Richard Swinburne's Views On The Problem Of Evil

The Problem of Evil We are all philosophers in some way, and one of the biggest mysteries we seek to unravel is the problem of evil. Evil is all around us disguised in many different forms, and we, as humans, allow it, but why does God allow it? Does God create it? Are God and evil even compatible? Philosophers have many different viewpoints and examples trying to prove that God is real, but there seems to be one problem standing in the way- the problem of evil. This dilemma questions not only God’s existence, but the beliefs others have in God. Why evil exists has been an ongoing mystery, and we are just trying to get to the bottom of it. The first step to understanding the problem of evil is to distinguish an accurate meaning of it. Merriam-Webster Dictionary defines evil as, “Morally reprehensible rising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct.” Philosopher, Richard Swinburne, defines evil in two parts; natural evil and moral evil. He explains that natural evil, like disease, sickness and natural disasters, occurs to give us knowledge of what is good and what is bad. Moral evil, the bad choices we choose to make, occurs to enable us to have free-will and responsible choice (Swinburne 255-61). Swinburne,

To them, God would not allow the pain and suffering that results from evil. For example, nobody asks for or chooses to have a fatal disease like cancer, so why does God make this evil possible? Some may argue that due to the person’s past actions and choices they deserves it, but what if the person was born with a fatal disease? What could an innocent baby do to deserve such an awful illness? It’s hard to comprehend how God, who is talked so highly of, could create or permit such an evil, therefore, God simply cannot exist. So many aspects contradict Swinburne’s idea of evil and God coexisting. Either of these arguments are valid, and that’s the problem of