Evil and the Evidence for God

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Evil and the Evidence for God

• Rob Bowman

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The problems of evil

• Is Gods existence contradicted by evil?
• Is Gods existence improbable because of evil?
• Can evil be better explained without God?

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2. The evidential problem of evil

• Is the evidence for Gods existence outweighed by
  evil?
• This is the evidential problem of evil
• It asks, since so much evil exists, is it likely
  that God exists?

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Evidence for Gods existence is everywhere.

• The beginning of the universe and its fine-tuning
  as a stable place for stars and planets proves
  that something or Someone transcends the universe.

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• The Earths remarkable fitness for lifeits
  delicately balanced location in the solar system,
  its mineral-rich crust and abundant water, its
  tilt and rotation, its large tides-creating moon,
  and so much moreare best explained as the design
  of a Creator.

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• The complex structures of life from the molecular
  level up are evidence of an intelligent Creator.

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• The heavens tell of the glory of God,
• And their expanse declares the work of his
  hands.
• --Psalm 191

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• The resurrection of Jesus is a fact for which the
  Gospels and Pauls writings provide solid
  historical evidence.

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Although evil is widespread and grievous, it does
not overturn the evidence for Gods existence.

• The evil that people do to each other is not
  Gods fault it results from our misusing the
  gifts God has given us (James 113-17).

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• We suffer as a result of physical calamities such
  as hurricanes because the human race as a whole
  is living under a curse of alienation from nature
  because of our alienation from God (Gen. 317-19).

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• God tolerates both moral and physical evils in
  this world because he is bringing about a greater
  good through it all (Rom. 8218-30).

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Other religions and worldviews have their own
problems of evil.

• Every belief system, not just Christianity, must
  give a credible explanation of why evil exists,
  how we can recognize it as evil, and whether evil
  will ever be overcome.

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Atheism cannot explain why anything should be
judged evil, since if atheism is true only
material things exist and our being here in the
first place is just a cosmic accident.

• Man is the result of a purposeless and natural
  process that did not have him in mind. He was not
  planned.George Gaylord Simpson, The Meaning of
  Evolution

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Pantheistic religions, such as many forms of
Hinduism and New Age thought, cannot explain how
evil could originate, since Godwhich is supposed
to be goodis literally all there is. Thats why
some New Agers simply deny the reality of evil.
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• I have said over and over again that there is no
  right or wrong in the universe. A thing
  simply is. Hitler did nothing wrong. Hitler
  simply did what he did. Neale Donald Walsch,
  Conversations With God, Book 2.

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For more information, or for help in defending
the Christian faith, please visit the following
web sitewww.4Truth.netNorth American Mission
Board