| "If there is a God, why does he allow all the evil in the | | | | Buddhists state that karma is carried from life to life, |
| world?" | | | | and even if sinners are not punished in this life, they will |
| How often are you asked that question? And how | | | | get their comeuppance in the end. |
| often do you find yourself defending your faith in God? | | | | So that's moral evil explained so that it still fits in with |
| Should you have to? Do unbelievers constantly find | | | | our idea of an all-loving God. But what about natural |
| themselves called upon to justify why they don't | | | | evil? For example, plagues, earthquakes, droughts, |
| believe in God? | | | | famine. Even if we can make sense of moral evil, can |
| Atheists argue that there is no proof that God exists | | | | we do the same with natural evil? Can man and his |
| and see their stance as having solid foundations. But | | | | free will be held responsible for this too? |
| does it? Is there proof that he doesn't exist? Are there | | | | Maybe in some instances they can. But the |
| really stronger grounds for atheism than for theism? | | | | philosopher, Leibniz said "God created the best |
| Let's begin with the problem of 'Knowledge'. Nothing is | | | | possible world." He wanted man to have the |
| ever 100% certain, even historical 'facts', or scientific | | | | opportunity to make the right choices, to exercise his |
| 'facts'. After all, it used to be a scientific fact that all the | | | | moral worth, to put others first. So did God create a |
| planets revolved around the Earth, it being the centre | | | | world where he knew natural disasters would happen |
| of the universe. So maybe some beliefs we have | | | | in order that man could prove himself? Make sacrifices |
| today will eventually turn out not to be 'facts'. | | | | to help or save others? Do natural disasters really go |
| It is very difficult to take a strong atheistic position and | | | | against the idea of an all-loving god? |
| attempt to give grounds for this. So why is it always | | | | He even intervenes 'miraculously' sometimes. So let's |
| believers who are called upon to prove their beliefs? | | | | very briefly look at miracles. The term generally refers |
| Why don't we ask the unbelievers, the doubters, to | | | | to a fortunate occurrence for which no immediate |
| prove that God doesn't exist? | | | | explanation is available. They are sometimes a |
| This was the viewpoint of the philosopher, Ayer. He | | | | transgression of a law of nature. |
| argued that the possibility of religious 'knowledge' is | | | | However, many people don't see miracles as proof of |
| ruled out. The existence of a being defined as 'God' | | | | the existence of God, because they dispute the |
| cannot be demonstrably proved. But he also said that | | | | existence of miracles. Testimonies of witnesses can |
| it cannot be disproved either! | | | | be inadequate or unreliable. |
| Let's look at the case for either side. | | | | But you don't have to believe in miracles to believe in |
| The first argument put up by unbelievers is usually a | | | | the existence of God. So what other grounds for |
| criticism of an all-loving, all-powerful God. "What about | | | | belief are there? |
| all the disasters and suffering in the world that he | | | | One argument centres around design. The universe is |
| allows to happen?" "What about little children being | | | | ordered and consistent. We can observe that all |
| murdered? What about rapes? The Holocaust? Mans' | | | | around us in nature. Believers argue that it couldn't |
| inhumanity to man. Why does God allow all the evil in | | | | have happened by chance. There must have been a |
| the world?" | | | | designer, a creator for all of it. However, Darwins' |
| For some, this debate can be a great threat to faith. | | | | theory of evolution is believed by many to account for |
| So let's look at moral evil as in the examples above. | | | | the developments, order and design in the world. |
| The argument from atheists is usually how can a | | | | In our three-dimensional, material world, it's very hard to |
| loving God permit such terrible things to happen? God | | | | conceive of such a being as God. It can be seen as |
| is love. And he is all powerful. Couldn't he stop such | | | | rational not to believe in him. We have the evidence of |
| evil? | | | | our senses. We can't see him or hear him, but does |
| Theists' answer could be that God wanted his | | | | that mean he's not there? So what about all these |
| creation, man, to have free will. He didn't want | | | | arguments for and against theism and for and against |
| robot-like beings. He wanted to give us the opportunity | | | | atheism? Can either position really be proved or |
| to make good decisions, to be able to choose or to | | | | disproved? |
| reject Gods' laws, to pass or fail his tests. | | | | Try this line of argument the next time your faith is |
| So why do men fail when we have the moral and | | | | questioned. It's based on a quote from the philosopher, |
| intellectual capacity to distinguish good from evil? Why | | | | Descartes: "God possesses all perfections, and |
| didn't God create beings who could resist temptations? | | | | existence is a perfection." ... Therefore he exists! |
| Consider this. If God is omniscient, he must have | | | | Footnote: Definitions: |
| known in advance how his creatures would act, and | | | | Theism = The belief in a God who not only created |
| therefore must have had good reason to arrange | | | | the universe, but takes an active part or interest in it. |
| matters as he did. He allows us to make our own | | | | Atheism = Against knowledge of God. |
| moral choices, but like all good parents, he will punish us | | | | A strong atheistic position = Stating we KNOW God |
| for any wrongdoings. Jesus said "As ye sow, so shall | | | | doesn't exist. |
| ye reap". The law of Karma, as in Buddhist traditions, | | | | A weak atheistic position = A BELIEF that God doesn't |
| makes sense of this. As believers in reincarnation, | | | | exist. |