The most intense, pained and persistent challenge which believers hear about the truth of the Christian message comes in the form of what is called "the problem of evil." The suffering and evil which we see all about us seems to cry out against the existence of God -- at least a God who is both benevolent and almighty. This is thought by many to be the most difficult of all the problems which apologists face, not only because of the apparent logical difficulty within the Christian outlook, but because of the personal perplexity which any sensitive human being will feel when confronted with the terrible misery and wickedness that can be found in the world. (page 1)
It is important for the Christian to recognize -- indeed, to insist upon -- the reality and serious nature of evil. The subject of evil is not simply an intellectual parlor game, a cavalier matter, a whimsical or relativistic choice of looking at things a certain way. Evil is real. Evil is ugly. (page 2)
The 18th century Scottish philosopher, David Hume, expressed the problem of evil in a strong and challenging fashion: "Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?"[3] What Hume was arguing is that the Christian cannot logically accept these three premises: God is all powerful, God is all-good, and nevertheless evil exists in the world. If God is all-powerful, then He must be able to prevent or remove evil, if He wishes. If God is all-good, then certainly He wishes to prevent or remove evil. Yet it is undeniable that evil exists. (Page 5)
Reflection:
The problem of evil is a long running question which unbeliever debated and continually ask Christians on the characteristic and the capability of God. The said topic is also known as the problem of suffering which is an argument against the existence of incompatible God and why if there’s God then why does the evil and sufferings such as pain, distress and death do exist. This article attempts to explain the logical and the evidential problem of evil. Moreover, this topic gives way to believers to reconcile or align to an omniscient, omnipotent and omni-benevolent God, with the existence of evil and suffering in the world.
From the captivating title, I was deeply in taught why did it was named “The problem of evil” hence I deeply believe that the difficulty on understanding problem of evil is not that there is evil in the world. It does not lie on the degree on how much evil in the world. The problem of evil is not that there is not a balance between good and evil in the world. Nevertheless, it is the concept on how we view God.
This directed me to ponder the notion of the 18th century Scottish philosopher, David Hume, who expressed that the problem of evil in a strong and challenging fashion: "Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil? (page 5) He is stressing that Christian cannot accept these three premises that God is all-powerful, God is all-good, and nevertheless evil exists in the world. If God is all-powerful, then He must be able to prevent or remove evil, if God wishes. If God is all-good, then certainly He wishes to prevent or remove evil. Yet it is undeniable that evil exists. These premises are elucidated by the author that undoubtedly God is all-good and all-powerful. God has a morally sufficient reason as to why He allows evil and for everything He does, there is no logical problem of evil, hence, there is a mental and psychological problem. The only logical problem which arises in connection with the discussions of evil, is the unbeliever’s philosophical inability to account for the objectivity of his moral judgments. That is, we find it emotionally challenging to trust God’s goodness, faithfulness and power when we are not given the reason why bad things happen to us and others. The Bible calls upon us to trust that He has a morally sufficient reason as to why He allows evil in this world. But the Bible does not give us the reason or reasons that are morally sufficient. The unbeliever will find that intolerable for his pride, his feelings and maybe for his rationality because he refuses to trust God. He won’t believe in a God that won’t tell him why evil things take place.
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