Reconciling Evil & Suffering with the Existence of God (Edexcel GCSE Religious Studies B)

Free Will

The Free Will Response to the Problem of Evil

• Christians believe that God has given mankind, free will or the opportunity to make choices

  • In giving mankind these choices, God has accepted that sometimes mankind will make the wrong choices

  • When humans make the wrong choices, this can be understood as moral evil

  • The existence of moral evil in the world can be explained by God allowing humans free will

  • If God had denied humans the ability to make choices, would it really be a life worth living?

The Augustinian Theodicy

• A theodicy is an argument that tries to reconcile the existence of evil and suffering with the existence of an all-loving and all-powerful God

• A popular Christian theodicy is from Augustine, a theologian and philosopher

  • Augustine believed that all humans were created perfect and that they were given free will

  • However, humans use that free will to turn away from God and chose sin 

  • God predicted that this fall would happen and therefore sent his son, Jesus Christ, so that humanity may be reconciled with God

  • Augustine’s theodicy bases the origin of evil and suffering on humanity and takes that responsibility away from God

  • Augustine stated that the definition of evil is the ‘privation of good’

    • This means that evil does not exist in the same way that good exists, but rather that evil is the absence of good

    • Evil does not have to exist in order for good to exist. There does not need to be an opposite

  • This doctrine allows for God to exist as an omnibenevolent being

  • This is because God is not responsible for creating evil, as evil itself as an entity does not exist

Vale of Soul-Making

The Vale of Soul Making Response

• This theoretical response was introduced by John Hick and argues that evil and suffering in this life are part of God’s long-term plan, and people who suffer will be rewarded with eternal paradise

• The world exists as a place for humans to develop their soul by being tested

• The biblical story of Job, which is found in the Old Testament tells the the story of someone who suffers greatly and had their faith tested but ultimately keeps his faith with God

  • Job was a devout and sinless man who led a good life

  • Satan convinced God that the only reason for this was that Job had a pleasant life, suggesting this made it easy for Job to be faithful to God

  • God decided to see whether this was the case and allowed Satan to test Job

  • Satan did this in several ways, for example killing Job’s sons and daughters, and making Job sick

  • Although Job began to question God’s goodness, he defended God to his friends, and when God heard this he blessed Job

  • The moral from this story is that sometimes suffering can make people stronger, and it can make them appreciate the life they have 

• Additionally, the Psalms show that suffering is intended to be a part of life and that joy and suffering cannot exist without each other, and that suffering can bring Christians closer to God

Prayer

Practical Responses to the Problem of Evil

• The practical responses to the existence of evil and suffering is to show compassion to people who are suffering or to pray for them

• The existence of suffering in the world makes it possible for humans to help those who are in need

• The example of Jesus gives Christians a role model on how to treat others who are suffering

• Two ways in which Christians can help others who are suffering is by praying and by supporting charities

Prayer

• Many Christians respond to evil in the world by prayer and they believe that God will help them if they are suffering or others that they pray for

  • Christians would believe that, even if prayers are not answered in the way we hoped, God has a plan and that there will be a reason for this

  • An example of how prayer can be directed towards those who are suffering are intercessory prayers, which are prayers asking for God’s help for people in need

  • Church services regularly have prayer sessions directed at those in the community and beyond who are suffering

Charity

• Christians are taught in the bible to respond to evil and suffering by helping others

  • For example, Jesus taught that evil is something that can be fought, for example by feeding the hungry and healing the sick

  • Christians can therefore follow the example of Jesus by working hard to tackle evil and suffering

  • For example, they can do this by setting up food banks, donating money to charity and becoming doctors and nurses

• Many Christians have been inspired by suffering in their own lives to try and help others

  • For example, Chad Varah established the Samaritans as a result of the suffering he witnessed in his community as a priest working in London

• Christians believe that if they live their lives showing kindness to others and helping those in need, then they will be rewarded in heaven