The Problem of Evil - Essay Example

The Problem of Evil Collins Cobuild English Dictionary defines evil as “a powerful force that some people believe to exist, and which causes wicked and bad things to happen. It is also used to refer all the wicked and bad things that happen in the world.” Humans are born with several basic instincts. The tendency to indulge in evil things is one among them. Thus it can be stated that evil is a quality quite natural to any human being. Philosophers have given different interpretations for the concept of evil. Essentially humans attribute a character of perfection to God and expect that evil cannot exist where an omnipotent and benevolent is present. Some people also promulgate the theory that sufferings shouldn’t occur in God’s world. But they discount the fact that God has given the power of free will to human beings thereby making them responsible for their evils and sufferings. Isn’t it inevitable that the benevolent God has to assume certain amount of evilness to annihilate evil? Evil, in a general context, is believed to bring suffering and calamity; and it comprises both moral evil and natural evil. “Moral evil is evil that is willfully inflicted upon the world by free moral agents.” (The Argument from Moral Evil). Human beings tend to err because of the urge to do so is inborn in them. Moral evil cannot take place without the action or omission by a human agent. Murder is a moral evil because it is committed by a human agent. Moral evil happens when humans exercise their free will without considering the values they have learned. All humans have the tendency to disembark on the path of evil; what prevents a particular individual from doing so, is his wisdom that he gains from his virtues and the knowledge he derives from moral values. While moral evil is caused by human agent, and he can avoid it by application of intelligence, man has no control over natural evil. The term natural evil can be defined as “evil that results from the operation of natural processes, in which case no human being can be held morally accountable for the resultant evil” (www.iep.utm.edu/e/evil-evi.htm). So natural evils arise from natural events such as earthquake, tsunami, flood, cyclone etc. While moral evil may affect only a very few people, natural evils can be highly disastrous and the suffering that entails from a natural evil can be on a very large scale. Theodicy deals with the problem of evil, and attempts to explain that it is possible to assert the supremacy of god and certainty of evil. A cynical view discards the supremacy or benevolence of God because of the presence of evil in the world. If we surrender the supremacy of God, it may appear that God cannot stop or conquer evil. If we sacrifice the goodness of God, it may imply that god will not prevent or conquer evil. Generally, theodicy endeavors to show that this predicament is only apparent and it is possible to assert God’s omnipotence, despite the reality of evil in the world. Free will is the human’s ability to exercise his discretion in deciding whether he should do a particular thing or not. Free will has been a topic of serious debate from time immemorial in the philosophical world. It can be defined as “the power of making free choices unconstrained by external agencies” (wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn) Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyons, holds that “free will lies in the fact that God has created man as a free human being having his own soul to obey the command of God, according to his own free wish and will. The goodness that comes to man is through faithfulness and obedience to God.” This theory becomes valid when one considers the fact that wise men always show the exercise of their free will and intelligence in their actions whereas the evil men don’t ever apply the philosophy of their knowledge in their actions. “God made man a free (agent) from the beginning, possessing his own soul to obey the behests of God voluntarily and not by compulsions of God.” (http://www.jarom.net/irenaeus.php). Thus it becomes apparent that God has intended man to be a free being without being bound down by God’s decisions. God indeed wants human to have the power of choice in doing things. According to theologian John Hick, God has given us considerable spiritual freedom and we can choose our own ways to be religious and to do good to ourselves and to others. Thus, though evil does exist in the world, it is much less than good; that is why the majority of humans are able to live in peace and harmony despite racial, cultural, geographical, religious and linguistic diversities that separate them. The theory of free will has ethical, religious and scientific connotations. In the religious context it means that all powerful Almighty does not assert his authority over individual’s choices and decisions. In ethical sense, it means that individuals are responsible for their actions. In the scientific sphere, it implies that actions of the body as well as the brain and mind are not decided by the relationship between cause and effect. Free will thus becomes a most valuable possession for the humans because it gives them the power to exercise freedom and therefore it seems to be the best answer to evil. People value free will because they want to decide their own way. When humans are endowed with free will, there is a possibility for evil. If god abolishes evil, it would be at the expense of free moral choices. When a man chooses to sin, it is not the free will which sins but the man himself because he decided not to use his wisdom before acting. Free will is not a separate agent, it is an ability. The ability which man exercises to sin. Free will does not encourage man to sin, but in a sense it is a means to evil if man doesn’t use his discretionary powers. Thus it is not free will which causes the evil but the man’s inability to exercise the free will in a positive manner. Another issue relates to evil is suffering. Suffering is a depressing basic emotion or feeling that includes spitefulness, dislike and injury; it can be either physical or mental. People often ponder over why God who is omnipotent and benevolent allows suffering and pain in human life. Humans usually ignore the beautiful things God has given them and focus on trivial things that are not of any real significance. Thus they develop a tendency of complaining about sufferings. This is why people generally complain about God giving them suffering. In fact, they lack the ability to understand that humans can appreciate the value of good only if they endure sufferings. Happiness can be really felt only when a person knows pain. Thus suffering is not a bad thing; and because it entails from the exercise of free will it is not God’s fault. According to Augustine, evil doesn’t have an entity on its own; and God hasn’t intended it to have one. It is just a state which is created by the lack of goodness in human entity. All humans are created with free will; the right of choice is bestowed in each human. Therefore each individual, and not his creator, is responsible for his actions or omissions. Evil and suffering have come to the world with the sin of Adam and Eve. They being humans had the right of choice and are responsible for their actions. Neither God, nor free will can be blamed for what Adam and Eve has chosen to do. Then it transpires that the evil they had within them gained an upper hand over the good in them due to which they couldn’t exercise the power of free will positively. Augustine says this because of the idea of a perfect God. This is really where the problem lies. The evil in humans may be of two kinds, innate and acquired. Innate evil is when the evil is inborn within a person and growing in volume and intensity over the years. Acquired evil occurs when a good man turns into evil due to circumstances, situations and the evil influences of people and forces. Once a person turns evil it would be difficult but not impossible to reform him. The man himself need not be condemned or punished; only the evil traits in him should be removed. He should be convinced that the evil path chosen by him has to be eschewed for his own sake and for the sake of his loved ones, and he has to be firmly reformed into a good person. Only when the person realizes that the reformation is for the permanent good of his own self, would he consider giving up his evil ways and becoming good. The process would depend upon the severity and degree of evil he has already acquired and how he proposes to cleanse himself of it and become good. Thus it becomes apparent that evil is malicious thoughts, words and actions deliberately used to harm particular persons or the world in general. Criminals and terrorists are evil-minded people since they are capable of creating hatred and destruction in the world, including their own selves. They see their evil thoughts and deeds as self-satisfying and gloat on them. For them doing evil is their right, and their way of life. “Christians believe in one God, who created the universe and all that is in it” (http://geneva.rutgers.edu/src/christianity/major.html).God is a person but a different kind than human beings. He is entirely spiritual. He lives in an area outside our universe. God created all human beings in his own image. But there are lots differences, human beings are not spiritual, but God is. But all human beings can have relationship with God. This is implied in the concept of God as Father. The idea of God as individual eventually leads to trinity. “The Trinity deals with the relationship among the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit”. (http://geneva.rutgers.edu/src/christianity/trinity.html). These thoughts project the image of too perfect a God. Therefore, people believe that evil cannot in a perfect world. According to Bible and other important Christian writings, the Father, Son and Holy Spirit gave the impression that they have definite characteristics among them. However, they are the separate roles of a single God – Jesus. Son is generally seen as God’s way of being present as a man. In Christian belief, Holy Spirit is considered as a bond that connects human beings with God. This projection of a perfect God leaves no scope for the existence of evil. The concept of ‘Perfect God’ doesn’t seem to be ideal. If at all there is a God, will that God want to be perfect? It seems unlikely. People who argue that God wants humans to be natural, and that is why he created evil cannot expect the God wanting to be perfect. If He is perfect how he can be real? Religions like Hinduism don’t seem to welcome the theory of ‘Perfect God.’ The Gods in Hindu culture have flaws though they are superior celestial beings. This rather enhances their credibility than reduce it. When humans believe that God will punish them for their sins, God takes a different form. To punish others, one should have some element of evil in him. But punishment is an absolute necessity for sin. Hence it transpires that God need not be perfect. When He becomes perfect, He becomes unreal. Thus even for the God to punish others the element of evil becomes essential. But then, the difference is that God uses the element of evil in Him to eliminate the evil in humans that He has sown in men by giving them the power of free will. So unique are God’s ways. Work cited The Argument from Moral Evil. 6 Feb. 2007 . Marston, Brian. The Problem of Natural Evil. 6 Feb. 2007 . Web definitions of moral evil. 6 Feb. 2007 . Natural evil. 7 Feb. 2007 . Web definitions of free will. 7 Feb. 2007 . More, Jacqyes. The Early Church Fathers and Free Will: Irenaeus of Gaul C 130-200. 6 Feb. 2007 . Peters, Richard. John Hick Man of Many Mysticism. 6 Feb. 2007 . Christian Beliefs? 6 Feb. 2007 . More about Christian Beliefs: The Trinity. 7 Feb. 2007 . Read More