The%20Problem%20of%20Evil:

1
The Problem of Evil
Theodicy and Modern Science
Dr. Gary A. Stilwell
Religion
Theodicy
Science
2
Optional Reading for Week 1
Christianity 5000 Years of History and
Development Pages 3-7 9-14 35-38 47-50 63-64 75
-76 less than 23 pages!
3
Introductory Comments
Paradice Lost - Milton - "Justify the ways of God
to men." If God be "omni" Why such tribulation
and grief? Whence evil? The Atheists
Challenge The logical problem The Theists
Reply Modern Science help with problem?
4
Paradise Lost
John Milton in his epic poem, Paradise Lost, has
the line "to justify the ways of God to
men." Although he wrote this several centuries
ago, the idea that God's ways needed justifying
goes back thousands of years.
5
If God be "Omni"
Why such tribulation and grief? If God was in
the rainbow, was He not also in the flood? If
God gives so much, why does He also take away?
Perhaps it was all supposed to balance out in
the end. That ultimate balancing act strikes a
note of some fairness, but upon further
reflection I ask, would I as a human being give
love to someone and then viciously withdraw it?
Even a lowly human thinks such traitorous
action to be evil. How much more evil for the
God of goodness and love to do such a thing?
6
Whence Evil?
Herein lies the problem. We insist that our
God be all-good and all-powerful and then are at
a loss to determine from whence comes evil.
Surely, the all-good and powerful God wants the
best for us and is able to insure that His wants
are accomplished. If so, does it mean that God
is not all-good or not all-powerful or, perhaps,
doesn't even exist?
7
The Atheist's Challenge
This state of affairs is known as the
philosophical and theological Problem of Evil.
Atheists state the Problem in a logical format
thusly 1) God is all-good (omni-benevolent)
and would therefore will our
good 2) God is all-powerful (omnipotent) and
could insure our good 3) Non-good
(evil) things happen to us 4) Therefore, there
is no God


8
Theodicy Trilemma
A Loving Powerful Good God
omnipotent omni-benevolent
A three-pointed dilemma
Logically, only two of the three can exist at the
same time!! These propositions are inconsistent.
evil exists
9
The Theist's Reply
Theists, on the other hand, reject this logic and
have struggled for centuries to counter it by
justifying (Greek di/kh ) the ways of God
(Greek Qeo/j ) to man - hence the term for
solving the Problem of Evil for Theists is
Theos-Dike or, in English, Theodicy.
It will be the intent of this class to examine
the Problem of Evil, the multifarious Theodicies
to justify it, and how modern science may shed
additional light on this ancient subject.
10
Modern Sciences
Some mitigating modern sciences that will
include Quantum theory, Atomic/Nuclear
physics, Quantum cosmology, Relativity, Chaos
theory, Geology, and Evolution.
11
Why Science
The ancient natural philosophies are simply too
weak to support modern religious thought.
Equally, the old religions built on ancient
thinking might have been sufficient for the
childhood of the human species, but as we enter
our adolescence, we must turn to more reasonable
ideas that are supported by the evidence. Note
scientists do not concern themselves with the
POE, theologians do!
12
Course Outline
Introductory Comments Religion as an Object of
Critical Analysis The Academic Study of
Religion Ways of Relating Science and
Religion Some Important Definitions Orientation
in Ancient Times First Interlude of 12
(Prelude) story and some science Evil and the
Bible General Solutions to the Problem of
Evil The Consistency Problem Various Historical
Solutions The Problem of Evil in Ancient Israel
13
Course Outline - cont.
Cognitive Dissonance and Logic-Tight
Compartments The First Theodicy
Zoroaster Legacy of the Greeks A summary of
three Greek philosophies The Greek Mystery
Religions The Development of Early
Christianities Theodicies of the Three Christian
Sects Additional Heretical Christian
Theodicies St. Augustine (354-430), Doctor of
the Church Theodicy of St. Augustine Problems
with Augustine's Theodicy. The Philosophy of
Religion The Arguments for the Existence of
God Philosophy's Effect on Christian
Theology Theodicy of John Calvin (1509-1664)
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Course Outline - cont.
Newtonian Science and Determinism The Theodicy
of Leibniz -vs- Voltaire Darwin's
Theodicy Emergence Evolution and Intelligent
Design The New Physics and Indeterminism Recent
Orthodox Theodicies John Hick's
Theodicy Theodicy of Alvin Plantinga A Break
with Orthodoxy The Evolutionary Theology of
Teilhard de Chardin Open Theism of the
Evangelicals Whitehead's Process Theology A
Rational Theodicy Built on Modern
Science Twelfth Interlude (Postlude)
15
Religion as an Object of Critical Analysis
Academic Study of Religion Terms "critical" and
"analysis" are harsh Ways of Relating Science
and Religion From Conflict to Integration
16
The Academic Study of Religion
Why study religion at all? Most of the world's
population is involved in some religious
activity. Can not understand a society without
understanding the nature of its religion. Can
not understand much of the arts without knowing
its religious backgrond. The academic
approach. How do religions start and evolve
based on strictly historical evidence.
17
Religion and Science
Can they be related peacefully? Both seek to
understand ultimate reality.
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Ultimate Reality

• Science theory/models and religious mythology
  both seek to understand reality
• Of which science models and religious myths may
  both be Platonic cave shadows
• They both use models to describe this reality
• Disaster occurs when our models of reality are
  mistaken for reality itself

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Ways of Relating Science and Religion
Many people are aware of only one or two of the
ways that science and religion can relate to each
other. Physicist and theologian Ian Barbour sees
the relationships as falling into four
categories 1. Conflict Science and
religion are mutually exclusive. 2.
Independence Science and religion have so
little in common that they do not relate to each
other in any meaningful way. 3. Dialog
Science and religion investigate similar
questions, using some of the same methods.
Therefore meaningful dialog between the two
disciplines is possible. 4. Integration
Science and religion can approach questions
about the natural world and about the divine in
completely synergistic ways.
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Ways of Relating Science and Religion - (1)
Conflict
The relationship between science and religion,
the two disciplines, are at war. They try to
describe the same reality using such different
assumptions and methods that the two views are
literally mutually exclusive. Examples in
religion - Biblical Literalism. (eg.,
Phillip Johnson) in science - Scientific
Materialism. (eg., Richard Dawkins) This
model is extremely familiar to people in the
United States, who often know more about "the
war between religion and science" than they do
about any other model of relationship.
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Ways of Relating Science and Religion - (2)
Independence
Also called the "Two Worlds" view -religion and
science as so different that conflict between
them is not possible. They ask questions about
different things science about the natural
world, religion about God and about such things
as evil, the existence of an afterlife, or
reincarnation. They use very different methods
of inquiry science uses deduction,
experimentation, and analytical reasoning to
investigate its questions, religion acquires
knowledge through divine revelation. (e.g.,
Stephen J. Gould)
22
Ways of Relating Science and Religion - (3) Dialog
Religion and Science have a great deal in common
Investigate the same things and ask many of the
same questions. Some fundamental differences
in methods (objective/ subjective) prevent
their complete overlap. Nevertheless, the
dialog that can occur between them is substantial
and enlightening. Barbour places
Nature-Centered Spirituality within this
category. (eg., Emerson, Thoreau)
23
Ways of Relating Science and Religion - (4)
Integration
The Integration relationship most
synergistic proposed by Barbour, pose the
same fundamental questions about reality, and
ultimately use the same methods to try to answer
them. Wherever the two disciplines appear to
suggest very different answers to a particular
question, it is up to us to investigate the
shortcomings in our own perceptions of what must
be (by this view) a single, universal truth.
Barbour places Natural Theology and Theology
of Nature and Systematic Synthesis within this
category. (eg. Robert J. Russell)
24
Cooperation
Nature-Centered Spirituality Awe of
nature Personal spirituality vs. religious
institutions Rejection of conflicting
traditions Holism Natural Theology Starts with
science God reasonably inferred from
design Anthropic Principle shows centrality of
Man Not lead to God of the Bible (eg., Richard
Swinburne)
25
Cooperation - cont.
Theology of Nature Not start with science Starts
from a commitment to a religious tradition Allows
one to maintain his or her own community's quest
for truth, while giving others the same
opportunity Must reformulate doctrine to match
current knowledge of the world (eg.,
Teilhard de Chardin) Systematic
Synthesis Formulated with both science and
religion ideas Agrees on a basic
metaphysics Ancient view of God is
modified Provides a coherent vision of reality
(eg., Whitehead, Hartshorne)
26
Cooperation - cont.
The obvious disadvantage to the latter two "Ways"
(3 and 4) is that one can no longer claim to have
the final and ultimate truth because one's
doctrines must be modified as new information is
acquired. On the positive side, religious
bigotry and intolerance inherent in the first
"Way" would be eliminated. What of the second
"Way"? It leaves faith undisturbed and allows
for rational understanding of the real world.
It also could possibly lead to cognitive
dissonence.
27
Some Important Definitions
Theodicy - From the Greek Theos Dike ( Qeo/j
di/kh ) meaning the Justice of God. "Why do bad
things happen to good people?" This is the
subject of this course - definitions below are
related. Eschotology - The study of the Last
Things Ta Eschaton ( ta/ e)/sxaton ).
Religious ideas concerning the end of the world
and of the individual. Cosmology - The study of
the Universe (cosmos) ( Ko/smoj ) origins and
operations.
28
Some Important Definitions - Cont.
Apocalypticism - Eschatological beliefs
concerning revelations about a sudden and
cataclysmic intervention of God in history a
last judgment the salvation of the faithful
elect and the eventual rule of the saved with
God in a renewed heaven and/or earth. Myth - A
religious model, from the Greek muthos (mu/qoj )
meaning a story, which in religion has come to
mean a story that teaches a spiritual truth and
may be a true depiction of encounters with a
sacred reality. It's a Traditional Story about
Superhuman Beings. Other definitions will be
given as encountered. ASK - if I forget!!
29
Categories of Religion
Christianity, falls into the category of
monotheism, as do the other great religions of
the West - Judaism, and Islam. These are the
ones having the most difficulty with the Problem
of Evil. There are many other categories of
religion, many of which avoid our problem
altogether. (see next chart).
30
Table of Religion Categories
The major categories are defined in
below Category Brief Definition E
xample Dynamism A few natural objects are seen
as having power. Primitive Animism Most or
all natural objects are inhabited by
spirits. Primitive Polytheism The many gods are
considered to be in charge of natural
objects. Greeks Pantheism God is in and equated
with all natural things. Taoism Dualism There
are two equal or nearly equal gods. Zoroastr
ianism Henotheism Other gods are recognized but
only "our" god is supreme. Israelites Deism A
supreme being is responsible for initiating
everything. The Enlightenment Traditional
Monotheism A supreme being (with attributes of
omnipotence, omniscience and
omnibenevelance) has a personal interest in his
creation. Judaism,

Christianity,


Islam Primitive is not meant to be
derogatory, and would include many ancient and
modern tribal societies on every continent.
Evolutionary Theism The ultimate reality is
seen as a development of events rather than as a
completed static substance. Process
Philosophy
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Table of Categories - cont.
Most of the categories are examples of theisms
- The belief in personalized gods or spirits
that are considered worthy of worship. - These
gods are thought to have human-like emotions
and an interest in interaction with human
beings. The non-theistic religious types
(Dynamism, Animism, and Deism) reject these
anthropomorphic characteristics.
32
Orientation in Time
Our time frame of interest in this class will be
but a tiny fragment of universal history. Our
study is concerned with the past 3500 years out
of some 12,000 years of human civilization.
Human beings have been around for at least
4,000,000 years out of the 4,600,000,000 years
of the earth's existence (and three times that
for the existence of our observable universe).
33
Timelines - The Really Big Picture
The Known Universe 15 Billion Years Ago Our
Solar System 4.6 Billion Years Ago Human
Prehistory gt4 Million Years Ago Early Human
Civilizations 12 Thousand Years Ago Events Under
Study Here 1500 BCE to Present
34
Timelines - The Really Big Picture
The following graphics will be used to illustrate
the various time periods under discussion
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Time Frame - Age of Cosmos
The 15 Billion Year History of the
Universe The 1st Billion years The last 5
billion years
4.6 Billion Years Earth Formed
Galaxies Formed



15 B 10B
5B Now
36
Time Frame - Age of Cosmos - cont.
Human Civilization 12,000 Years
Hominids

Homo Sapiens

1M 0.8M 0.6M
0.4M 0.2M Now
Plants Land Animals
Dinosaurs
Mammals Primates



500M 400M 300M 200M
100M Now
500 Million
Earth Formed Life

Vertebrates
5B 4B 3B
2B 1B Now
Galaxies Formed



4.6 Billion Years Earth Formed
15 B 10B
5B Now
37
Time Frame - Age of Cosmos - cont.
The four differrent timescales correspond
to Bottom -- shows 15 Billion years BP to
present Next up -- shows approx 1/3 rd of
bottom Next up -- shows 1/30 th of bottom Top
-- shows 1/15,000 th of bottom Civilization
covers 1/1,250,000 th of bottom (would be 0.07
seconds on a 24 hour clock)
38
Time Frame - Age of Earth vs. Civilization
Place/Entity/Person Date BCE Earth forms

4,600.000,000 Earth cools 4,000,000,000
Single celled life
3,800,000,000 Vertebrates
500,000,000 Appalachian mountains form
375,000,000 Dinosaurs begin
250,000,000 Dinosaurs extinct
65,000,000 Primates
50,000,000 Hominids 5,000,000
Australopithecus "Lucy" 3,500,000 Homo
Sapiens 400,000 Homo Sapiens
Neanderthal 200,000 Modern Humans (homo
sapiens sapiens) 130,000 Human
Agriculture 12,000 Mesopotamia
3000
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Time Frame - Age of Earth vs. Civilization - cont.
Egypt - Old Kingdom 2500
BCE Akhenaten 1500 Moses
1300 Zoroaster 1200 David
1000 Josiah 600 Exile
587 Orphics 500 Plato
385 Alexander
323 Daniel 165 Essenes
100 John the Baptist
10 Jesus 4
40
Time Frame - Age of Earth vs. Civilization - cont.
Paul 7 CE Augustine

354 Aquinas 1225 Luther 1
483 Calvin
1509 Arminius 1559 G
alileo 1564 Newton 1642
Leibniz 1646 Kant 1724
Darwin 1809 Whitehead 1861
Einstein 1879 Hick 1922
Plantinga 1932
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First Interlude (Prelude) Eternity to less than 1
second
In the beginning when God created the heavens
and the earth, the earth was a formless void and
darkness covered the face of the deep, while a
wind from God swept over the face of the waters.
(Gen 1.1) The interludes dispersed throughout
this course tell a story across time (from 15
Billion Years before the Present to the Near
Future). Each one has an event, explainable by
modern science, which arises by chance and will
affect an anticipated catastrophic evil.
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First Interlude - Eternity to lt 1 Second - cont.
Infinite in all dimensions, the multi-verse had
existed for all eternity. . . a reading . .
.
43
Time Frame - Age of Cosmos The 1st
Second
Forces separate, inflation occurs, and matter is
created


0

3 minutes
Electron Capture



0 300 K

1 M
Galaxies Form

Earth Forms
15 B 10B
5B Now
44
From Eternity to the First Few Microseconds
In less than a second, the quantum vacuum became
a supersymmetry - then broke
cut graphic to save megabytes for download
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Evil and the Bible
In Genesis 2, evil entered the world because of
Man's disobedience. God was not at fault and
hence was completely justified. Buddha was
asking the same question. (an aside - see next
slide) Plato would arrive at a similar conclusion
as the Buddha. That no god was at fault, but
also, Plato claimed that we all have an immortal
soul. Plato's ideas entered the intertestamental
Biblical texts. Too late to include in the
Christian scriptures, the ideas of Plato,
however, did enter Church theology via the early
Church Fathers. Both natural immortality of the
soul and resurrection of the body currently
offered an eschatological counter to the Problem
of Evil. Some of the attributes of God as
found in Genesis 2 offer the latter day theist a
way out of the Theodicy problem -- but with
consequences.
46
Buddhism - Four Noble Truths
1. Suffering exists in an endless cycle 2.
Suffering arises from ignorance (attachment to
desires) 3. Suffering ceases when attachment to
desire is extinguished 4. Freedom from
suffering is possible by practicing the
Eightfold Path Those who don't achieve
enlightenment are reborn to suffer according to
the Law of Karma
47
The Eight-Fold Path
That leads from the unreal to the
real Quality Eightfold Path
____________________________________ Wisdom
(panna) 1. Right Understanding 2. Right
Thought Morality (sila) 3. Right
Speech 4. Right Action 5. Right
Livelihood Meditation (samadhi) 6. Right
Effort 7. Right Mindfulness 8.
Right Contemplation
The Goal of Nirvana is neither annihilation nor
absorption nor eternal life, but something
outside our categories of thought (compare
quantum logic) Is possible to be reached in this
life
48
Some General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem
Recent Natural Catastrophies - 9/11 attack - 2004
tsunami Ways of Explaining Them - quotes from
religious leaders, a reading . . . The
Consistency Problem - goal of Theodicy make
logic consistent Various Historical Solutions
49
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem
Recent Natural Catastrophies and Some
Responses The Problem of Evil has generated many
sad statements from fools and wise men alike.
In response to the horrific tsunami of 2004,
many religious leaders stepped forward with
their explaination for this great natural evil.
Christian Muslim Hindu Buddhist Some
readings . . .
50
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem - Ways
of Explaining Them
Calling upon the wrathful God of the Old
Testament, some leaders said "It was the
judgment of God. . . They called down God's
wrath on themselves." (attributed to Jerry
Falwell). The same person had said after
September 11, 2001 attacks on America "I really
believe that the pagans, and the abortionists,
and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians
who are actively trying to make that an
alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the
American Way, all of them who have tried to
secularize America, I point the finger in their
face and say you helped this happen." Speaking
of destiny and reward, a Muslim leader said "We
believe that everything is in the taqdir -
destiny - predetermined by Allah, the creator."
and "God tests people through events on earth . .
. tradegies can be a message from Allah . . .
innocents who suffere in this life will be
rewarded the Day of Judgment with a better
position in heaven. . . in a worldly sense sense
this is bad, but from the point of view of
eternal life, it is for their benefit." (Imam
Yusuf Kavakci of the Dallas Central Mosque).
In the more recent tradgey of the earthquake
that hit Pakistan and surrounding countries, an
Imam spoke of divine retribution "Whatever the
scientists say, our Prophet said that when this
earth is replete with sin, this would happen."
(An Imam at the Illahi Mosque in Srinagar, India
- quoted in Time, Oct 17, 2005).
51
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem - Ways
of Explaining Them - cont.
Taking the long view espoused by Hindus, one
leader said "Whenever the cosmic order of life
is disrupted, these events can happen." and "I
am evolving into a higher state so I may not come
back to this world. For that reason, I am
praying that you take me to your abode." (as
related by Pemmaraju N. Rao of the San Antonio
Hindu Temple). "I am not mind or the intellect.
Nor am I the thought or the consuming ego.
Neither am I the sense of hearing, tasting or
seeing, for I am bliss. I am Shiva! I am
Shiva!" (sang in the DFW Hindu Temple after the
tsunami). In accord with the godless religion of
Sri Lankan Buddhism, there is no problem to
reconcile with a good and powerful god because
"It is not by any particular god" that such
tragedies occur. . . "A compassionate god would
never do anything like this." (Bhante Gunaratana
of the Bhavana Society in West Virginia).
52
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem - Ways
of Explaining Them - cont.
No shortages of natural disasters and religious
responses throughout history The 1755 Lisbon
earthquake kill over 100,000 The 1347 Black Death
swept over Europe killing 1/3 of population The
influenza pandemic of 1918 kill over 40,000,000
people worldwide? For these and a
thousand more examples, there were defenses of
God put forward to explain His apparent
reluctance to interfere in the devastations. It
only takes one such example to impel the
rational person to question the logic of the
situation and, thus, was born the problem of
consistency. HIV, Alzheimers - earthquakes,
hurricanes - screw flies, heart worms
53
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem - The
Consistency Problem
The Theodicy Problem is primarily a Logical
problem. In logic, it is called the
inconsistent triad, for example 1 - The world
contains instances of suffering 2 - God exists
and is omnipotent and omniscient 3 - God exists
and is perfectly good An inconsistent triad is
any three statements such that any two of them
are taken together, logically incompatible with
the third proposition. - If propositions 1 and
2 are agreed to, the third must be rejected, -
Not every one agrees that these particular
propositions are inconsistent. - What if one or
more statements are not even true? - What if we
can qualify the triad with a forth proposition?
- This is, of course, the goal of any Theodicy -
to make any set of statements about God and
evil reasonably consistent.
54
Various Historical Solutions
1. Deny God. Deny the very existence of God.
Not really a theodicy since no justification of
God is attempted. 2. Dualism. Evil is not of
God's doing. Assert that there is a duality in
the cosmos between spirit and matter (flesh) or
between good and evil. Satan is
responsible. 3. All are guilty due to free
will. We all sin of our own free will and all
are guilty and deserving of suffering. Freedom,
a good, allows evil to occur. Human guilt
(original sin) is blamed on the Fall in Eden by
St. Augustine (354-430 CE). Theologian Alvin
Plantinga is a modern proponent of Augustine's
theory. 4. Means to an end - educational.
Suffering is a tool God uses that serves the
purpose of "soul-making" by providing a means of
spiritual development. Pain causes us to
recognize our need for God. This solution was
first suggested by St. Irenaeus (130-202 CE) and
again in the twentieth century by theologian
John Hick.
55
Various Historical Solutions - cont.
5. Only temporary. This earthly life is short
and there will be an afterlife to make up for
our suffering. This is the eschatological
solution. 6. Illusionary. This world is not
real and suffering is an illusion it is only
apparent. Alternatively, what appears evil is
due to our lack of understanding God's bigger
plan. The Hindu/Buddhist approach. 7. The
created is imperfect. The creator is the only
perfect Being therefore the created must be
imperfect and thus capable of evil. The higher
the Being, the more the goodness. Lack of
Being, hence a lack of goodness, allows evil.
Evil is really a privation of good (privatio
boni). This explanation of evil can be found in
Plato, Plotinus and Augustine.
56
Various Historical Solutions - cont.
8. Deny the interaction of God with creation.
Although God set the creation in motion, He has
retired from active involvement. This is the
position of the Deists. 9. Limit God. Deny
some of God's conflicting attributes. This
approach has been taked by some schools of the
Jewish mystical Kabbalah and is held by many
liberal and Evangelical Christians today. 10.
Time and Chance. Suffering or reward is not
dependent on one's deeds but on the vagaries of
time and chance as explained in Ecclesiastes
911 and alluded to in Luke 134.
57
Various Historical Solutions - cont.
11. Karma. This is similar to the "all are
guilty" version above. However, with karma, the
person suffers evil because of guilt he has
accumulated in past incarnations. This works
well for the Eastern religions and even Plato
suggested this. However, it is not appropriate
for the God of the Hebrew or Christian
Bible. 12. It is a test. Sufferring is allowed
to test one's faith. Job is an example 13. Evil
allows for second order virtues. Similar to
"soul making," in that we can develop some
virtues (e.g., courage) only in response to some
evil (e.g., war). Can't have one without the
other.
58
Various Historical Solutions - cont.
14. It is a mystery. An infinite Being is
beyond our finite grasp. As spoken in Isaiah
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither
are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."
Therefore, it is wrong to even develop
theodicies. Held by Reformed. 15. Evil
glorifies God. God decreed evil ultimately for
His own glory. Therefore, it is sinful and
un-Scriptural to propose any theodicies. This
is the position of the Calvinists. 16. God is
unjust. God is not morally good. Few have
dared to claim that God is evil. Rather, they
claim that whatever God does is, by definition,
beyond our moral ability to judge. Some claim
that since perfection implies no lack whatsoever,
that God must not lack that which is evil.
59
Types of Evil
Two distinct types natural and human moral. The
most employed theodicy human free will. Since
it strikes a chord of truth. We are all sinners
and deserve some punishments. Our forefather,
Adam, committed the Original Sin of his own free
will, and we all suffer as a result of that
first fault. That accounts for moral evil,
(murder, stealing, greed). But, how sin of
humanity allow for natural (or physical) evil?
60
Types of Evil - cont.
What has human free will and original sin to do
with viruses, hurricanes, floods and tsunamis?
Why do animals suffer? Why was there
suffering for millions of years before humans
came on the scene? Why are natural evils so
indiscriminate, harming the good and bad alike?
Why are natural evils so harsh? Wouldn't a
lighter touch suffice for a testing or punishment
from a good God?
61
Second Interlude - 15 Billion Years Before Present
Then God said, 'Let there be light' and there
was light. And God saw that the light was good
and God separated the light from the darkness.
God called the light Day, and the darkness he
called Night. And there was evening and there
was morning, the first day. (Gen 13) The
inflating fluctuation continued to cool and one
by one the various forces froze out of the
homogenous universe. . . a reading . . .
62
Time Frame - Age of Cosmos The 1st
300,000 Years



forces separate, inflation, matter created
element
nuclei created
0

3 minutes
Electron capture - LIGHT



0 300 K

1 M
Galaxies Form

Earth Forms

15 B 10B
5B Now
63
15 Billion Years Ago
At 300,000 years -- light came forth
cut graphic to save megabytes for download
64
END OF 1ST WEEK
Do Review and Go To 2nd Week
65
Optional Reading for Weeks 1 2 Christianity
5000 Years of History and Development
3-7 9-14 35-38 47-50 63-64 75-76 less than 23
pages! 114-124 129-131 145-151 69-74 76-82 a
mere 34 pages!
66
-- 2nd Week --
The Problem of Evil
Theodicy and Modern Science
Dr. Gary A. Stilwell
Religion
Theodicy
Science
67
Review
Course Outline
Introductory Comments Religion as an Object of
Critical Analysis The Academic Study of
Religion Ways of Relating Science and
Religion Some Important Definitions Orientation
in Ancient Times First Interlude of 12
(Prelude) story and some science Evil and the
Bible General Solutions to the Problem of
Evil The Consistency Problem Various Historical
Solutions The Problem of Evil in Ancient Israel
68
Review
Theodicy Trilemma
A Loving Powerful Good God
omnipotent omni-benevolent
The Logical POE
A three-pointed dilemma
Logically, only two of the three can exist at the
same time!! These propositions are inconsistent.
evil exists
69
Review
Table of Religion Categories
The major categories are defined in
below Category Brief Definition E
xample Dynamism A few natural objects are seen
as having power. Primitive Animism Most or
all natural objects are inhabited by
spirits. Primitive Polytheism The many gods are
considered to be in charge of natural
objects. Greeks Pantheism God is in and equated
with all natural things. Taoism Dualism There
are two equal or nearly equal gods. Zoroastr
ianism Henotheism Other gods are recognized but
only "our" god is supreme. Israelites Deism A
supreme being is responsible for initiating
everything. The Enlightenment Traditional
Monotheism A supreme being (with attributes of
omnipotence, omniscience and
omnibenevelance) has a personal interest in his
creation. Judaism,

Christianity,


Islam Primitive is not meant to be
derogatory, and would include many ancient and
modern tribal societies on every continent.
This one has the POE
Evolutionary Theism The ultimate reality is
seen as a development of events rather than as a
completed static substance. Process
Philosophy
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Time Frame - Age of Cosmos
The 15 Billion Year History of the
Universe The 1st Billion years The last 5
billion years
4.6 Billion Years Earth Formed
Galaxies Formed



15 B 10B
5B Now
Review
71
Time Frame - Age of Earth vs. Civilization
Review
Place/Entity/Person Date BCE Earth forms

4,600.000,000 Earth cools 4,000,000,000
Single celled life
3,800,000,000 Vertebrates
500,000,000 Appalachian mountains form
375,000,000 Dinosaurs begin
250,000,000 Dinosaurs extinct
65,000,000 Primates
50,000,000 Hominids 5,000,000
Australopithecus "Lucy" 3,500,000 Homo
Sapiens 400,000 Homo Sapiens
Neanderthal 200,000 Modern Humans (homo
sapiens sapiens) 130,000 Human
Agriculture 12,000 Mesopotamia
3000
Cosmology Biology Geology Natural
Selection Descent w/ Modification
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The Problem of Evil in Ancient Israel
Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to
the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor
bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent,
nor favor to the skillful but time and chance
happen to them all.
Eccl 911-12
Moses 1300 BCE Received the Torah (Teaching or
Law)
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Kingdom of David (ca. 1000 BCE)
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Israel Northern Kingdom Split after
Solomon Judah Southern Kingdom
Jerusalem
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Biblical Mid-East - 7th Century BCE
722 BCE - Israel destroyed by Assyria 586 BCE
- Temple in Judah destroyed and Exile to Babylon
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Israel/ Judah
Joshia's (ca. 620 BCE) Reforms - YHWH proclaimed
the One God to be worshipped only in the Temple
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The Promise of Protection a reading . . .
You who live in the shelter of the Most High, who
abide in the shadow of the Almighty, will say to
the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress my God, in
whom I trust." . . . You will not fear the
terror of the night, or the arrow that flies by
day, or the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
or the destruction that wastes at noonday. . .
. Because you have made the LORD your refuge, the
Most High your dwelling place, no evil shall
befall you, no scourge come near your tent. For
he will command his angels concerning you to
guard you in all your ways. On their hands they
will bear you up, so that you will not dash your
foot against a stone. You will tread on the lion
and the adder, the young lion and the serpent you
will trample under foot. Those who love me, I
will deliver I will protect those who know my
name. When they call to me, I will answer them
I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue
them and honor them. With long life I will
satisfy them, and show them my salvation.
Psalm 911-16
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Theodicy in Ancient Israel
As long as they were polytheistic, there was no
problem. When Yahweh became the only God, then
it became an obvious problem. It would become
more and more apparent as the centuries passed
that God's people were not getting their
promised just desserts. The beautiful assurances
of God's protection in the 91st Psalm was more
hope than fact. The evil were prospering and
the good were plagued with evil. So, how is the
justice of God explained? Throughout the Bible,
the problem of evil keeps coming to the fore and
there were at least three successive major
attempts to explain the justice of God as
illustrated by the 1 - Book of Job, 2 - the
Prophets, 3 - and the Maccabean stories.
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The Book of Job - a Theodicy?
And Job repented in dust and ashes (Job
426). What had Job done that he needed to so
repent? One of the most poignant stories in the
Hebrew Bible is the tale of Job, a good man who
failed to get the rewards promised in the Psalm
and especially the book of Deuteronomy (note next
slide). Some have claimed it to be the first
theodicy in the Western World. Let's review it
to see if that is so. written before the Exile
around the 6th century BCE
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The Promise of Deuteronomy A reading . . .
The Deuteronomist had promised the people rewards
in the form of earthly benefits for being
righteous and, conversely, promised penalties for
sinfulness I the LORD your God am a jealous
God, punishing children for the iniquity of
parents, to the third and fourth generation of
those who reject me, but showing steadfast love
to the thousandth generation of those who love
me and keep my commandments (Dt 59-10). See,
I have set before you today life and prosperity,
death and adversity. If you obey the
commandments of the LORD your God that I am
commanding you today, by loving the LORD your
God, walking in his ways, and observing his
commandments, decrees, and ordinances, then you
shall live and become numerous, and the LORD
your God will bless you in the land that you are
entering to possess. But if your heart turns
away and you do not hear, but are led astray to
bow down to other gods and serve them, I declare
to you today that you shall perish you shall not
live long in the land that you are crossing the
Jordan to enter and possess" (Dt 3015-18).
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The Story of Job
Job was a righteous man who walked in the ways of
the Lord Yahweh. The Satan wagered God that
Job's worship depended on good fortune. God
then allowed one misfortune after another to fall
upon Job. Job suffers loss of farm animals by
Sabeans, sheep and servants by fire. Then Job
loses camels, servants by Chaldeans and children
to a great wind. Note evils fall into two
classes the immorality of men and the vagaries
of nature. Job still blesses God with the
beautiful words "the Lord gave, and the Lord
has taken away blessed be the name of the Lord"
(Job 121). Because he remains faithful to
Yahweh, he has invited further tests. Satan
had been forbidden to lay a hand on Job himself
in the first round. Now, Satan is given free
reign over the person of Job himself. His
attack is so vicious that Job longs for death to
be free of his pain.
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The Story of Job - cont.
In the Book of Deuteronomy , good fortune, a long
life, and many descendants were promised to all
who lived in righteousness and worshipped the
one supreme God. In spite of all evidence to
the contrary, the Israelites continued to
believe the Deuteronomist' promises. As a
corollary, just deserts were also promised for
unrighteousness. Thus added to Job's agony were
the taunts of his friends saying that he
obviously must have sinned against God in order
that these evils befell him, since that was,
after all, the accepted reason for a person's
misfortune. Job knew he was innocent and
challenged his friends and demanded an
accounting from God for failing to live up to
the Deuteronomist promises.
81
The Story of Job - cont.
He asked that God justify His ways to Man -- to
Job himself. But first he has to put up with
an extended tirade from Elihu, who is the only
person in the story that makes any attempt to
explain the evils that come from God by making
the argument that God sends afflictions in order
to instruct us in the ways of righteousness.
This, of course, is a complete non-sequiter in
that Job was in no such need. Nevertheless,
centuries later, we will see this argument arise
again and again. God presented Himself before
Job and made no effort whatever to justify His
actions. Instead, He chided Job with a litany
of sarcastic questions "Where were you when I
laid the foundations of the earth?"
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The Story of Job - cont.
In other words I created the world and all that
is in it, including you. So, who are you to ask
for justification from Me? The ancient
Israelites who penned the story of Job were
asking Whence evil? If God is in His heaven,
why is all not right with the world? They would
continue to hold on to the promises of
Deuteronomy, but they knew something was not
right. God obviously caused everything since
He was the sovereign power in the universe
therefore He caused both good and evil.
Where was the justice?
83
The Story of Job - cont.
This story cannot rightly be called a Theodicy
since God makes no attempt to justify Himself.
He simply asks Job "Where were you when I
laid the foundation of the earth?" In other
words, who are you to question me? The ways of
God are beyond Job's grasp and it is not for us
mere humans to understand, but simply to believe
and trust. Job can only accept the mysteries
of God's bigger picture and "repent in dust and
ashes."
84
The Prophets
Pre-Exilic Prophets After Deuteronomy and Job,
and before the Exile, we find most of the
writings of the great prophets. So much grief
had and was about to come upon the Israelites
that the majority of the prophetic writings
might be considered an attempt at justifying why
God allowed it. Isaiah ca. 700, 540,520
BCE, Jeremiah ca. 610 BCE Ezekiel ca.
563 BCE - composed at start of Exile
85
The Reforms of Josiah - Deuteronomist History
The monarchy had split in 925 BCE into Israel and
Judah Israel was destroyed in 722 BCE by
Assyrians Judah was vassal to Assyria, but gained
temporary independence ca. 612 BCE Josiah
flourished as king of Judah ca. 620 BCE (2 Kings
22 23) Centralized religious practice in
Jerusalem Discovered a new book of the Law
(Deuteronomy?) Banned religious practices belief
in other gods (YHWH only), idolatry, high
places He was killed by Necho, aiding Assyria, in
609 BCE at Megiddo (Armageddon - hill
of Megiddo) Babylon defeated Assyria in 612,
Egypt retreated The Exiles occurred in 597 and
587 BCE
86
Pre-Exilic Judaism
Temple cult had grown as result of Josiah's
reforms and Jeremiah arose to claim that Yahweh
would reject his people and the Temple would be
destroyed, which it was in the Exile (Babylonian
Captivity) of 587/6 BCE. The Prophets had a good
explanation for the justice of God. They claimed
that the people suffered because they failed to
live up to their part of the covenant between God
and Israel. How can I pardon you? Your
children have forsaken me, and have sworn by
those who are no gods. . . Shall I not punish
them for these things? (Jeremiah 5 7-9)
87
Pre-Exilic Judaism
Here, God is indeed living up to the promises of
Deuteronomy. He is punishing His people for
their sins and iniquities. God is entirely just
in allowing the evil of Babylon to happen. This
explains the negative things that happen to those
who Jeremiah believes to be bad people.
But, what of the good people in Judah? There
were none, for in Jeremiah 5 1-6, all of the
inhabitants, "all alike had broken the yoke,
they had burst the bonds" of God's
covenant. The Persians would shortly rescue
them from exile.
88
The Prophets - cont.
Post-Exilic Prophets Cyrus the Great of Persia,
now proclaimed to be the messiah in Isaiah,
would free the Israelites to return home and help
them rebuild the Temple. He also ushered in a
benevolent rule over Judah that was to last for
200 years.
89
The Prophets - cont.
This post-exile Persian rule helped introduce
these, among others, new concepts from Persian
Zoroastrianism, all of which have been included
in various theodicies The principle of evil
(Devil). In the early Bible texts, God is the
maker of both good and evil, whereas in the
Biblical texts written after ca. 300 BCE, God is
wholly good and Satan is responsible for
evil. Apocalyptic, Last Judgment, Last Days.
Apocalypse means an "unveiling" or "revelation",
a pulling back of the curtain of illusion to
reveal ultimate reality.
90
The Prophets - cont.
The Resurrection at the end of time. This
concept is definitely first noted in the book of
Daniel ca. 165 BCE. The post-exile Persian
period (Cyrus 539 BCE) marks the beginning of
the second Temple period and likely marks the
beginning of Judaism.
91
The Prophets - cont.
The Prophets do provide a reasonable Theodicy
since the entire Hebrew Bible is filled with the
failures of the people to follow God's
commandments. As long as all were corporately
deemed guilty of apostasy, this justification of
evil worked. However, there would come a time
when individuals were enduring great suffering
and even giving their lives to follow the Laws
of God. Where was God's reward for these very
righteous people? The older explanations no
longer answered for the moral evils that were
occurring and something had to take their
place. Something would during the Greek period.
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Post-Exilic Judaism - Hellenistic (Greek) Period
Greek period (post 332 BCE) introduced Greek
ideas Plato's concept of the soul introduced
(in Wisdom of Solomon ca. 25
BCE) Philo (c. 20 CE) attempted to
reconcile Judaism and Greek
philosophy Sects arose mid-2nd century BCE
Pharisees - accepted last judgment,
resurrection, angels, heaven,
hell Sadducees - did not Essenes - rejected
Hellenization and the sympathizers,
apocalyptic sect expecting coming of
Kingdom Jesus Movement - rejected the
hypocrisy of many of the
Pharisees and Sadducees.
Preached the coming of the Kingdom of God.
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Hebrew Bible Eschatology
The apocalyptic eschatology came late to the
Jews Ezekial (c. 560 BCE) prophesied
reconstituted nation for exiles Second Isaiah
(c.540) prophesied transformation of the world
with Yahweh as king (Is.
451 calls Cyrus the Messiah for delivering them
from exile) But, the first true apocalypses are
in Daniel (c. 165 BCE) due to the horrors of the
Maccabean War with Syria caused by the
Abomination of Desolation. A personal
resurrection, judgment and reward or
punishment Only the Essenes would make it
central to their beliefs And then, Jesus
came proclaiming the end of the age . . .
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The Maccabean Stories
The Greek period, after the conquests of
Alexander the Great (post 332 BCE) introduced
Greek ideas into Judaism the main one being
Plato's concept of the immortal soul, which was
incorporated into the Wisdom of Solomon (ca. 25
BCE).
95
The Maccabean Stories - cont.
During the Syrian Persecutions of Antiochus (ca.
165 BCE), the martyrs for the cause of Law and
Temple were seen to receive no reward as
promised by Deuteronomy in this life so, if
there is no reward now, it must come later!
96
The Maccabean Stories - cont.
One only has to read 2 Maccabees to see that the
resurrection doctrine had come to the fore in
the thinking of the martyrs due to their
steadfastness against the Syrian enemy. The
writer or editor of chapter six offers his
commentary on the reasons for suffering of the
Jews A Reading . . .
97
The Maccabean Stories - cont.
The horrors of the details of the torture and
death of the martyred are so intense that the
writer has to offer an explanation as to why God
is allowing these things to happen. He falls
back on the idea of God's corrective discipline
for sin, which is a perfectly good rationale for
a Theodicy. However, the story of chapter
seven seems to offer something else as these
excerpts show A reading . . .
98
The Maccabean Stories - cont.
Clearly, the statement of Theodicy of 2 Macc
612-16 is countered by the events of the rest
of the verses of chapter seven. Suffering is
not due to sin rather, it is due to the evils of
men. However, now there is a reward for
suffering - a resurrection to eternal
life.
99
The Jewish Sects of the First Century BCE
But not all Jews accepted this new teaching.
They were divided into various sects, each of
whom believed different things. Some were still
convinced of the correctness of the
Deuteronomistic promise. Others would acept the
new teachings as part of their theodicies. Pharis
ees and Sadducees Sects arose in mid-second
century BCE as a response to Hellenism. Under
the Maccabean successor, John Hyrcanus (ca. 134
- 104 BCE), these opposing factions came into
being Descendent of Maccabees (Hasmonean
family)
100
Pharisees and Sadducees
The Pharisees were the "middle class" lay
teachers who rejected Hellenism and accepted the
foreign doctrines of the last judgment,
resurrection, angels, heaven, and
hell. (afterlife) The Sadducees were rich and
highborn who wanted to accept Hellenism and who
rejected the Pharisee concepts as un-Biblical.
The afterlife, the Post-Exilic (Persian)
resurrection was not contained in the first five
books of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament),
therefore the conservative Sadducees refused
such a belief. (held to Deuteronomy)
101
The Essenes (the pious)
One of four sects named by Josephus in Jewish War
and Antiquities of the Jews (written ca. 75 and
94 CE) Not mentioned in the Bible Emerged
during the 2nd century BCE (ca. before 110
BCE) Thought to be the sect of the Dead Sea
Scrolls of Qumran
102
The Essenes (the pious) - cont.
They had much in common with early Christianity
expectation of the Kingdom of Yahweh, baptism,
sacred meals, a Messiah figure, an apocalyptic
day of judgment with rewards and penalties, the
final victory of good (light) over evil
(darkness), angelology and demonology, poverty
and, like Jesus, they denied divorce. The
doctrines that provide the surest link from
Zoroaster through Judaism to Christianity
are Apocalyptic eschatology and Dualism
103
The Essenes (the pious) - cont.
The Eschatological War will be fought between
the Sons of Light and the Sons of Darkness
(dualism) A reading . . . from a Dead Sea
Scroll . . . Community Rule 415-
(practically quotes Gathas) "The nature of all .
. . be ruled by these two spirits . . . "
104
The Essenes (the pious) - cont.
The raising of the dead was a doctrine that was
developing among some Jewish sects in the 2nd
century. A Dead Sea Scroll has an amazing
correlation with the teachings of
Jesus "And he will glorify the pious on the
throne of the eternal Kingdom. . . . And the Lord
will accomplish glorious things which have
never been as . . . For he will heal the wounded,
and revive the dead and bring good news to the
poor." Scroll 4Q521
dated to ca. 90 BCE Compare to Isa 611 and Matt
114-5 and Luke 722-23
105
The Essenes (the pious) - cont.
Was Jesus an Essene? No, there are also major
differences exclusive and secretive believed
in the Platonic immortal soul and its
preexistence sticklers for the Law
106
Theodicy Based on Eschatology
Apocalyptic eschatology would provide the best
theodicy Until . . . It was rejected by the
Christian Fathers within a few centuries of the
founding of Pauline Christianity.
107
End Judaism
108
Optional Reading for Week 3 Christianity 5000
Years of History and Development
69 - 74 76 - 82 83 - 87 92 - 111 153 - 159 160 -
161 169 - 178 181 - 183 About 49 pages
109
Optional Reading for Weeks 1 2 Christianity
5000 Years of History and Development
3-7 9-14 35-38 47-50 63-64 75-76 less than 23
pages! 114-124 129-131 145-151 69-74 76-82 a
mere 34 pages!
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End of Slides
END OF SLIDES FOR THIS SECTION Switch to next
slide set and start with 3rd Interlude
111
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem -
Various Historical Solutions - cont. short
version
1. Deny God. Deny the very existence of God.
2. Dualism. Evil is not of God's doing.
Spirit vs. matter or good vs. bad Deity 3. All
are guilty due to free will. We all sin of our
own free will and all are guilty and deserving of
suffering. 4. Means to an end - educational.
Suffering serves the purpose of "soul-making" by
providing a means of spiritual development. 5.
Only temporary. This earthly life is short -
will be an afterlife. 6. Illusionary. This
world is not real and suffering is an
illusion. 7. The created is imperfect. The
creator is the only perfect Being and Evil is
really a privation of good (privatio boni).
112
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem -
Various Historical Solutions - cont. short
version
8. Deny the interaction of God with creation.
He retired after creation. 9. Limit God. Deny
some of God's conflicting attributes. 10.
Time and Chance. Suffering or reward is not
dependent on one's deeds but on the vagaries of
time and chance. 11. Karma. This is similar to
the "all are guilty" version above. 12. It is
a test. Sufferring is allowed to test one's
faith. 13. Evil allows for second order
virtues. Similar to "soul making," in that we
can not develop some virtues in response to some
evil (e.g., courage, war).
113
General Solutions to the Theodicy Problem -
Various Historical Solutions - cont. short
version
14. It is a mystery. An infinite Being is
beyond our finite grasp. 15. Evil glorifies
God. God decreed evil ultimately for His own
glory. 16. God is unjust. God is not morally
good. Few have dared to claim that God is evil.
Rather, they claim that whatever God does is, by
definition, beyond our moral ability to judge.
Some claim that since perfection implies no
lack, that God must not lack that which is evil.