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Anti- Theodicy. Those religions that posit the existence of an all-good and all-powerful God have a special “problem of evil” to be solved- how can evil be possible if God is all good and all powerful? This leads to arguments denying the existence of such a God. Anti- Theodicy.
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Anti- Theodicy • Those religions that posit the existence of an all-good and all-powerful God have a special “problem of evil” to be solved- how can evil be possible if God is all good and all powerful? This leads to arguments denying the existence of such a God.
Anti- Theodicy • Deductive argument: • Two propositions: (i) God is omnipotent and (ii) God is wholly good. • Additional propositions: (i) Good is always opposed to evil in such a way that a good thing (person) always eliminates evil as far as can; (ii) There are not limits to what an omnipotent being can do.
Anti- Theodicy • This gives us the contradictory argument: • A good omnipotent being would eliminate evil completely. • A good omnipotent being exists. • Evil exists. • Must give up one of these.
Anti- Theodicy • Inductive argument: Inductive argument points to the degree of evil that does exist and argues that this kind of evil makes it highly improbable that God exists.
Inductive Anti-Theodicy • i. There exist instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse. • ii. An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the occurrence of any intense suffering it could, unless it could not do so without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse. • iii. There does not exist an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being.