I've been reading a lot of philosophy lately and having theological discussions. That leads to interesting trains of thought. I'd like to share one here.
I'd like to discuss the "problem of evil."
The first problem of evil is not the typical "problem of evil" most often referred to as "Epicurus' Problem of Evil." We'll get to that in a moment. The first problem of "evil" is that without a God there is no such thing as evil. Without a God life is a random accident. If that is the case then there is no moral code. Without a God we have no authority by which to measure anyone's actions. Without a God all actions are permissible as survival of the fittest. If I can beat you up and take your stuff, I'm more fit than you. Who is to call that evil? If evil exists, there must be a God.
Now, I think we can all agree that there is "evil" in the world. As we concluded above, if there is evil, there must be a God. Some say that this is contradictory believing that the existence of evil disproves God. This is where "Epicurus' Problem of Evil" comes in. It states that if there is a God, this God must be all loving and all powerful. If God is all loving then he must not be powerful enough to stop evil. If God is not all powerful, he is not God. If he is all powerful then he must not be loving enough to want to stop evil. If God is not loving then he is not God. Hence the existence of evil disproves God. But how can this be since we've already concluded that without God there can be no such thing as "evil." There must be a third option.
Let's assume for a moment that God is all powerful and all loving and stops all evil. What love is this? This is no love at all. If God acts in this manner then man is his robot, his marionette. This is not a loving God and, therefore, no God at all. What, then, are we left with? That solution can only be this: Evil exists, therefore, there is a God who is powerful enough to stop the evil and loving enough to want to stop it, but even more loving and powerful enough to restrain himself. A God that is truly all loving will let us make our own choices, some of which will lead to evil.
Many people that I know who do not serve God will say that the problem of evil is their primary reason. They believe an all powerful all loving God would put an end to evil. Because he does not, they chose not to serve him. The problem with this logic is this: the very restraint that God exercises that allows evil is the same restraint that allows them to decide they will not serve him. If God stopped all evil, that would include their prideful disdain for him. They would have no choice but to serve him. This sounds like a God they would not want to serve.
In conclusion: the so-called "problem of evil" proves that there is an all loving all powerful God who will allow you to chose not to serve him. Please choose wisely.
