The Problem Of Evil An Argument Against The Existence Of...

Notes †¢ The problem of evil (the problem of suffering) is an argument against the existence of God †¢ The argument against the existence of God is incompatible with the existence of an all-loving, all-powerful God. Greek Philosopher Epicurus The Epicurean Paradox †¢ Is God willing, but not able to prevent evil? †¢ Answer: Then he is not omnipotent †¢ Is God able but not willing? †¢ Then he is malevolent †¢ Is he both able and willing? †¢ Then whence cometh evil? †¢ Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him god? J.L Mackie The Inconsistent Triad †¢ God is All-Good (benevolent) †¢ God is all-powerful (omnipotent) †¢ But since evil exists, then it must be the case that evil exists The above argument is the logical problem of evil They are deductive arguments that try to prove Gods existence is logically incompatible with Evil The second argument is the evidential problem of evil William Rowe The existence of evil makes God’s existence unlikely or improbable Important point: Evil does not mean God does NOT exist, but only implies that God’s probably has a lesser chance of existing. This argument is inductive, as it doesn’t try to prove its conclusion. Premise 1: Evil and suffering exist Premise 2: God is all loving and all powerful Premise 3: An all loving powerful God, if he existed, would remove evil and suffering Conclusion: God does not exist This is a deductive argument. Advantage: if premise is true, we have to accept the conclusionShow MoreRelatedMccloskey Responses1660 Words   |  7 PagesIntroduction H. J. McCloskey gets most of his strong statements against the belief by asking the atheist to provide sufficient proof that God exists. However, McCloskey is not the only person who is unsure and asks questions God’s existence based on personal beliefs or influence. From the beginning many people have had questions about God and his existence. He wrote numerous books on atheism between 1960 and 1980 including the famous book, God and Evil. This paper evaluates the credibility of McCloskey’s articleRead MoreThe Problem Of Evil And The Existence Of God1636 Words   |  7 PagesThe Problem of Evil is one of the most influential and common arguments in modern philosophy against the existence of a Greater Being, God (Trakakis, 2006). 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I will do this by discussing fallacious nature of the premise that if God were omnipotent and knew he could prevent the existence of evil without sacrificing some greater good he would then necessarily prevent it. The essay will proposeRead MoreThe Existence Of God : Evil1297 Words   |  6 PagesThe Existence of God Throughout the years as the human species keeps learning about the world we live in, we are finding out that we are surrounded everywhere by evil. This seems to conflict with the belief of theism, one who believes in a God or Gods, especially a personal God who’s in control of the world. If there was an all-omnipotent, all-omniscient, and all-benevolent God, then he should have consummate knowledge that there’s evil in the world. Given that, if he knows there’s corruptionRead MoreThe Question Of God s Existence1575 Words   |  7 PagesPHIL 201 Date: 12/13/2015 INTRODUCTION The question of God’s existence has been challenged by many philosophers and non-philosophers alike over the years. If I am honest with myself, during many hard times I have questioned Gods existence myself. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes; the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However, there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the articleRead More J.L. Mackies Evil and Omnipotence Essay1652 Words   |  7 PagesJ.L. Mackies Evil and Omnipotence The philosopher J.L. Mackie wrote a very convincing piece on the problem of evil called â€Å"Evil and Omnipotence,† in which he attempts to show that one of the following premises must be false in order for them to be consistent with each other. #1. God is omnipotent. #2. God is morally perfect. #3. Evil exists. The problem of evil is a deductive a priori argument who’s goal is to prove the non-existence of God. In addition to Mackie’s three main premisesRead MoreAnalysis Of The Article On Being An Atheist 1290 Words   |  6 PagesGod’s existence has been challenged by many philosophers and non-philosophers alike. Arguments that have been used to support the existence of a divine being includes the cosmological argument and the theological argument. However there are some who oppose these arguments and philosopher H.J. McCloskey is among this group. In the article â€Å"On Being an Atheist† written by H.J. McCloskey, he argues that both these arguments are false and insufficient as it relates to â€Å"proof† of God’s existence. McCloskeyRead MoreDoes God Exist1483 Words   |  6 PagesDoes God Exist The question of God’s existence has lingered in the mind of man since the dawn of religion. 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