will not; or being willing to do so, cannot; or he
neither can nor will; or he is both able and willing.
If he is willing to remove evil and cannot, then he is
not omnipotent. If he can, but will not remove it,
then he is not benevolent; if he is neither able nor
willing, then he is neither powerful nor benevo-
lent; lastly, if both able and willing to annihilate
evil, how does it exist?
years, but its essence remains the heart of what has
become known as the Problem of Evil (POE). The
18th century atheist philosopher David Hume felt
that the question presented an indefensible
contradiction for Christians, and stated categorically,
"Here I triumph!" Catholic theologian, Hans Kung,
has called the POE the, "rock of atheism." Christian
philosophers and theologians have responded with
rational arguments, which have adequately dealt
with the problem.
better understanding of the POE in its various
forms, to equip us to deal with evil on a personal
level and encourage others who have been touched
by suffering.
killed in a helicopter accident in Vietnam, while
saving the pilot.
home from his second tour, but offered to cover
for a sick friend. That was typical of David! I had
returned a month earlier from Vietnam and was
visiting with my parents in Fresno when the
officer came to the door. We were all stunned with
disbelief! My father, not a believer at the time, was
devastated. The question we all asked was, "Why
did God allow this to happen?" David was
planning to retire after returning from Vietnam,
attend seminary and go into full-time ministry.
Could this be the work of a loving God?
must be that of evil. News agencies feature daily
reports of wars, murders, rapes, molestations,
abuse, abductions, robberies and various other
forms of corruption, not to mention the loss of life
and property by natural disasters like earthquakes
and volcanoes. We live in a dangerous worldthe
reality of evil cannot be denied.
have little difficulty dealing with its reality.
However, when evil touches us in a deep personal
way, our philosophical and theological
assumptions, as well as our personal faith in God,
can be sorely tested. When C.S. Lewis was a boy, he
prayed for his dying mother. When she died he
decided Christianity was less than useless and
became an atheist. His experience is unfortunately
quite common and often forms the foundation of
one's personal atheism, which was true of
Bertrand Russell, Charles Templeton and famous
Oxford philosopher, Anthony Flew.
found in the reality of evil an opportunity to
challenge the belief in a loving, all-knowing and
all-powerful God. Epicurus (c. 341-270 BC), is
famous for his question: