Why might God allow suffering?

On the post stick note in front of you, you need to write one reason that you think God might allow suffering in the world. If you can not think of one then try to imagine what some one with faith might say.

Theodicies

• What you have been discussing are know as theodicies

• Theodicy – a defence which justifies God in allowing evil and suffering to exist in the world

• Religious believers who hold a belief in the God of classic theism have developed over the centuries a number of responses to the problem of evil.

The Free Will Defence

There are two theodicies that you need to be aware of for your exam – Augustinian Theodicy and the Irenaean Theodicy

However before you study these you need to be aware of the defence that underpins them both – the Free Will Defence

Free Will – the belief that human beings, as moral agents, have the ability to freely choose their actions

The Free Will DefenceThis defence is related to the Judeo – Christian concept that God created human beings with the gift of free will – they have the ability to choose to do good or to do evil. This is evidenced throughout the Bible;• "...Choose today whom you will serve" ...Joshua 24:15

• "...So choose life in order that you may live."... Deuteronomy 30:19

• "...Choose good"... Isaiah 7:15

This ability to choose makes humans moral creatures and as such moral evil is a reflection of humans not God. This is reflected in the idea of Original Sin.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drICCe7PN48

Draw a picture to demonstrate what you think the world would be likeif God created humans to always choose to do good rather than evil and thus have a world with no suffering?

Swinburne’s view

If God was to create a world which contained no suffering then the actions of human beings would be very limited in its consequence

Calls this a ‘toy world’ – it contains no real emotion – suffering or pleasure. Questions how would human beings ever develop qualities such as compassion and courage if there was never any opportunity to face real adversity and suffering?

Swinburne’s view on death …..

Death no matter how painful/tragic is necessary. It shows a compassionate creator who limits the suffering of his creation by allowing them to die

It also places a limitation on peoples opportunities to do the right thing, exercising their free will in a way that benefits others.

The teachings of the major world religions strongly echo the idea that the ability to make the right moral choices is essential if the afterlife is to be one of reward

Does the free will defence provide enough justification for God allowing evil to exist?

Four paragraphs to outline your view;PointExampleExplain