The Problem of Evil

The Problem of Evil

"Is God willing to prevent evil but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?"

First discussed by Greek Philosopher, Epicurus, this argument has stood strong for thousands of years.

Dictionary.com defines evil as: "a harmful aspect, effect, or consequence"

Here is the argument, stated by the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy:

"1.If God exists, then God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.
2.If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil.
3.If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists.
4.If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil.
5.Evil exists.
6.If evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn't have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn't know when evil exists, or doesn't have the desire to eliminate all evil.
7.Therefore, God doesn't exist."

One attempt at refuting this argument states that "evil must be allowed to exist for freewill to exist." But freewill cannot exist, as I've shown in one of my previous videos.

Another argument that attempts to refute The Problem of Evil states that "good cannot exist without evil, because otherwise, there would be nothing to compare to good."

Well, I beg to differ. There is more to this world than simply good and evil. There are many steps in between. And there is also neutral, which is the absence of good and evil.

If God is omnipotent, then God should be able to create a perfect world without evil, only good and neutral.

Yet evil still exists.

There is yet another argument, that attempts to refute The Problem of Evil. The argument of Human Epistemological Limitations simply states that "we humans do not understand how God can be omniscient, omnipotent, and morally perfect, and for evil to still exist."

However, I call this "The Argument from Ignorance," because it is solely based on a lack of knowledge. It merely states that "we humans do not know everything, so it is possible for God to somehow exist with evil."

Well, anything is possible. But I'd prefer to make decisions on what to believe based on what is already known. The presence of knowledge is more significant than the absence of it.

"The Argument from Ignorance" is a meaningless argument, because it can be used to defend anything. One could propose that we don't understand how Santa Clause could travel to every house in one night, but that doesn't give any reasons to support the claim being made. One could also add "superpowers" to Santa, as many do to God, but that can only get you so far. If you give Santa the "superpower" of being able to move faster than the speed of light, then you are officially arguing that logic cannot apply to Santa. And if you argue that God is absent of time or causation, then you are officially arguing that logic cannot apply to God, since the implications of the absence of time or causation shows God to logically be nonexistent.

You can give God the "superpower" of being able to defy logic, but then, you must realize that you have no reason for using logic, at all.

Logically, God cannot exist. Illogically, anything is possible.

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[JustinTheAtheist]

@LarryBeil I haven't see,med to contradict myself yet. I explained my criteria for an evil person (which does not actually exist). A person would have to not only plan, but also know everything about the horrible deed to be done. That doesn't happen, because we people are all pawns in this game of life. No one has the ultimate upper-hand, and no one is evil. Please stop with the hate speech; it's sickening.

[LarryBeil]

I think your OCD led you to deluded thinking, because you don't make sense, and your bias is so insane that you block anything reasonable or logical from being a possibility. Its all about what you think, you can't even stop to actually think about what someone else says. You, sir, are so emotionally biased, that reason is the farthest from your capacity at this moment. Lets hope you learn how to reason some day. I'm saying this so you can read the truth about how you reason.

[JustinTheAtheist]

@LarryBeil Again, I think the name-calling is a bit childish and unnecessary. Please stop. Thank you in advance.

I am not closed off to other world views. I recently have changed my world view, based on the response of another YouTuber. I've changed my world view several times, since becoming an atheist. I'm sorry if I come across as arrogant, but I'm just giving my opinions to those who are interested enough in watching my video. My videos express my developing world views.

[LarryBeil]

lol this dingbat claims that actions are evil, but the individual that completed the action is not... So let me get this straight, you knowingly have many options in a situation for example. Someone comes up to you and ask for your autograph. Instead of giving it to them, you choose the action of punching them in the face. So you decide to punch. So your decision is not evil? You choose the violent option and that isn't wrong? You sir, have the weakest logic out of any athiest I've seen.

[JustinTheAtheist]

@LarryBeil Please keep this civil. The name-calling and hate is unnecessary.

I don't believe in evil people, no. Technically, since the label "evil" is based on the observer, someone may believe someone else to be an "evil person," but that's not the view I take. Actions, in my view, are evil/negative in essence (relating subjectively in some way to the observer), and the decision/choice for an "evil action" is Part of the "evil action," since we are merely biological machines.

[jonathanfater]

@JustinTheAtheist I'm guessing you haven't read the Bible on this matter. When one goes to heaven one would get a new imperishable, indestructible body that would be able to withstand the presence of God.

God saving us from his wrath? that something else.

[JustinTheAtheist]

@jonathanfater So he couldn't even Save us from himself, yet christians believe he Saved us from himself/his father's wrath. Interesting. You limit the power of your god when it's convenient for you.

[jonathanfater]

@JustinTheAtheist If God were to come in this universe and to our dimension as he is in all his glory and power, well ಠ_ಠ We'll ALL be dead and extinct. So God coming here, um not such a God idea.

[JustinTheAtheist]

@VickEqualsCheat You control your pancreas? Your liver? Your heart? Your subconscious? All the parts of your body that you don't control influence the choices you make and the way you think, feel, and act.