Problem of Evil: Does God Exist?

What is the Problem of Evil? 

The problem of evil is usually understood as a problem for classical theism (sometimes just called theism), supporters of which are commonly called theists. According to classical theism, God is all-knowing, all-powerful , and ali-good. In the world around us, however, we discover a great deal of naturally occurring pain and suffering (natural evil). We also find a great deal of moral evil: morally culpable actions (or refusals to act) which diminish both those who are morally bad and those around them. The problem of evil is commonly seen as the problem of how the existence of God can be reconciled with the pain, suffering, and moral evil which we know to be facts of life. And it has often been said that they cannot be . Thus it has been urged that the problem of evil constitutes grounds for disbelief in God. The argument here has taken two forms. First, it has been said that evil is evidence against there being a God: that evil shows the existence of God to be unlikely. Second, it has been held that evil is proof that there could not be a God. The idea here is that theists are caught in a contradiction. They cannot say both that there is evil and that God exists. Since they can hardly deny that there is evil, it follows that God does not exist. As H. J. McClosky declares: 

Evil is a problem for the theist in that a contradiction is involved in the fact of evil , on the one hand, and the belief in the omnipotence and perfection of God on the other.

Reasons for the Existence of God? A great deal more could be said about the problem of evil. But we now need to move on. Before we abandon the problem of evil altogether, however, it is worth pointing out a further line of defence open to someone who thinks it possible or likely that there is a God in spite of the existence of evil. We can call it the 'Reasonableness of the Existence of God Defence' since it proceeds from the view that it is reasonable to believe in God. As we have seen , someone who thinks that the existence of evil renders the existence of God impossible or unlikely is arguing as follows: 

Evil exists.

If evil exists, it is impossible or unlikely that God exists. 

Therefore, it is impossible or unlikely that God exists. 

Now this argument is valid, though that is not to say that its premisses and conclusion are true. But suppose one had very good reason for believing that God exists. In that case one would certainly have reason for saying that God's existence is possible. One would also have reason for denying that evil makes it unlikely that God exists, since one would already have good reason to believe that God does exist. One might therefore offer the following argument: 

God exists. 

Evil exists. 

Therefore, both God and evil exist and the existence of evil does not make it impossible or unlikely that God exists. 

Now there may be no good reason for believing in the existence of God. But if people thought they had a good reason, they would be justified in using the second of the above arguments in response to the assertion that belief in God can be dismissed in advance because of the problem of evil . Those who want to reject belief in God without reference to reasons for belief in God might find such a move tiresome ; but they could only show that it was unreasonable by shifting their grbund. In other words, they would now have to start engaging with the believer's reasons for believing in the existence of God. At this point in our discussion, therefore , perhaps we can join them. To begin with, we shall turn to a line of argument whose philosophical career has been long and various. It centres on the meaning of the word 'God' and is usually referred to as the 'Ontological Argument' 

Reference:

Davies, Brian. 1993. An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religion. New York: Oxford University Press.