1. Evil and Suffering and Non-Belief in God – Model Answer
Why might the problem of evil and suffering lead someone to reject belief in God? (8)
If God Omni-benevolent, which is all-loving and kind, why is there evil and suffering in the world, either God cannot be benevolent if he allows evil, or he does not exist.
If God is Omnipotent, which means God is all-powerful, then why doesn’t he stop evil and suffering? Either he is not all powerful or he does not exist.
If God is Omniscient, why would he create a world with imperfections if he knew those imperfections would cause us suffering. Either he is not Omniscient or he dies not exist.
If bad things have happened to us we might want to blame God or conclude he does not exist.
People may ask God to end suffering and when he doesn’t they conclude he does not exist or is not the God we thought he was.
Moral evil, suffering caused to humans by humans, can be explained because it is our fault, but surely God must have caused Natural Evil, things that cause suffering but have nothing to do with humans.

3. Homework
Using newspapers, the internet or any form or written media, select three articles for natural evil and three that show moral evil.
Cut out the articles and stick them in your book.
For each article explain WHY it is either moral or natural evil and WHO has been affected because of the evil.