.
St. Aquinas: There really isn’t any evil – because God
is love, and God made everything so everything must
all be good. Evil is only the absence of good, like a
cavity in a tooth. The problem should really be “why
isn’t there more good?”
Is Evil a Problem?
Yes, a problem
for faith
YES - it makes it
look like God
doesn’t care
Not really a
problem.
NOT RELEVANT:
There is no such
thing as evil –
why isn’t there
more good?
Or like Job, it’s
just a mystery.
Evil is not a problem
for faith
NO - Evil is
there for a
reason.
Makes us
better/
because of
free will
Homework
“The Problem of Evil proves there is no God.”
Discuss.
– State what the problem of evil is
– Explain how it challenges the idea of a good/ all
powerful/ all knowing God
– Explain 2 answers to the problem of evil.
– Evaluate (give your opinion). Explain if you agree
with the answers in part c.