THEODICY: “The Problem of Evil” …….. Christian : Pastor Nathan Lewis Atheist : Bernie Dehler 4-22-12
What is the problem? (1 of 2) Q: If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? A: What evil are you referring to? • 1 in 33 babies has a birth defect (9 million out of 313 million population) • 30K kids worldwide die daily from preventable diseases • Earthquake killed 830,000 in China in 1556 • 1-4 million killed in China flood in 1931 • 100 million died from Black Death pandemic (1300’s - 1720’s) • 300 million from Smallpox (1900-1980)
What is the problem? (2 of 2) Q: If God is all-loving and all-powerful, why is there so much evil in the world? A: What evil are you referring to? • 500,000 from Cyclone (Bangladesh area in 1970) • 300,000 Indian Ocean Tsunami in 2004 • 15-43 million Chinese famine (1958-61) • 99% of all species that ever lived are now extinct • Galactic collisions, such as the Milky Way and Andromeda galaxy in about 3 billion years (300 billion stars meet 1 trillion) • Personally, eventual DEATH for all
SPECIAL NOTE Theodicy (the problem of evil) is a problem only for Christianity, but not for atheism. If there is no god(s), then nature is expected to be indifferent to biological life on Earth, just as it is observed! - Credit to Richard Dawkins for pointing this out.
Traditionally , it has been answered that God first made paradise. But because of Adam and Eve’s (the first humans) sin in the garden, God cursed all of nature (including death). But God will one day redeem everything with a new heaven and new earth, restoring paradise. All is being redeemed through Jesus. Jesus is redeeming relationships back to God now, and in the future will return to redeem the Earth. Problem : This was easy to believe with an ancient Hebrew understanding of cosmological and human origins, but is falsified with modern science. We now know: 1. There’s no such thing as a first human (no Adam and Eve from which we all descended). 2. Death is a part of the life cycle. It was in use long before humans arrived
For those who reject biological evolution, Adam and Eve is the basis of the solution for their answer. But there are no first humans so their entire basis is falsified and therefore inadequate to answer the question. Any Christian theodicy that uses Adam and Eve, as a premise in their logic, is wrong. (The Roman Catholic Church also believes that all humans descended from Adam and Eve and inherited original sin from this primal pair.)
SPECIAL NOTE Mitochodrial Eve is estimated to have lived around 190,000-200,000 years ago. Y-Chromosomal Adam is estimated to about 60,000-142,000 years ago. These are maternal and paternal most recent common ancestors (MRCA). -> But Mitochodrial Eve’s mom was similar to her. And this Eve could have had a sister(s). This is NOT the first human woman. There is no first.
SPECIAL NOTE What is evolution? Biological evolution, simply put, is descent with modification. This definition encompasses small- scale evolution (changes in gene frequency in a population from one generation to the next) and large-scale evolution (the descent of different species from a common ancestor over many generations). Evolution helps us to understand the history of life. ~University of California, Berkeley website (“Evolution 101”)
Ring species… no ‘first’ of any kind of animal.
The first human is a mythological answer to the human origin’s question, now falsified by science. It is a failed hypothesis. Dawkins discusses this at length in his recent book.
RED IN TOOTH AND CLAW Poetically: The claws and teeth of the cheetah have sculpted the grace and speed of the antelope Evolution is an arms race: • Predators gaining speed, sharper teeth, and sharper claws to kill, camouflage • Prey gaining speed, thicker hide, horns for defense, camouflage
For a solution using modern knowledge (science), one must turn to “Evolutionary Creationism” They claim: God chose evolution as a design process to create everything.
Theodicy answers in light of evolution, via “Evolutionary Creationism” The creation of Israel came by God’s decree that many humans would suffer and die. Suffering and death are part of God’s creative method. Apply the same theodicy from this (and torture in hell) to evolution. • “Undoubtedly, coming to terms with the extermination of innocent children in the creation of a holy people to serve the Lord will prove to be much more difficult than accounting for the extinction of a species of fish millions of years ago.” EC, Pg. 303 • Considering the extinction of fish is a great understatement. More apropos would be the fact of 99% of all species (in including non-human hominids) that ever lived are now extinct.
Theodicy answers in light of evolution, via “ Evolutionary Creationism” Lamoureux’s conclusion: “To conclude, coming to terms with suffering and death is never an easy or comfortable process . It is usually a heart-wrenching, humbling experience that leaves many of us intellectually and emotionally drained and unsatisfied . Yet in the fulfilling light of Jesus, pain and mortality ultimately have an eternal purpose rooted in the will of our sovereign and holy God. This is also the case with biological evolution. As difficult it may be at first for Christians to appreciate, suffering and death are part of the Creator’s glorifying activity in making a world that is perfectly suited for us to develop a genuine loving relationship with Him. Indeed the evolved creation is very good.” • Why be intellectually and emotionally drained and unsatisfied if it is the truth? Those bad feelings are an indication that things don’t make sense. • How egocentric to think we, who are alive, are being perfected; while those who die as children or infants, are mentally disabled, etc. are ignored? Just one example, how can a person suffering from daily migraines develop a loving relationship with a God… who is supposed to be all-loving and all- powerful, yet doesn’t do anything?
SUMMARY • Accept life (and death) as it is (denial -> anger -> negotiation -> depression -> acceptance) • Jesus is not returning, not tomorrow nor next year. Failed prophecy, going on 2,000 years. If we care for this planet, life may proceed for many more millions of years. • Be a truth-seeker. Place devotion to truth higher than devotion to God. God claimed to be true, and he should be proud if you use your brain to the fullest extent.
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