For whom is the problem of evil a greater problem? (image courtesy of pixabay.com)
For whom, exactly, is the so-called “problem of evil” a greater problem? Obviously, we all have to deal with pain and suffering and grief and death and loss in this world, so, in one sense, the problem of evil is everyone’s problem due to its universal impact. Traditionally, the problem of evil is brought up because it is a problem for those who believe in God, and, more specifically, for Christians. For those who believe in a good, all-powerful, all-knowing Creator God, there appears to be a “problem” with evil in the world alongside the claim that this type of God, the God of traditional theism, exists. We can see, given the typical attributes for God, how the problem of evil becomes a problem. If God is all-good, or kind or all-loving, then doesn’t He desire to stop evil? If so, then why is evil still here? Also, if God is all-powerful, then isn’t He able to stop evil? If so, then why does evil still exist? If God is all-knowing, then didn’t He see that evil would eventually exist in the world that He has created? If so, then why does evil exist? One can see how evil might be a problem for theists, and for Christians specifically.
One of my professors in college said that he lost his faith in God when one of his friends fell of a mountain (I believe she was climbing it??) and died. Additionally, this same professor, who was in seminary to be a preacher at one point in his life, also said that the lack of critical thinking by his fellow seminarians, as well as the lack of interest in their asking and answering difficult questions about the Christian faith, contributed, in his mind, to his loss of faith. I believe that I’d categorize him as either an atheist or agnostic given the worldview that I was extracting from the many classes I took from the man. I am certain that there were probably other instances of pain and suffering, as is common to many of us, that further contributed to his atheism. His experience and stance is not too uncommon.
OUR GUT RESPONSE TO EVIL ACTS V.S. OUR ACADEMIC/SOCIETAL RESPONSE TO EVIL ACTS
However, I want to submit to you that, given the God of the Bible and His attributes, the problem of evil is magnified as a greater, often overlooked, problem for those who don’t believe in God. Atheists, often, bring up the problem of evil as a major reason why they are no longer Christians, and one can certainly understand that, but exactly, how is it, that the problem of evil is an actual problem? How is it that we (atheists or anyone) can see that the problem of evil is a “problem”? Is it a problem for atheists that they can see that the problem of evil is an actual problem in and of itself? Are atheists, given their particular worldview, aware exactly as to how much of a problem it is for them that they recognize that the evil they object to in the world is actually evil? When anyone, but particularly an atheist, sees or reads about or experience a horrifically-evil act, is their gut response the following: “Wow! I can’t believe that happened! My opinion about that particular matter is such that I disagree with the act and consider it wrong for myself to such an extent that I would never do that act, but others are free to do as they please since no one has the right to impose their beliefs upon another.” Or, instead, does their gut response actually happen more like this: “Wow! That’s so WRONG! That is HORRIBLE! That act is hideously ATROCIOUS! What a wicked and EVIL act! That needs to be stopped right now! We, as a society, need to pour as many resources into our communities to insure that such a wicked act never happen again!”
What’s the difference between the first response and the second response? The first response is how many people, in theory, say they view evil acts in the world. As they say, we live in a society where each individual and, even, each individual society decides what is right or wrong to them in accordance with what their needs are. No one has any right to impose their beliefs upon another for that would be totalitarianism and highly oppressive, and this contributes to a narrow and dangerous view of the world.
The second response is more accurate and correct as to our own moral intuition and our own moral instincts when we see or read about some horrendous, evil, act. In the second response we actually See and Feel that the act, in and of itself, is an objectively Evil act and that it’s Clearly Wrong and that it needs to be stopped and justice must be served! It is based upon this second reaction that atheists, for example (and many others!), form their basis for the objection of “The Problem of Evil.” It is only within this second response that the problem of evil is Actually seen as a problem. If the problem of evil does not point to acts that are, objectively and universally, real-life “problems,” then the objection ceases to be “the problem of evil.” The problem of evil, as a real objection, can only be stated as a real problem when we are able to identify acts as objectively evil.
THE PROBLEM OF EVIL IS A GREATER PROBLEM FOR ATHEISTS THAN FOR THEISTS
It is at this point that the problem of evil, as a real problem in the world, becomes a problem for those that are working within an atheistic worldview. Based upon the atheistic worldview, all that exists is matter and space. There’s nothing that’s transcendent beyond all that we can see. There is no God, there is no afterlife, we do not have souls, and, by extension, moral values cannot actually exist as well. One can be moral and hold to some moral values apart from the actual belief in God, but one cannot hold to morals, objectively, as actually existing, apart from grounding those morals in a transcendent God. Evil acts are not a problem unless a transcendent source exists in which to ground those acts as evil, otherwise, we are simply atoms and blobs of matter running into each other. The acts that we do have no moral quality to them if there’s not a God for there is nothing or no one outside of this universe (transcendent) to call these acts as actually “good” or “evil,” otherwise it’s individuals choosing for themselves what is “right” and what is “wrong” for them. Problems must actually be problems in order to take an objection about that problem seriously.
Given this latter point, atheists do not actually believe that. Atheists believe that acts or beliefs involving rape, pedophilia, racism, slavery, oppression, and many others, are actually wrong. They believe that these acts or beliefs constitute real problems in the world. They believe that these are problems that need to be handled, addressed and solved. Only problems that are real and that are evil need to be addressed, handled, and solved. Also, it’s only if these problems are actually real problems that the objection can be brought against God as either nonexistent, or as an evil being, and the only worldview that allows for these acts to be real problems and to be actually evil is the Christian worldview. The problem for the atheist seeing the problem of evil as an actual problem is multi-fold:
- How does the concept that certain acts within the world are objectively and actually good or evil arise within a purely naturalistic (atheistic) framework/worldview?
- It is quite universal that we can “see” that certain acts are evil. How is it, given the atheistic worldview, that he or she can “see clearly” that slavery, racism, oppression, or any other number of acts are actually wrong and that these acts deserve our attention to the extent that it would be morally wrong to not address these issues?
- Alternatively, how is it that, within a purely materialistic (atheistic) worldview that we are able to affirm that protecting children, assisting the elderly, freeing slaves, standing against racism and oppression, and that being a voice for those in the margins that don’t have a voice, are actually good and right things that we should or ought to spend our time on?
MORE UNANSWERED QUESTIONS WITH ATHEISM THAN WITH THEISM
Admittedly, the problem of evil, as an objection against the existence of God, is a strong objection indeed. If I were to lose my faith or if I were to be an atheist, it would be because of evil acts that seem so senseless. However, ironically, as I meditate upon the points within this post, it is because I see the problem of evil as a real problem that it “forces my hand” to believe in God since I could not see evil as a problem unless He actually existed. The problems, therefore, that I might have with belief in God alongside evil in this world, are less than the problems I have with atheism alongside evil in this world. There are some unanswered questions as a Christian that we must wrestle with, but I believe that, at least when it comes to the problem of evil, atheism simply creates more unanswered questions for its own worldview. As best as I can see it, the atheist is “shooting himself/herself in the foot” by bringing up the objection of the problem of evil as a serious objection against belief in God. The problem of evil, therefore, is a greater problem for atheists than for theists.