The Problem with Evil
“The problem with evil” brings an important question that “if God is all powerful, all knowing all good, how can that same God allow evil to exist and for bad things to happen to good people?” I believe that one first has to acknowledge the existence of God to first ask this question. Religion is a sacred belief in “an organized system of beliefs, ceremonies, and rules used to worship a god or a group of gods” according to Webster’s dictionary. So when asking this question of evil and God two things come to mind. First, is it possible that when a horrible event such as the Holocaust took place God would have intervened to prevent innocent deaths? Or is a way to show that there is an absentee of God during difficult
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Karma being tied to the Buddhist and Hindu idea of a cycle of existence stating that “people get what they deserve at least, over the long cycle of time”. (Cunningham 2013, pg. 106) The consolation of promise says that “evil is powerful now but it will not always be the case. At some future time, evil will be overcome, justice will be satisfied, and the point of suffering will be made clear.” (Cunningham 2013, pg. 108) I found both ideas to be comforting but not offering much of an explanation to the question “why does bad things happen to good people?” It is as if to not worry your mind with asking questions but to be comforted that there will be good later much like when it rains everything is wet and in a depressing state but when it is over there will be a rainbow and the sun will come out brightening the day. After a devastating event there is often times that reason and an explanation cannot be given. Alvin Plantinga said it best stating “neither a Free Will Defense nor a Free Will Theodicy is designed to be of much help to one suffering from… a storm in the soul… Neither is to be thought of first of all as a means of pastoral counseling. Probably neither will enable someone to find peace with himself and with God in the face of the evil the world