The Problem of Evil

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The problem is evil exists because God is presumed to be omnipotent, omnibenevolent, and omniscient (or all-powerful, all-good, and all-knowing), and yet evil things occur. If God wasn't omnipotent, then we could say that He recognizes evil and wants to prevent it, but preventing evil is outside of His realm of power. If God wasn't omnibenevolent, then we could assume that God can perceive the evil and that He could stop the evil, but He just doesn't want to do so, or that He is a capricious God. If God wasn't omniscient, then we could say that He has the power to prevent evil and He has the desire to prevent evil, but that He can't recognize evil as it occurs. According to Judeo-Christian beliefs, however, God is all of these things and therefore, according to logic, evil should not exist. The problem of evil is the existence of this sort of a God and the existence of evil simultaneously. Many would deny the problem of evil. Atheists would say that God does not exist. Deists, like Voltaire, would say the Judeo-Christian definition of God is flawed, that God is not an anthropomorphic entity. The Deist would define God as a force which set all of creation into effect, the Divine Watchmaker, but is not involved directly in man's affairs. Others, like Augustine, would say that true evil does not exist, only a lack of or corruption of good. The problem of evil has generated many solutions or reconciliations. Leibnitz has stated that this is the "best of all possible worlds," that evil was created to challenge humans, bring out our higher qualities, and provide us with free will. Some would say that evil exists in its own right, as Satan. Others would claim that evil exists for the greater good, that humans are limited in thought and sight, and cannot see God's plan. Some Christians would say we deserve evil due to original sin. Others would indicate that we receive justice in the afterlife. Augustine provided several reconciliations, such as evil exists to help us appreciate good and to provide a cause for good. He believed it was better to consciously choose good than to be forced to do good, and that without free will, good would have no meaning. The most widely known description of the problem of evil is within the book of Job. In a nutshell, Job is singled out for his virtue and piety. God and Satan make a bet: Would Job curse God if his physical possessions were destroyed? First eliminated are Job's livestock and most of his servants, then all ten of Job's children die at once, then Job's body is covered with lesions and boils. Job remains pious and is rewarded with twice his previous riches, twice the children (!), and presumably has his health restored. There are several messages within the story of Job: that bad things can happen to good people, that it is impossible to know why, and it is wrong to pretend to know the true reasons.