[1] ‘[2]’ The Problem of Evil

Definitions and Divine Attributes

• God is all-powerful (omnipotent). He can do all things that are logically possible and consistent with His nature.
• God is all-knowing (omniscient). He knows everything past, present, and future.
• God is all-loving (omnibenevolent). He is the source of perfect goodness and love.
• The term 'theodicy', from the Greek 'theos' (God) and 'dicy' (justice), refers to attempts to justify God's goodness and justice in the face of evil.
• It addresses the philosophical and theological dilemma of how an all-good and all-powerful God can coexist with real evil and suffering in the world.
• Evil is often defined as the absence or corruption of good, rather than a substance or force in itself.

Types of Evil

• Moral evil: Caused by human choices and actions such as murder, torture, rape, war, and abuse.
• Natural evil: Comes from natural events — like earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, and pandemics.
• Children’s suffering: Why do innocent children suffer?
• Cancer and diseases: If God is love, why do painful diseases exist?
• Animal suffering: Why do non-moral beings suffer pain, fear, or death?
• Extreme suffering: Examples like the Holocaust raise profound moral questions.
• Hell: How can a loving God send people to eternal punishment?

Defences (Types of Theodicies)

• Free Will Defence: God gave humans the ability to choose freely. Evil arises from human misuse of this freedom.
• Greater Good Defence: Some suffering leads to greater moral, spiritual, or relational goods, like courage or compassion.
• Human depravity and sin: evil entered the world because of man’s disobedience (the Fall). It was not God’s design but the consequence of sin.
• Jesus and the Cross: God does not remain distant from suffering He entered history in Jesus Christ, who suffered and died for our redemption. The greatest evil (the crucifixion) brought about the greatest good (salvation).

[3] Worldviews and the Problem of Evil

• A worldview is a framework of beliefs and assumptions about reality that shapes how one sees and interprets the world. It influences ethics, religion, philosophy, and even science. Different worldviews answer the problem of evil in radically different ways.

The Problem of Evil Across Religions and Philosophies

Islam

• Evil is understood as a test from God to purify and strengthen believers.
• Everything is ordained by Allah, including both good and evil.
• While Muslims affirm God's justice and mercy, the belief that even evil acts are willed by God creates tension in explaining suffering and divine fairness.

Buddhism

• Denies a personal creator God, so evil is not seen in relation to God.
• Suffering is caused by ignorance, desire, and attachment.
• Liberation from suffering comes through ethical living, meditation, and ultimately reaching Nirvana, a state beyond pain and desire. There is no concept of divine punishment or grace.

Hinduism

• Evil and suffering are results of karma, moral consequences of actions from this or past lives.
• The cosmic cycle involves both good and evil in a natural balance.
• God (Brahma or ultimate consciousness) is not personally responsible for evil. Suffering is part of cosmic justice, not injustice.

Judaism

• Evil is something God permits but does not cause.
• Often seen as a means of discipline or testing.
• The Old Testament records examples of suffering allowed by God for a greater spiritual purpose.
• However, evil remains theologically ambiguous even within Jewish tradition.

Greek Philosophy

• Thinkers like Plato saw evil as ignorance.
• Aristotle emphasised a moral middle ground — virtue lies between excess and deficiency.
• They lacked a personal God responsible for justice or evil.
• Evil was seen as a philosophical rather than theological issue.

Atheism and Materialism

• No God = no objective moral standard of good or evil.
• Evil is either a natural phenomenon or a social construct.
• Suffering is viewed as biological, psychological, or random, without higher meaning.
• This worldview offers no hope for justice, ultimate meaning, or redemption.

Christianity

• God did not create evil but gave humanity freedom, and evil entered through sin.
• God allows evil, but He redeems it.
• The cross is the ultimate example: the worst evil (crucifying the Son of God) produced the greatest good (salvation of mankind).
• God is not distant He entered into suffering in Christ and promises a future where all evil is eradicated: “He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Revelation 21:4)

[1] Walking with God through Pain and Suffering by Timothy Keller

[2] If God, Why Evil? A New Way to Think About the Question" Norman L. Geisler