Getting Started

1. In this session we will first consider if we believe that evil really exists.

2. Next, after becoming convinced that evil is an awful reality, we will consider what evil is. This will lead us to the more important question – what is good?

3. Lastly, we will end by considering the punishment for evil in the doctrine of hell and why a good God would allow evil in the first place.

Good can exist without evil because evil is the corruption of good. However, evil cannot exist unless good first exists. Goodness comes from God. God did not create evil; people and angels are responsible for counterfeit good. Although we don’t know why God allows evil, free will is a possible answer, especially if God’s purpose is real relationships. What we do know is that God loves us and Jesus entered into our suffering to rescue us.

Genesis 3
Matthew 13:40-42
John 3:15-16
Romans 1:20; 2:14-15; 5:12
2 Corinthians 4:16-18

Note: All links listed after the definition are optional readings.

Terms

Evil: Corruption of what is good.

False Dilemma: A dilemma that’s created by limiting solutions. This dilemma is defeated by showing a possible alternative solution.

Forgiveness: The free act of laying aside one’s claim for retribution and the like.

Free Will Defense: A possible answer offered against the logical problem of evil. According to this defense, God created human beings with free will so as to make love possible. Humans exercise their will to choose to do evil. Thus, humans, not God, are morally responsible for the moral evil.

Good: The standard by which to make moral judgments of the way the world ought to be. In Christian theology, God is good in that the trinity provides the standard by which to measure right relationship.

Heaven: In traditional Christian theology, the place or state to which repentant sinners go after physical death, the essential component of which is to be in the presence of God.

Hell: In traditional Christian theology it normally signifies the place or state to which unrepentant sinners go after physical death, the essential component of which is to be in the relational absence of God.

Humanism: The belief that man takes the place of god in deciding morality.

Moral argument: 1) If God does not exist, objective moral values and duties do not exist. 2) Objective moral values and duties do exist. 3) Therefore, God exists.

Morality: Principles concerning the distinction between good and evil, right and wrong. Although technically distinct, this word is virtually synonymous to “ethics” today.
(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) – Advanced reading

Objective Moral Duties: Moral obligations that exist outside of human opinion. In Christian theology, our duties are established by God’s commands.

Objective Moral Values: Good and evil that exist outside of human opinion. In Christian theology, the standard of good/evil is rooted in God’s nature (as opposed to God’s commands).

Satan: The name of the prince of evil, Heb. śâṭān, Gk. satanas, means basically ‘adversary’ (the word is so rendered, e.g., in Numbers 22:22).

Sin: Willful rebellion against God’s design and authority.

Supra-positive Law: “The law above the law.” A transcendent law to which all human laws are bound. Natural law is often considered a supra-positive law.

Theodicy: An answer to the question, “Why does God allow evil?” This is an answer that purports to be an actual answer as opposed to a merely possible answer.

People

Epicurus: Ancient Greek philosopher (341 – 270 BC) who was a key figure in the hedonistic school of thought.

Euthyphro: A character in the writings of Plato (his “dialogues”). He is challenged by Socrates to give a definition of piety, during the course of which Socrates formulates what is known as the Euthyphro dilemma: “Is the pious loved by the gods because it is pious, or is it pious because it is loved by the gods?” The challenge can be put like this: 1) Is something good because God says it’s good? If this is the case, can God change his mind? 2) Or, is something good therefore God says it’s good. If this is the case, God can’t change the good however, goodness would be independent of God. Christianity’s answer to this false dilemma is to show a third option: God’s decrees are good because God is good and God cannot change His nature.
(Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) – Advanced reading

Dr. Reaksa Himm: Christian author (1963- ) and survivor of the Cambodian Killing Fields. In 1977, at the age of 14, he watched his entire family get massacred by the Khmer Rouge. Later he made his way to Canada where he became a Christian and attended seminary. Since then, he returned to Cambodia to find the killers and offer them forgiveness. Author of The Tears of My Soul and After the Heavy Rain.

Easy Read

The Tears of My Soul by Sokreaksa Himm

Shantung Compound by Langdon Gilkey

Challenging Read

The Problem of Pain by C.S. Lewis

Good God by David Baggett & Jerry Walls

Deep Read

The Many Faces of Evil by John Feinberg