This is a video where Greg Koukl appears to explain an everlasting problem:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jRMWKz4hbw&feature=related
Now - this is the guy who has appeared in several videos over the internet supposedly refuting the atheists' arguments and showing that they are not reasonable (that they are fallacious).
Being this a very reasonable person who boasts in following logical arguments, I thought that perhaps he had at last found an answer to this problematic question. However, after hearing his answer I have two immediate reactions: first, I am surprised to find that he is not saying anything new at all but just repeating a Christian argument made long time ago; second, this argument doesn't really follow. His main premises are:
1. Although God could have chosen to create any kind of world (because he is all-powerful), God decided to create the best possible world, a world which allowed human beings to have freedom (because he is all-good).
2. In such a world, evil is necessary.
3. Therefore, although God is all-powerful and all-good, evil is necessary in the world.
I think my main problem with this argument is premise 2: why is evil necessary in a world with human freedom? I assume that the kind of evil that is being considered here is 'human evil', the kind of evil that human beings choose to do (and therefore a direct consequence of human freedom). But, what about the other kinds of evil, the evil from natural disasters, the evil that comes directly from blind nature? How can we justify this kind of evil? Is the freedom of human beings to blame for all kinds of evil that happen in the world?
And even if we took evil to mean just human evil: is it not possible for a loving mother to allow for the freedom of her children without allowing for them to kill themselves? Does a mother's love imply that she cannot be caring? Is there not love in advice?
Perhaps I am not seeing the extreme logic of this guy's argument: if this is so and you can see it, please illuminate me!
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I have been battling this very dilemma. Were Adam and Eve happy in the Garden before Satan came along? Why couldn't he just have gone to another planet? Was it impossible for God to show them how to procreate without the first sin? Is it impossible to be carnal and not evil? Whay can't God simply tell the evil people to go to planet A and the good people to go to planet B? Freedom of choice might make some epople throw a stink about where they go, but so what? Then they won't be murdering the good guys. I really don't get it.
ReplyDelete