...argument against the existence of Christian God. I will show how the Problem of Evil is a big factor when concerning Gods existence. I will explore the ideas of how God’s benevolence is contradictory to how the world is. I will also be presenting arguments for the existence of a God but countering them with my points along with philosopher’s theories. J.L Mackie said “if a good and powerful God exists, he would not allow pointless evil, but because there is much unjustifiable, pointless evil in the world, the traditional and powerful God could not exist.”[1]. When we talk about a benevolent God the problem arises of Evil in the world. It’s a problem because God is attributed as being Omnipotent, Omniscient...
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...the subject of an all-powerful and good God with depth. The way they deal with this controversial question is through the concept of suffering and how they can use suffering to explain this question. Not only do they ask questions that common people don’t ask, but they also answer these question through the lens of many types of religion and explanation. They have their opinion and also arguments to both sides of the points they illustrate. They were concerned more with opening every door available and letting the reader decide which path they would like to take as far as investigation or their opinions with the topic. Besides that, it was clear that Ehrman was not in favor of an all-powerful and good God and that suffering proves that while Stackhouse was. Ehrman, a man who previously served the lord but changed his ways, makes the case through suffering that a good, powerful God does not exist. He starts off by saying that God brought Jesus to our world in a point of darkness or sin. (7) Why doesn’t God come into our world again? There had been many tragedies after Christ and we can sure use guidance to help with the new sufferings. Using the fact that God hasn’t visited us again, Ehrman asks if God wants people to suffer. (41) Is there a reason we do suffer, if so then why? Regardless of the reason we are suffering and God is accused of not being all good and not having the power to prevent it because we do. The idea of suffering...
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...treatise on human suffering, especially the innocent variety.” Observed that William Blake, who created a series of engravings on Job, “is still the only interpreter to understand that the theme of this book is spiritual transformation”. Perhaps Blake is among the few to see in Job, what is involved in coming to live before the only God we cannot construct. Sees the flawlessness of Jobs life as a depiction of Job as the ‘perfect moral businessman’, who knows how to succeed at the reward game, with life and with God. “All this bewilderment and outrage couldn’t be so intense if Job didn’t truly love God. He senses that in spite of appearances there is somewhere, an ultimate justice, but he doesn’t know where. He is like a nobler Othello who has been brought conclusive evidence that his wife has betrayed him:his honesty won’t allow him to disbelieve it, but his love won’t allow him to believe it. The voice is saying “What is all this foolish chatter about good and evil...about battles between a hero-God and some cosmic opponent? Don’t you understand that there is no one else in here?” David Robertson-Draws our attention to Job’s speech in chapter 9, in which Job predicts what would happen if he summoned God to a face-to-face encounter. “If it is a contest of strength,behold him”-Job. When God finally does appear, Job’s prediction comes true “So God’s rhetoric (in chapters 38-41) because Job has warned us against it, convinces us that he is a charlatan God, one who has the...
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...Assumptions April Davis CCU Worldviews Block 1 Randall Niles June 01, 2013 Assumptions So many questions, where was God? What is true evil? How could God let something of this nature happen to hundreds of innocent people? This tragedy on September 11, 2001 shook this country’s faith in God. The faith that we thought we had was shaken, why were so many innocent people killed and so many spared? It brings about the question of good and evil, if there is a God and he is good why does He bring such suffering to people. If we pray, go to church and do all the “right” things why? In the book Making Sense of Your World (Phillips, 2008) it states Believers should expect suffering if they follow Christ (Mark 8:34; John 15:20) and thus can in a sense rejoice in those sufferings, which are for Christs sake. God allowed sin to occur and He was the ultimate victim. Evil is a force as one put it in the video, it invites you to join it. This generation has lost touch with the manifestions of evil, TV shows, movies even violence in their own home. So evil is a part of everyday life for some. It is normal in a sense. Everyone’s view of evil may be a little different to each, something I think is evil may be normal to someone else. Some things that we call evil are simply things that may displease us because they hinder the fullfillment of our inflated desires (Phillips, 2008) Stehpen Davis concurs: “The problem of evil, in my opinion and in the opinion of others is the most...
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...Revival To humans, the cause of suffering will always remain a mystery. Calamities, persecutions, hardships, insults; humans live to suffer. Elie Wiesel is an American Romanian-born Jewish writer and Holocaust survivor, who tells of his horrific tale in the novel, “Night.” Throughout the novel, Wiesel tells a journalistic story about suffering and death as he endures dreadful experiences in Nazi death camps. At one point in the story, Wiesel compares himself to Job, a character of the Bible who he feels he can relate to. At first, Wiesel fights the urge to reject God in his suffering which is an uncommon action when all hope is gone. Firstly, within the pages of the Bible reads a narrative story called, “The Book of Job.” In Job, there is a man who God allows to be directly attacked by Satan. He is an illustration of devotion as he is stripped of everything yet he remains devoted to God. By allowing Satan to attack Job, God testifies his faithfulness to him. Job was abundantly blessed by God. He had a wonderful family, a huge house, plenty of animals, and food on the table. Through...
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...A good God will not allow people to suffer. Discuss. Some people believe that this statement is true. They believe that God is benevolent and therefore he is all loving, creating a positive image of himself where people believe that he wouldn’t inflict pain on any one of his creation. However, it’s not always down to God, for example some people believe in the act of free will, this means that the actions humans do such as murder, rape etc… don’t involve God. He gave humans free will so we’re responsible for what we decide to do with our life with little involvement from God. When God created the world he made it perfect. He then left his stewards to take care of and look after the world therefore a good God did create a world without suffering however it is the humans of the world that have designed a world full of pain and suffering. It is known that the Devil is the creator of evil therefore it may be possible to believe that it isn’t Gods decision but the devil has created the suffering in the world. Other people believe that this statement is false. They think that if there is no pain or suffering in our life then we won’t appreciate the good things when they happen. We would be emotionless because we can’t differentiate the good things from the bad things. Also, Christians say that God is omnipotent however if He really is all powerful then why doesn’t he intervene when a natural disaster, for example tsunamis and tornados occur instead of letting them destroy innocent...
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...Healthy Grief in the Kübler-Ross Model, the Book of Job and Buddhism Grand Canyon University HLT-310V A loss of a loved one elicits the natural reaction of grief from human beings. Such a loss is a source of psychological and emotional trauma, especially when the friend or relative who passes away does so before the expected time in the “social clock (Myers, 2011, p. 184)”—the death of a child can cause a longer and more intense period of grief than the death of an older loved one. While grief is a natural response to lost relatives and friends, it is beneficial for an individual’s psychological and emotional well-being to transition away from a state of mourning without any long-term detrimental effects to one’s well-being. Healthy grief can be described as a manner of experiencing and expressing grief that allows for this smooth transition. Grief is largely a cultural phenomenon, with different practices and rituals that vary from culture to culture with regard to overcoming grief (Lehto & Stein, 2009, p. 29). This paper will look at some of these cultural variances, with the comparison and contrast in the views of grief among the modern Western world with the Kübler-Ross model, Western theological tradition in the Book of Job and the Eastern theological tradition, with the views of Buddhism on grief. The paper will also look at the conception and role of job in relation to grief in the three views of grief tackled by this paper. The Kübler-Ross model of grief is...
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...Does the existence of evil shows God does not exist? Most folks in the world are disheartened by the bitter fact that evil happens. People are astonishment as to why God can exist and at the same time allow the evil we see and experience each and every day in our environs to prevail (Braine 1-10). They fail to fathom the reason why the capable God would by genuine reasons agree to the notion that the power of choice should be bestowed in humans. They claim that if God is really a loving God he ought to allow his creations to decide if he really hopes to see a world where utmost love can subsists at all and they think man may misuse the ability bestowed in him to select acts in a very fierce way that does not concur with the morality principles. The byproduct of a universe where the power to inculcate love in our humanly actions is an option is the widespread ethical evil that is witnessed. Evils of various kinds exit in the world. Most of these evils are referred to as natural evil. Innocent souls die day by day because of natural calamities and tragedies. The effects of maladies, epidemics and pandemics can also not be overlooked. These widespread of natural evil seemingly has no bearing to the actions of the human beings and the types of resolutions that they make in their life time. How then can all these evils that happen be accounted for? Why would God allow such misfortunes to befall His innocent and blameless creation on earth? These burning questions that touch on the...
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...of life? Who decides whether or not an individual can end their life? These questions are asked when the controversial topic of euthanasia arises. Certain groups and politicians disapprove of the legalization of euthanasia, arguing that it is immoral. Other groups argue that an individual should be allowed to choose their time of death. These and other questions related to euthanasia will be discussed in this paper. Euthanasia refers to the practice of intentionally ending one’s life in order to relieve pain and suffering. Most cases of euthanasia are performed by taking a cocktail of certain medications. Euthanasia is illegal in most states. Only Oregon, Montana, and Washington allow the practice of euthanasia. Some individuals have moved to these states to be able to carry out their wishes to die. Most individuals, religious groups, and organizations do not feel that euthanasia is morally right. They argue that life is valuable in any form and should be lived until God decides to call one home. They feel it is going against God’s wishes and it destroys a basic intrinsic good. According to May (2013), euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide are becoming more and more accepted as morally right and legally necessary, these forms of intentional killing of the innocent remains intrinsically immoral. Individuals are created to serve God. In serving God, it is our responsibility to accept his plan and wishes. God did not intend for individuals to end their own lives...
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...something that had to be said in the sake of all the black people suffering from racial segregation. The white people should stop treating the black people as if they were something different as if they weren't human because treating black people equally will help us americans become greater people, people that God can admire. I say this, because I myself James Swerg and all the other Freedom Riders have been through many tough times where we will be attacked by men armed with bricks, clubs and knives. Also one time in Anniston Alabama, when we where going on one of the freedom rides we will be divided in two buses, the white people attacked us leading to many injuries and one of the buses was burned and all the white people held the doors shut so we couldn't get out of the bus and get burned to death, why luckily that didn't happen. That's why I'm here today, to further explain to you why this must stop, because as Dr. King said "now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksands of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood". That's what we are suppose to be a brotherhood because I ask this to myself, do all this people really enjoy killing so many innocent people just because of their color? cause I don't think that's what God will do in this situation, he will just see all those people of different color just like him because that is what they are, just like you and do you really know if God is white cause nowhere in the bible does that say that. One of...
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..."life-terminating treatment." Euthanasia can be either active or passive. Passive euthanasia allows one to die by withholding or withdrawing life supporting means. This is a tricky area because ordinary and extraordinary means of supporting life come into the picture. Ordinary means such as nutrition and hydration are never to be withheld since they are one's basic right in order to survive. However, one is not obliged to use extraordinary or 'disproportionate' means to sustain life. Due to complexity, each situation needs to be looked at individually when discussing extraordinary means. However, as a rule, one can discontinue "medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome." One cannot intend death by withdrawing or withholding treatment, but should, however, obey God and let one die a natural death. To withdraw a treatment as a condition worsens is letting one die and not a direct killing. In this case, it is the disease that is killing and not the one who withdraws the treatment. Active euthanasia or' mercy killing' pertains to the Dr. Kevorkian’s' of the day. This is the direct intentional killing of a patient with either their consent (voluntary), without their consent when impossible (non-voluntary), or without consent but not sought (involuntary). Advocates of this murder have covered their ears to the command of the Lord: Thou shall not kill! The goal is to eliminate or relieve suffering by an evil means of death. Many...
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...events and circumstances found in our world. A theodicy is necessary only if we believe in a God who is inherently good, thus requiring an explanation of the apparent discontinuity between a good God and evil in the world. In order to express my own theodicy, I will discuss the forms of evil in the world and their various manifestations as well as whether or not creation as a whole is a “good” expression of the creator God. I will also discuss how eschatology affects our view of evil and God’s part in allowing or interfering with evil. Finally, I will discuss which theodicy I find most complete and why, as well as some of the strengths and weaknesses of my own theodicy. Evil in the World Expressing a theodicy requires a basic understanding of evil which can be referred to in light of that expression. The problem of evil has been dealt with in three separate classifications during our class time and reading; moral, natural and gratuitous evil. Moral evil is an evil event or circumstance caused by a human. Examples of moral evil would be murder, lying, stealing and greed. Moral evil results as the consequence of the decisions made by human beings exerting their free will. War, oppression and slavery are prime examples of moral evil perpetrated by human beings. Natural evil includes the pain and suffering resulting from the forces of nature or the actions of humans. Natural evil can be found associated with weather events such as tornadoes and hurricanes, or geological events...
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..."life-terminating treatment." Euthanasia can be either active or passive. Passive euthanasia allows one to die by withholding or withdrawing life supporting means. This is a tricky area because ordinary and extraordinary means of supporting life come into the picture. Ordinary means such as nutrition and hydration are never to be withheld since they are one's basic right in order to survive. However, one is not obliged to use extraordinary or 'disproportionate' means to sustain life. Due to complexity, each situation needs to be looked at individually when discussing extraordinary means. However, as a rule, one can discontinue "medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome." One cannot intend death by withdrawing or withholding treatment, but should, however, obey God and let one die a natural death. To withdraw a treatment as a condition worsens is letting one die and not a direct killing. In this case, it is the disease that is killing and not the one who withdraws the treatment. Active euthanasia or' mercy killing' pertains to the Dr. Kevorkian’s' of the day. This is the direct intentional killing of a patient with either their consent (voluntary), without their consent when impossible (non-voluntary), or without consent but not sought (involuntary). Advocates of this murder have covered their ears to the command of the Lord: Thou shall not kill! The goal is to eliminate or relieve suffering by an evil means of death. Many...
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..."life-terminating treatment." Euthanasia can be either active or passive. Passive euthanasia allows one to die by withholding or withdrawing life supporting means. This is a tricky area because ordinary and extraordinary means of supporting life come into the picture. Ordinary means such as nutrition and hydration are never to be withheld since they are one's basic right in order to survive. However, one is not obliged to use extraordinary or 'disproportionate' means to sustain life. Due to complexity, each situation needs to be looked at individually when discussing extraordinary means. However, as a rule, one can discontinue "medical procedures that are burdensome, dangerous, extraordinary, or disproportionate to the expected outcome." One cannot intend death by withdrawing or withholding treatment, but should, however, obey God and let one die a natural death. To withdraw a treatment as a condition worsens is letting one die and not a direct killing. In this case, it is the disease that is killing and not the one who withdraws the treatment. Active euthanasia or' mercy killing' pertains to the Dr. Kevorkian’s' of the day. This is the direct intentional killing of a patient with either their consent (voluntary), without their consent when impossible (non-voluntary), or without consent but not sought (involuntary). Advocates of this murder have covered their ears to the command of the Lord: Thou shall not kill! The goal is to eliminate or relieve suffering by an evil means of death. Many...
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...‘God is to Blame for the Holocaust’ Do you agree? This essay will answer the question ‘Is God to Blame for the Holocaust?’ I will give my argument for why some people may believe that God is to blame and why some may believe that it was others. I will also give my opinion while also writing about how people’s faith may affect their beliefs in God. Many people believe that God is to blame for the Holocaust. God is supposed to be a vision of perfection. Someone who listens to you, loves you and ultimately is there to help you through hardships. If he is all these things then why did he even allow the Holocaust to begin with? God is believed to be all powerful, so he had the power to stop the Holocaust. As mentioned above, God is ‘all loving’...
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