Several theories have been used to either support or dispute the existence of a Supreme Being (Mackie 202). One of the arguments is the problem of evil which seek to disapprove the Judeo-Christian concept of God on the premise that if indeed He exists, and is all-knowing and all-powerful, He should not allow human suffering (Beebe 15). In this paper, a strong argument against the problem of evil theory will be developed using systematic premise development to highlight the theory’s weaknesses and proof the existence of God. The argument will be developed from the following premises:
1. God is wholly good, all-powerful, and all-knowing
2. Evil is a counterpart to goodness; evil must be present to discern what is good
3. Therefore, evil is necessary for good to thrive. Even an all-knowing God would allow it to prevail for the world to achieve the ultimate good
4. An all-knowing and omnipresent God allows the human free will to choose which is a good thing
5. So, God is all-loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful to allow the world the good of choosing the right things
6. Therefore, God exists despite the presence of evil and suffering
The proponents of the theory of the problem of evil argue that if God is all-knowing, all-powerful and wholly good, then He would not allow the suffering that is experienced in the world (Schlesinger 244). They conclude that since the pain and problems exist, then there can never be a caring and loving God since He failed to avert the sufferings. While the propositions of a loving God and the presence of suffering are contradictory, it is critical to appraise the arguments and determine the necessity of evil and whether indeed evil can be, in some instances, a good thing. While evil exists, it is paramount to understand that God gave the human beings free will to choose (Mackie 208). The loving nature of the Supreme Being is manifested in the freedom that is bestowed to human beings to choose what is best for them. The existence of evil is not an ideal proposition to judge the goodness of God since there is no parameter to measure the magnitude of evil. For example, what may lead to suffering may be a source of happiness to another individual. In case one is suffering from a toothache, the world may judge that the pain inflicted by the dentist is evil while in the real case, the pain must be there to relieve the patient from the suffering. What someone may view as evil, the patient is viewing it as good to rid them of the suffering. Therefore, the existence of evil is an absolute method to justify the inexistence of a supreme being.
According to an argument by Mackie (205), evil is a necessary tool that facilitates the existence of good. If evil does not exist, then there would be no rationale to differentiate the good from the evil. For example, the proposition by Hume’s that the presence of diseases and pain shows that God does not exist, and if He does, then He is not all-knowing and wholly good to avert the sufferings is not entirely true. This is due to the fact that the presence of the suffering evokes the presence of good including care, sympathy, benevolence, heroism, and cultivates the will to overcome the problems and offer solutions (Schlesinger 245). This relationship shows that evil is a counterpart of good and it would not be possible for good to exist without evil.
Schlesinger (244) backs this argument by postulating that the state of any given individual is a sum total of their experiences which implies that it is not logically possible to experience happiness and satisfaction without undergoing some episodes of pain and suffering. Therefore, if evil did not exist, there would be no joy which would be a disservice to a human being by the all-knowing and caring God. As such, the act of God allowing evil to exist is kind to mankind and shows His omniscient and omnipresent nature (Beebe 21).
All the situations considered painful can be avoided. While some opponents of the existence of God claims that He should not have allowed suffering, it is paramount to note that He installed in human beings all the necessary resources and abilities to transcend the suffering (Mackie 212). This implies that He is caring since He bestowed you with everything you require to overcome the pain which consequently leads to a good thing; happiness and satisfaction which was the ultimate goal of God. Therefore, it is unfair to judge God on the basis of pain and suffering since most of the individuals deliberately fail to invoke their God-given power to enable them to overcome the challenges and achieve happiness. As such, it is logical to conclude that the sufferings that people experience in the world are not equal to the inexistence of God but rather a means to achieve happiness, joy, fulfillment, and satisfaction (Schlesinger 247).
Conclusion
This paper argued that God exists despite the high prevalence of human suffering. The evil is a necessary good since it allows the good in human beings to thrive and manifest. As such, without the pain and suffering, the world would not achieve happiness which is the ultimate goal for God. The argument shows that there exists an inherent ability, placed in human beings by God, to overcome all the pains and suffering and unleash the underlying happiness. Also, God ensured that people enjoy free will to choose and make crucial decisions that determine their happiness and suffering. As such, it would be unfair to judge God on the basis of negligence and refusal by the human beings to invoke the God-given power to achieve satisfaction and happiness. Evil is, in most cases, required to achieve happiness and therefore, it is in itself a good thing. Therefore, it is logical to conclude that God exists and that he is all-knowing and loving, despite the sufferings of the world. The argument shows that God has a moral reason to allow evil to exist and thus the theory of problem of evil fails to prove His non-existence.
Works Cited
Beebe, James R. Peer-Reviewed Academic Sources of Philosophy. 23 March 2016. https://www.iep.utm.edu/evil-log/. 7 April 2018.
Mackie, J L. "Evil and Omnipotence." JSTOR Oxford University Journals
(1955): 200-212. http://www.jstor.org/stable/2251467.
Schlesinger, G. "The Problem of Evil and the Problem of Suffering." American Philosophical Quarterly (1964): 244-247. Document.
