Natural evil, or surd evil, is a term generally used in discussions of the problem of evil and theodicy that refers to states of affairs which, considered in themselves, are to be avoided and not to be promoted, and for which no agent is morally responsible. It stands in contrast to moral evil. Both natural and moral evil are a challenge to religious believers. Many atheists claim that natural evil is proof that there is no God, at least not an omnipotent, omnibenevolent one, as such a being would not allow such evil to happen to his/her creation. However, the deist position states that intervention by God to prevent such actions (or any intervention) is not an attribute of God. Religious people claim that natural evil exists to maintain a balance in the universe; without these occurrences, the universe could not exist.
Read more about Natural Evil: Nature of Natural Evil, Natural Versus Moral Evil
Famous quotes containing the words natural and/or evil:
“The natural man has only two primal passions, to get and to beget.”
—Sir William Osler (1849–1919)
“However great an evil immorality may be, we must not forget that it is not without its beneficial consequences. It is only through extremes that men can arrive at the middle path of wisdom and virtue.”
—Karl Wilhelm Von Humboldt (1767–1835)