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How do Abrahamic faiths tackle the problem of evil?

MD

MD

qualiaphile
Is a God that is omnipotent, omniscient and all good compatible with a universe that has evil?

Seems like it introduces paradoxes that are impossible to explain. Are there any good responses to this issue, from Abrahamic faiths? I'm actually quite curious about this and if there are any good books or thinkers who have tackled this issue I'd love to know.

This flow chart does a good job of explaining the problem.

problemofevil.jpg
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/continuing-the-discussion-on-the-problem-of-evil.180195/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/problem-of-suffering-free-will-and-heaven.164582/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/jesus-and-the-problem-of-evil.148817/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/how-do-you-reconcile-the-problem-of-evil.152585/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-and-evil.144170/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/book-of-job-and-problem-of-evil.133993/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-decides-to-create-and.187715/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/a-new-argument-from-evil.144213/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/why-do-bad-things-happen-when-god-exists.187055/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/free-will-and-the-problem-of-evil.122281/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/bibles-answer-to-the-problem-of-suffering.138897
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-problem-of-evil-revisited.119363/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...existence-of-evil-death-and-suffering.187349/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...ree-will-defeat-the-epicurean-paradox.188391/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...ldren-are-raped-tortured-and-murdered.189868/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-vs-evil.188315/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/if-god-is-love.188998/#post-4816509
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/epicurus-riddle.182161/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-problem-of-suffering.119132/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/theists-response-to-epicurus-famous-argument.92981/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-riddle-of-epicurus.7655/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/did-epicurus-disprove-god.119041/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/epicurus.101925/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/how-an-omnipotent-and-all-loving-god-cannot-exist.179674/

...I'm just saying.
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
Tumah said:
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/continuing-the-discussion-on-the-problem-of-evil.180195/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/problem-of-suffering-free-will-and-heaven.164582/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/jesus-and-the-problem-of-evil.148817/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/how-do-you-reconcile-the-problem-of-evil.152585/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-and-evil.144170/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/book-of-job-and-problem-of-evil.133993/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-decides-to-create-and.187715/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/a-new-argument-from-evil.144213/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/why-do-bad-things-happen-when-god-exists.187055/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/free-will-and-the-problem-of-evil.122281/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/bibles-answer-to-the-problem-of-suffering.138897
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-problem-of-evil-revisited.119363/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...existence-of-evil-death-and-suffering.187349/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...ree-will-defeat-the-epicurean-paradox.188391/
http://www.religiousforums.com/thre...ldren-are-raped-tortured-and-murdered.189868/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/god-vs-evil.188315/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/if-god-is-love.188998/#post-4816509
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/epicurus-riddle.182161/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-problem-of-suffering.119132/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/theists-response-to-epicurus-famous-argument.92981/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/the-riddle-of-epicurus.7655/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/did-epicurus-disprove-god.119041/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/epicurus.101925/
http://www.religiousforums.com/threads/how-an-omnipotent-and-all-loving-god-cannot-exist.179674/

...I'm just saying.
Click to expand...

I am too lazy to read all of those. If I remember our conversation correctly, you mentioned that God cannot be fully good if evil was to exist. I suppose this question is directed more at those who believe that God can be benevolent, omnipotent and omniscient at the same time.
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
MD said:
I am too lazy to read all of those. If I remember our conversation correctly, you mentioned that God cannot be fully good if evil was to exist. I suppose this question is directed more at those who believe that God can be benevolent, omnipotent and omniscient at the same time.
Click to expand...
I don't think I said it quite like that. But I guess it doesn't matter.
Anyways, I was just showing that this topic has been hashed, re-hashed, over-hashed and ashed.
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
Tumah said:
I don't think I said it quite like that. But I guess it doesn't matter.
Anyways, I was just showing that this topic has been hashed, re-hashed, over-hashed and ashed.
Click to expand...

Damn... that's quite a list. Probably about as many threads that have beaten the dead horse of defining atheism, and that is saying something. But hey, two things I like about this particular take on it: (1) an OP actually acknowledging that this issue really only pertains to classical monotheism (aka, Abrahamic religions), (2) the flow chart, though it has issues, is kind of neat. Needs a citation, though.

 
jeager106

jeager106

Learning more about Jehovah.
Premium Member
How do Abrahamic faiths tackle the problem of evil?

By killing everyone that disagrees of course.
Just google up a bit of Christian history.
Actually the O.P. posted a very sophomoric question.
 
muhammad_isa

muhammad_isa

Veteran Member
"Could God have created a universe with free-will but without evil? No, therefore God is not All-powerful.."

Could Almighty God create a triangle with 2-sides? No .. Does that mean that He is not All-powerful?
No .. it means that when we talk 'gibberish', our conclusions are meaningless :)
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
Tumah said:
I don't think I said it quite like that. But I guess it doesn't matter.
Anyways, I was just showing that this topic has been hashed, re-hashed, over-hashed and ashed.
Click to expand...

It does matter because the Abrahamic faiths have shaped the world for the last 2000 years or so and continue to do so. It is important to defend this God which is filled with paradoxes.

I'm also asking for any books or thinkers that have tackled this problem as I would be interested in reading their responses.
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
jeager106 said:
How do Abrahamic faiths tackle the problem of evil?

By killing everyone that disagrees of course.
Just google up a bit of Christian history.
Actually the O.P. posted a very sophomoric question.
Click to expand...

Why is it sophmoric?
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
Quintessence said:
Damn... that's quite a list. Probably about as many threads that have beaten the dead horse of defining atheism, and that is saying something. But hey, two things I like about this particular take on it: (1) an OP actually acknowledging that this issue really only pertains to classical monotheism (aka, Abrahamic religions), (2) the flow chart, though it has issues, is kind of neat. Needs a citation, though.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I got this from google images, but it pretty much summarizes all the arguments Abrahamics make vs the responses.
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
MD said:
It does matter because the Abrahamic faiths have shaped the world for the last 2000 years or so and continue to do so. It is important to defend this God which is filled with paradoxes.

I'm also asking for any books or thinkers that have tackled this problem.
Click to expand...
Abrahamic religions are not a monolithic entity. It probably everything except that.
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
Tumah said:
Abrahamic religions are not a monolithic entity. It probably everything except that.
Click to expand...

But your core concept of a God is the same, correct? That He must be omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent all in one?
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
muhammad_isa said:
"Could God have created a universe with free-will but without evil? No, therefore God is not All-powerful.."

Could Almighty God create a triangle with 2-sides? No .. Does that mean that He is not All-powerful?
No .. it means that when we talk 'gibberish', our conclusions are meaningless :)
Click to expand...

You've totally missed the point of the argument
 
Tumah

Tumah

Veteran Member
MD said:
But your core concept of a God is the same, correct? That He must be omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent all in one?
Click to expand...
Although the terminology is similar, I think the meaning and intent behind it is different for each religion.
 
Quintessence

Quintessence

Consults with Trees
Staff member
Premium Member
MD said:
Thanks. I got this from google images, but it pretty much summarizes all the arguments Abrahamics make vs the responses.
Click to expand...

Shouldn't be too hard to track the image back to the webpage that hosted it and find who designed it (presuming they didn't rip it off from someone else... XD). I'm half-tempted to do a diagram like that for the (nonexistent) problem of evil for polytheists. It'd mostly be for the laughs.
 
MD

MD

qualiaphile
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