The Problem with the  Problem  of Evil | Matt Meyer

Introduction

A theodicy is an attempt to reconcile a world that has Evil with God.  Usually the conflict aris 

es because someone notices that if God is all knowing, all powerful and all loving, then there should be

no Evil in the world, because, of course, God would not allow it.  In this case, the burden of proof falls

on the one who believes in the existence of (the Judeo Christian) God.  For obvious reasons, there would

be no need for a theodicy without belief in God.  The first problem with the idea of the theodicy, then,

is that it is a debate. Undoubtedly, two things must occur to bring about the first theodicy.  First, an

atheist proffers that God could not exist, because of the presence of Evil.  Secondly, the theist challenges

this claim.  It seems that neither side has since budged.  Why?

What was once a proof that such and so is the case has turned into a debate.  On one side,

according to Richard Swinburne,

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we have the theist, the debater claiming that there can be a reconcil 

ing between a world that has Evil with God. On the other side, we have the atheist, the debater arguing

that this reconciliation cannot be accomplished.  One can already see the problem that develops.  Alas,

The Problem with the  Problem  of Evil   Matt Meyer

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