Problem of Evil

Problem Of Evil

In the philosophy of religion, the problem of evil is the question of how to reconcile the existence of evil with that of a deity who is omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent (see theism). An argument from evil attempts to show that the co-existence of evil and such a deity is unlikely or impossible, and attempts to show the contrary have been traditionally known as theodicies.

A wide range of responses have been given to the problem of evil. These include the explanation that God's act of creation and God's act of judgement are the same act. God's condemnation of evil is believed to be executed and expressed in His created world; a judgement that is unstoppable due to God's all powerful, opinionated will; a constant and eternal judgement that becomes announced and communicated to other people on Judgement Day. In this explanation, God is viewed as good because His judgement of evil is a good judgement. Other explanations include the explanation of evil as the result of free will misused by God's creatures, the view that our suffering is required for personal and spiritual growth, the denial that God is omnipotent, omniscient, or omnibenevolent, and skepticism concerning the ability of humans to understand God's reasons for permitting the existence of evil. There are also many discussions of "evil" and associated "problems" in other philosophical fields, such as secular ethics, and scientific disciplines such as evolutionary ethics. But as usually understood, the "problem of evil" is posed in a theological context.