General

• "The tools of gods judgement: drought, famine, pestilence and war" - bible, jerimiah.
• Moral evil - evil from human choices, why does god permit humans to behave as they do?
• Non - moral evil - also known as 'natural evil' EG famine/illness.
• Inconsistent Triad - originated with epicurus and picked up by hume and mackie.
• Inconsistent triad: Evil undeniably exists. God cannot be both omnipotent and omnibenevolent. (explain further in exam). Can draw 3 conclusions: god does not exist, god is only omnipotent or god is only omnibenevolent.
• Inconsistent triad: is an objection to a specific kind of god of classical theism. Christian, jewish and muslim gods are loving and involved with the world and are impacted by the problem of evil.
• Inconsistent triad: is not an objection to a deist creator (one who made the universe but gave nothing to it). Aristotle's self regarding god is indifferent to human suffering and not impacted by the problem of evil.
• There are 3 common responses to the problem of evil: evil is not real; light and dark and the promise of jesus.
• Response, Evil is not real: would be rejected by churches. BUT the church of christ scientist argues for illusory nature of evil. But the bible does not shy away from evil - if the suffering of christ was an illusion his death would not offer redemption.
• Response, Light and Dark: need evil to see/appreciate the good. Can be considered morally inadequate as it doesnt consider the innocent victim of evil. An observer might appreciate that there are contrasts - this fails as examples of evil such as the holocaust are not applicable.
• Responce, Light and dark: D.Z Phillips argues that this responce adds to the evil in the world in the callousness it displays towards the suffering of others.
• Responce, The Promise of Jesus: some argue that what jesus shows is that god does not remove suffering but shows the world that he will never desert humainity in its suffering.
• The promice of jesus, Kung: says this does not explain the problem of evil, god as omnipotent/omnibenevolent should be able to eradicate evil. Why is evil allowed in the first place?
• DZ Phillips - what use are the screams of the innocent to embark on a journey with a pre determined end. this is a sign of a corrupt mind.
• Phillips - uses the overwhelming evil that overcomes mankind, he rejects any theodicy which tries to justify god by looking at the usefulness of evil. No one can justify the horrors of the holocaust because it might lead to some good. Suffering is always immorall when it can be avoided.
• Idea of omniscience: if god is unaware he could love us and could stop it. But undermines omnipotence
• "Logical problem of evil" is the inconsistent triad. It points at evil as a natural part of the world.
• "Evidential problem of evil" is the sheer extent of evil and suffering. Points the challenge at god himself.