Thought of the Day 07.30.08

The “problem of evil” says that a powerful and benevolent God would not allow so much pain in the world, therefore He must not exist. Virtually all presentations of this argument begin with a litany of atrocities establishing that the world isn’t the way it should be if there is a God. Theists don’t dispute the examples, but we do think that the ease of naming them refutes the conclusion drawn from them.

These are not abstract or theoretical cases. Even the skeptic names them with deep, visceral revulsion at their evil. Yet such a response to this world is powerful evidence that we cannot be merely products of this world. A child raised in a racist home considers bigotry normal because environments mold their inhabitants to fit. But none of us fits this world. We all view it as deformed almost beyond recognition, especially the skeptic.

Such universal disgust at what is so common can only be explained with reference to a God who designed us for better. Though the problem of evil is difficult to reconcile with God, the problem of the awareness of evil is impossible to reconcile without Him.
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1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Howdy, I was lead to this blog by a post on the IIDB forums which mentions it. Here is the link if you're interested: http://iidb.infidels.org/vbb/showthread.php?t=249605

Anyway, I felt a need to comment. It is true that there are certain things which stir in most all of us as "evil" things like rape, murder, cannibalism, etc. You claim that the fact that we recognize such things as evil "can only be explained" with a God. Really? That's the only way to explain a widely held moral values?

It seems to me that you simply haven't looked into the problem with any depth, since you seem to have stopped right where your beliefs already lay. Have you looked into what skeptics, atheists, and others have to say about morality and its origins? Remember, it is always a good idea to look at all sides of a problem.

I am a non-believer, thus I do not believe morality comes from a God. I do believe morality exists, since as you mentioned, it is quite evidence that people consider certain basic things wrong, and certain things right. What I suggest to you is that humans are social beings, and our morality stems from needing to survive in a social group.

Notice that those things that the majority of humanity consider evil, (or at least very bad) are things which harm society in general, and relationships between persons to be specific. Notice also that those things which the majority of humanity consider good are things which help society in general, and aid in forming relationships between persons.

I, like you, don't ascribe these relationships to chance. To me these things are true because they work, and they have developed over time as humanity developed. Succesful societies are ones that don't fall apart, and are able to spread their values to their descendants and others. Societies which do fall apart don't get to spread as well.

Of course, like all things, the development of morality in humanity is imperfect, and there are always exceptions, contradictions, and variables. This is, in fact, what we see in existent societies, and it seems to me would be *less* true if morality was absolutely handed down by the Almighty to everyone.

So as to the last line of your post, I would say that morality is most definitely possible to reconcile without a God, but the problem of reconciling evil with God is still there.

Your mileage may vary...

August 4, 2008 at 6:39 PM

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