1. The problem of evil intro and evil is a necessary part of a balanced universe

2. The problem of evil presents 3 ideas. 1. Either God can prevent evil but does not therefore he is not omnipotent or benevolent 2. God does not exist 3. God does exist and has a purpose for evil beyond our human comprehension.

3. Types of evil Natural: Humans have no control. Moral evil. The fall of man (foolishness, selfishness) To remove the problem of evil, the theist has to demonstrate that God is still omnipotent, omniscient and benevolent and the world was created by a morally perfect being.

4. From your homework, did you come up with the argument that without evil, no good could be apparent. This assumption is covered in these 4 topics of study: 1. Evil is a necessary part of a dynamic universe 2. The Augustinian theodicy and free will. 3. The Ireanean theodicy 4. The best of all possible worlds.

5. 1 st let’s look at what evil is: Augustine of Hippo (354-430) Evil is a privation (an absence) God did not create evil only good. Evil was not created, it is only a privation (absence) of good. Sickness was not created, it is only an absence of health. Both sickness and evil comes about due to the exercise of our own free will.

6. If the ideal person for Augustine is a Christian with Christian virtues does this mean that all non Christians are doomed to commit constant evil? Even Christians have held different values over time. For example: If we have to turn away from God to commit evils how does one explain the death of babies?

7. Problems with evil It becomes difficult to explain how the Haiti earthquake had anything to do with “turning away” from what is good. Augustine explains that natural evil is the work of angels and this poses fat too many questions.

8. Evil is a necessary part of a balanced universe Imagine you are watching a football match and the ref books a player. It seems really unfair, the crowd start shouting at the ref. However, although the whole crowd think the ref is wrong, the ref was the only one who could actually see the foul. Therefore, we may only see the evil but really it isn’t evil at all.

9. Our misunderstanding is a result of the “perversion of the will turned aside from God.” Yet even our evil has good within it. (Life, creativity, intelligence) Augustine explains that we can’t fully understand evil. If we have “the eye that has the skill to discern it...the universe is beautiful even by sinners.” Explain what Augustine is saying here.

10. Nietzsche: “Never have I felt happier...than in the sickest and most painful periods of my life.” He was looking forward to his compensation in the next life.

11. There must be change, decay and death in the universe in order for it to be dynamic and grow. When a loved one dies this seems cruel hard to understand but it is necessary in order for life to evolve, change and develop. John 9 verse 3: “Neither this man sinned nor his parents, but it was in order the works of God might be made manifest in this case.”

12. To feel joy we must feel sadness. To enjoy the spring bloom we must go through the bleak winter. The foot soldiers who built the pyramids would have suffered personal tragedies but the bigger picture was glorious. 200 Soldiers in Iraq died but the overall war was a relative success.

13. However, in the end, this argument is asking us to accept the unknown. To have faith that evil happens for a reason but not always to understand why. Some will find this argument unsatisfactory!