Welcome
Haven't you asked yourself why terrible things keep happening to people who don't deserve them? How can a world that's supposed to be loved and cared for by a kind and all-powerful God be so broken and full of hurt?
The argument from evil
The problem of evil is a philosophical and theological paradox that raises questions about the existence of evil and suffering in the world, and how the existence of evil can be reconciled with the idea of an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God.
The argument from evil is often framed as an internal contradiction or conflict among three core beliefs about the nature of God:
If all-powerful (omnipotent), God is able to prevent evil and suffering.
If all-knowing (omniscient), God is aware of evil and suffering.
If all-good (omnibenevolent), God does not want evil and suffering to take place.
The presence of evil and suffering in the world seems to contradict one or more of these beliefs.
When written as a syllogism, the argument may take this form:
Premise 1: If an all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God exists, no evil would exist.
Premise 2: Evil exists.
Conclusion: An all-powerful, all-knowing, and all-good God doesn’t exists. (Modus Tollens on #1-2)
The argument from evil takes different forms, and the one listed above is version of the logical argument from evil.
Another form of the argument called the evidential argument from evil casts the existence of evil as an inductive argument, allowing that while there may be logically conceivable reasons why God would allow some evil, other evil that seems unnecessary and gratuitous should be counted as evidence against an all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good god. Since gratuitous evil and suffering is more likely to take place if God does not exist, the evidential argument claims that the presence of seemingly unnecessary evil and suffering constitutes evidence against the existence of such a morally praiseworthy God. The evidential argument from evil does not necessarily claim to disprove the existence of God conclusively.
A third, less common approach is the metaphysical argument from evil, which questions how anything created by an all-good god could become evil.
These apparent paradoxes have led theologians and philosophers to attempt to resolve how God can co-exist with evil and suffering. These attempts to justify and explain the existence of any amount of evil and suffering in the world are called defenses, and attempts to explain the amount or severity of evil in the world are called theodicies. In the course of this site, we will explore different defenses and theodicies and review how skeptics respond.
Kinds of evil
There is often a distinction made between evils caused by human actions (moral evil) and those resulting from physical events (natural evil). Evil is commonly taken to mean any negative state of affairs.
Why this topic matters
There are many compelling reasons to engage with the supposed problem of evil. Some have to do with grappling with questions about the nature of God and suffering, strengthening faith even in the face of suffering or equipping believers to face challenges with a more grounded faith. Studying these challenges are also effective for engaging skeptics in defense of faith and reflecting on ethical implications for responding to evil in the world. If the problem can be answered, despite the existence of evil and suffering, then we have trust in a greater promise of redemption. During my own personal journey to faith, overcoming the problem of evil was instrumental.
What to expect
Visitors should expect analysis of the current philosophical and theological landscape, reactions to other written and online discussions, personal stories on the challenge of the problem of evil and practical advice for how to deal with the realities of evil and suffering.
The right approach
Addressing the problem of evil is a difficult task, but it should be done with empathy, rationality and honest inquiry. The aim is to offer a robust and intellectually satisfying responses that affirm the coherence of faith in a good and omnipotent God.