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Unravel the complex issue of evil with a comprehensive look at the problem of evil, various theodicies, types of evil including natural, moral, and metaphysical, and the connection with sin and suffering.
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The problem of evil The problem of evil, simply stated goes like this, if God is omniscient (all knowing) then He knows if any evil is about to occur; if He is omnipotent (all powerful) then He has the power to prevent the occurrence of that evil; if He is completely benevolent (all good), then He will not be willing to allow the occurrence of evil.
Theodicy The defense of God in the face of the problem of evil.
The Three Theodicies • the free will theodicy, according to which evils are not due to God but rather to the free choices of other agents; • the soul-building theodicy, in which God allows or brings about evil in order to elicit virtue and to build character; and the • punishment theodicy, by which God allows or brings about evil as punishment for sin.
Types of evil • natural evil • moral evil • metaphysical evils
Natural Evil • Natural evil concerns the sphere of suffering, the pain humans endure as a result of their existence on earth and through no fault of their own. • God created an actual world, not an imaginary one. The actual world is governed by physical and mathematical laws. Those laws set boundaries as to what is possible and what is not, within the world system that we have.
Moral Evil • Moral evil belongs to the sphere of sin, our offence against God, ourselves and others. The human free-will to ignore the precepts of godliness. • We must bear in mind that the human will is free but the free will is subject to moral obligations. What leads to evil is as a result of the many wrong choices and not because of ignorance. Evil is the product of the will. People use their free will to choose wrongly.
Metaphysical Evil • There is metaphysical evil, the imperfection of all living things, both animal and human, the existence of evil by virtue of their very creation.
It is the absence Goodness It is the wrong use of free will.