The problem of evil Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The problem of evil - Essay Example A number of intellectual opinions have explained impossibility of existence of both God and His powers, and evil and its associated powers and suffering. Two sets of elements, three about God’s power and one about evil illustrates mutual exclusivity between the power of God over evil and the persistent existence of evil to develop the controversy. God is, for example, believed to be super powerful, present at all places and at all times and knows everything that happens on earth and in heaven. This means that evil occurs in God’s presence, against his powers, and with His knowledge. Consequently, existence of evil casts doubts on the three properties of God (Beebe 1). Similarly, if God has knowledge about existence of evil and the suffering that evil causes, He knows how to control evil power and has the capacity to control, and then existence evil would mean that God is not as good as He is expected to be. Also, if God wanted to control evil but does not, then it would mean that His power is not as sovereign as it is thought to be. Alternatively, if God has the power to control evil and wishes to, but has not, then it would mean that He is not aware of the existence of evil. These therefore mean that the presence of evil implies absence of at least one of the properties of God (Beebe 1). McCallum also explores the problem of evil through existence of evil in the presence of God’s power. The author explains that if God loves and has supreme power, according to a believer’s faith, then He should be able to terminate evil and its consequences. Existence of evil therefore puts a believer in a dilemma over the properties of God. From a biblical perspective, the author argues that if God is the creator of all that exist then He created evil because evil also exist. Similarly, belief that God is good and powerful would result in Him destroying evil. As a result, continued existence of evil discredits God’s properties as held among b elievers (McCallum 1). While approaches to explain the problem of evil are intellectual and seems to initiate doubt among believers regarding existence of God and His characteristics, a biblical approach to the problem offers a solution that provides for existence of God, His defined characteristics and existence of evil. This refutes the mutual exclusivity property of God and evil that intellectual approach explains. Suffering that is viewed as a manifestation of evil has its roots in the Bible because of sin and is bound to last forever. While it is normal that men appreciate a good deed’s result into benefits and happiness, people should also accept the fact that pain and suffering are consequences of man’s fall and should be expected to last. A controversy should not therefore arise over God’s ability and existence of evil and pain because these are consequences of man’s action during the initial fall (Keyes 5-6). A solution to the problem of evil is also derived from the fact that evil is not a creature but a bad choice or consequence of a bad choice. Evil does not also emanate from God but from man and his actions. The problem of evil can therefore be resolved by a practical step of transformation from doing badly, to