| I thought I would post some thoughts of what I am actually studying. I am meeting with David Feddes and he is helping me work through some issues categorized under Reformed Epistemology. The following are just my trying to organize my thoughts, not necessarily beliefs I have formed. The questions are also just my trying to get a grasp of what things I don't understand. The Problem of Evil Stated as: The following argument is a contradiction 1) God is omnipotent
2) God is wholly good
3) Evil exists A. This argument assumes that:
1a) An omnipotent God has no limits as to what He can do.
2a) A good being would eliminate evil as much as it can.
3a) Since evil exists, God can be either 1) or 2), but cannot be both. He either cannot eliminate evil or He does not want to. B. The argument is false for several reasons, a few of which pivot on word definitions:
1b) There are limits to what God can do, even though He is omnipotent.
2b) There are different forms or ideas of “evil.”
3b) There are different forms or ideas of “good.” C. The limits of God
1c) We know that God cannot lie, therefore, it is obvious 1a) is false, because there is at least one thing He cannot do.
2c) The question of “Can God eliminate evil?” is more accurately, “Can God create a universe in which evil is not possible?” He certainly can. (see “questions” #7)
3c) A universe without the possibility of evil is a universe without freedom
4c) A universe without evil is worse than one without freedom (see “questions” #8)
5c) Freedom is an essential element of humanity, because it is an essential element of relationship. If one is able to love, he is also able to not love. One cannot be free to comfort if he is not also free to harm.
6c) One cannot be forced to love- either forced to feel love or act lovingly- because being forced into those feelings or those actions renders them duty, the carrying out of another person’s intentions (or love/hate, etc). An inanimate object cannot love, and one who has no ability to decide becomes by definition in-animatus, literally, “no life.” D. Ideas of Evil
1d) Evil is best defined as “the absence of good.”
2d) We need to define good in order to identify its absence
3d) Evil is not synonymous with pain or displeasure, physical or emotional
4d) Evil includes but is not limited to: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; 20 idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions 21 and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like[1] E. Ideas of Good
1e) Good is the nature of God and everything in harmony with it.
2e) The nature of God is love, truth, and life.
3e) Love is surrendering to the needs of the loved as a priority above your own needs: “You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature a; rather, serve one another in love. 14 The entire law is summed up in a single command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”[2]
4e) Truth is an accurate description of reality
5e) Life is given by the breath or Spirit of God, the evidence of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control[3]
6e) Good is not pleasure or absence of all physical and emotional pain. Questions:
1) Is pain a result of sin? The possibility of pain existed on earth before Adam sinned, therefore pain could not have been a result of sin. Pain is the body’s warning mechanism. Broken bones were possible before sin, and they would have caused pain. Fire existed (the sun) before man sinned. Fire is destruction.
2) does freewill enable emotion? i.e.- if we lost freewill, would we lose our emotions?
3) if freewill is so important, why do we so earnestly strive to trade it for servitude to the Holy Spirit?
4) if a person is just a series of complex equations, do they ever truly “choose” anything?
5) do animals have freewill?
6) could God have created a universe in which evil was possible but much less probable than our current?
7) since God is good, He can only do good, therefore this current universe is good (He declared it so). Would any other universe contain less good, and therefore God would be committing evil in creating it (withholding good when it is in His power to do it)? Does this mean that this is the best possible universe?
8) A universe without evil by means of eliminating freedom is a logical contradiction if: absence of freedom is a form of evil, because then the universe without evil would contain evil (the absence of freedom)
9) is all evil, not just moral evil, a result of freewill?
10) is life defined by emotion or by one’s possessing the necessary equipment to be able to make decisions?
[1]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ga 5:19). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. a Or the flesh; also in verses 16, 17, 19 and 24 [2]The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ga 5:13). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. [3] The Holy Bible : New International Version. 1996, c1984 (electronic ed.) (Ga 5:22-23). Grand Rapids: Zondervan. |
