The Problem of Evil is an Insufficient Argument Against the Christian God

Without more ado, I will proceed with my arguments. I will note beforehand that I consider the PoE to be unsound and insufficient because of the following reasons. So, the first argument I would like to put forth. I. Tu quoque: In this point, I will note that whenever an argument about the PoE os proffered, the objector has the same problem. I need not expand further on this argument. II. The moral evil point is too easily answered This point is so easy to answer I wonder why it is still recycled. The short and simple answer to this would be morally significant free will. It is analogous to Dawkins reply of ". .. It"s tough. .. " when confronted with the PoE in relation to the atheists belief. There is really no need to further this argument. Now that those two points have been addressed, I will like to set forth another argument. In this argument, I would propose that the argument about PoE is logically unsound. This is different from it being logically valid, which only deals with consistency. III. Logically unsound As my opponent has not yet made a case, I will use one of the major points in usual debates as counter. This point states, "A perfectly good, omnipotent, omnipresent God would not allow evil. " The obvious question I must ask is, why not? There is no logical reason why a perfectly good God cannot allow evil. Evil being the absence of good, then the two are not contradictory in any way. Saying that a perfectly good God MUST remove evil when he sees it is to impose one"s own preconceptions on God. This means that we are in effect deciding for God what to do. This is a point which you will have to defend. There is no logical way in which this can be circumvented. Lastly (Keeping this debate opening short, it might expand exponentially in the next round), I will address the problem of natural evil and show that it, too, is not a sufficient objection. IV. The natural evil point can be answered with a little ingenuity The answer to moral evil is easily modified to fit this objection. Consider the Judeo-Christian tradition that all men are descended from one man. This is the basis for "All men are equal" actually, but that is not the point of this debate. This man, known as Adam, sinned at an event known as the Fall. As a result, he was punished. Now, since he was suppose to be dominant over the whole of the rest of creation, in that he was supposed to take care of them, the whole of creation suffers as a consequence of the punishment. To put this into perspective, suppose that a boss fires a worker. This worker has several children not old enough to work. Let us suppose that he has run out of money. Is it the boss" fault that the children now starve? No. In the same way, God is not responsible for most natural evil. I qualify it with most because there are possibilities in which He will use natural calamities as punishment. Now, is He in control of it, or not? I would posit, yes, He is. However, in the same way as a few sections back, He has no need to stop it. It is simply not up to us to decide what goes and what does not. I eagerly await your version of the PoE.