Good and evil

• Goodness is the quality of being like god and seeking the wellbeing of others selflessly
• Incarnation meaning ‘ made flesh’ is the christain belief that god became man in the person of jesus fully human and fully divine
• Natural law is the moral laws of right and wring discoverable in all human beings
• Privation is the loss or absence of something that is normally present e.g evil is the privation of good
• Suffering is the pain or loss which harms human beings. some suffering is caused by other humans( moral evil) some is not ( natural evil)
• Evil is the absence of good and the impulse to seek our own desires at the expens of the good kf others which often results in suffering
• Free will is the decision making part if a persons mind called the will. A will is free when the person is able to choose right from wrong
• Consience is the reason making moral decision. The knowledge we have of what is right and wrong and the god given compulsion to do what is right and avoid evil
• Origin of evil

  • moral evil- suffering because of humans free will
  • natural evil- natural disasters
  • original sin- adam and eve used there free will to disobey god by eating the apple bringing sin into the world
  • st agustine- says evil will help us apricate good, evil makes us better people, evil is not a thing only a privation of good
  • blame humans for using free will wrongly
  • ’ enjoy the value of good when we compare it to evil’ st agustine
• Other views on origin of evil

  • christains and jews argue that god exists dispite evil and suffering occuring
  • christain- john hick argues that god suffering is painfull but leads to healthier soul + teaches us to grow, all have sinned and fallen short of god
  • jewish- do not belive in original sin, everyone born facing temptation with inclination to do good( yetzer ha tov) and inclination to do bad( yeszer ha ra)
• God goodness

  • catholic- call god good because he made good things, world relects gods goodness
  • jewish- god is good because he is sole creator and merciful judge, gods goodness in protecting jews in escape of egypt
  • ’ god said let there be light and there was’
• Non religious views on origin of evil

  • reject god because the exisatnce of evil and suffering or question that god is all powerful and all loving
  • david hume made inconsistent triade saying that god cant exist od cant be powerfull snd loving
  • john mackie rejects catholic arguments saying we woild know good without evil
• Meaning of suffering through christ

  • catholics have mixed feelings about suffering
  • cathoilc- suffering is a sign of love, impossible to love without suffering
  • suffering is a sign of commitment- if we are committed to something we often means we experiance suffering
  • suffering is a blessing- jesus pointed out that thoes close to god often suffer
  • jesus suffered- seen in crucifixion
  • suffering servant isaiah 53- predics jesus suffering brings blessing for others
  • jewish- comes from humans and nature,not question why god sent suffering
  • ’ by his wounds we are healed’
• Trinity, nicene creed and bible

  • creed teaches theres 1 god in 3 pesons and evidence of trinity in the bible
  • catholic- god the father is the almighty creator and source of life, god the son is equal in nature to the father but human form , got the holy spirit gives life to all things and unites the father and the son in love
  • bible- holy spirit present at penticost and gave the deciples courage to spread the word
  • ’ a voice from heaven spoke this is my son wtih whom im well pleased’
• Other beliefs about the trinity

  • st agustine compare trinity to love , for love to have you need 3 things the lover, yhe lovee and love itself
  • jewish-belive in one god, trinity challenges the ides of one god,she,a states 1 god
  • ’ whoever does not love does not know god’
• Meaning of incarnation

  • catholic- fully god , fully human- jesus is god amd human he is refered to as the incarnate son
  • made flesh - incarnation expressed by the metaphor of gods word
  • jewish- oneness of god so dont beliven in incarnation, belive jesus was a normal man
  • ‘ the word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’
• Incarnation as a response to evil

  • see human suffering as a chance to follow jesus and belive its part Of gods plan
  • churhc teaches that thoes who suffer are united in the suffering of jesus
  • suffering is a trail through faith , hope , love
  • jesus’ suffering brought positive consequences
  • offering suffering in prayer to jesus we can share in the saving suffering of jesus
  • ‘ to understand the why of suffering we must look towards the cross of jesus’
• Example and teaching of jesus

  • beatitudes- sermon on the mount jesus explains what it is ment to be blessed he makes it clear that thoes whi suffer will be the greatest in heaven
  • he was an example as he spent time with sinners and showed them mercy, saved a woman from stoneing
  • jewish- not see jesus as having moral authority ’ blessed are the merciful for thry will recive mercy’
• Moral authority

  • natural law apliles to all humans
  • conscience is obliged to be followed and its proof of gods goodness
  • virtues are moral habits lived out to become a good person e.g courage , suffeing could increase courage
  • god made humans in his image
• Sculptures and statues

  • catholic-okay to show god in limited art forms,know jesus was a man with human qualities artwork captures these values, pieta shows idea of suffering is part if love
  • christian- against,god is infinite, not possible to show in statues, artwork gives wrong idea of god, shall not worship false idles
  • jewish- no statues for worship, god beyond human sp depicting him is forbiden, against commandments
  • ’ whoever worships an image, worships the persom portrayed in it’
• Pilgrimage

  • catholic- go to seek physical/ spiritual healing, strengthen faith, pray and be closer to god
  • jewish- not an obligation, impotance of jews goung to jerusalem for festivals
• Rosary

  • universally used examples of popular piety
  • prayed before and after mass on weekdays and when someone has died
  • powerful way to reflect on the meaning of suffering
  • 3 prayers- our father, hail mary , glory be
  • reflects on the 4 sets of mysteries- 5 joyful, 5 sorrowful, 5 glorious, 5 luminous