Christians, how do you explain 'natural' evil?

[Rational Atheist]

I am fairly sure that most Christians on here are aware of the infamous 'Problem of Evil.' This common objection to the existence of God is typically answered by Christians claiming that evil must exist in the world in order for humans to have free will to choose between good and evil, and that while God does not want evil to exist, his desire for humans to have free will is stronger than his desire for evil not to exist. Fair enough (though I don't think free will exists, but that's another discussion). But how do you explain 'natural' evil i.e. evil that has nothing to do with human actions? Some examples of natural evil are: the billions of sentient animals that have suffered incredible pain and agony over the course of hundreds of millions of years, the horrendous and crippling diseases that both humans and animals have suffered from throughout all of history, and the violent weather that kills many thousands of humans and non-humans every year. How are these types of evils compatible with the existence of an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful god who is supposedly not sadistic at all? It seems to me that these types of evils refute the existence of an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful god. If a god exists, he either doesn't know that all these things occur, does not have the ability to stop them, or he has a sadistic streak and for some reason wants the majority of his creations to suffer immensely. Or (and this is the simplest and most reasonable explanation IMO), a god simply doesn't exist.

So, my debate question is, how do you, if you believe in an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful God, resolve the problem of natural evils?

[JehovahsWitness]

But how do you explain .. the billions of sentient animals that have suffered incredible pain and agony over the course of hundreds of millions of years,

The bible indicates that God did not intend animals to harm each other ...

But how do you explain .. the horrendous and crippling diseases that both humans and animals have suffered from throughout all of history

Biblically, God's purpose is that man and animals live in good health and in perfect harmony.

But how do you explain .. and the violent weather that kills many thousands of humans and non-humans every year.

Storms don't have to be deadly; under God's direction extreme weather will merely be awsome displays of power, without endangering humain or animal life.








JEHOVAHS WITNESS

To learn more please go to other posts related to...

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[Miles]

I am fairly sure that most Christians on here are aware of the infamous 'Problem of Evil.' This common objection to the existence of God is typically answered by Christians claiming that evil must exist in the world in order for humans to have free will to choose between good and evil, and that while God does not want evil to exist, his desire for humans to have free will is stronger than his desire for evil not to exist. Fair enough (though I don't think free will exists, but that's another discussion).

A hard deterministic atheist here.

I don't believe the typical Christian answer, that "evil must exist in the world in order for humans to have free will to choose between good and evil," makes any sense, so your "fair enough" is really unbefitting. Take away evil and all one has left to choose from are multiple goods, and what's wrong with that? [not that anyone actually makes choices.] If god made us correctly---in his image as it were---free will would not need evil to exist, although I've seen Christians defend free will with just such aberrant logic.

FYI, I too reject the concept of free will, regarding it as an illusion. Often a necessary illusion.


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[JehovahsWitness]

If god made us correctly---in his image as it were---free will would not need evil to exist...

"Free Will" does not need evil to exist. Biblically free will is simply the capacity to make moral choices, even if those choices are between good and better (or even good and different).




JW

[Miles]

But how do you explain .. the billions of sentient animals that have suffered incredible pain and agony over the course of hundreds of millions of years,

The bible indicates that God did not intend animals to harm each other ...

Obviously you're unaware that some animals, obligate carnivores such as cats, cannot survive without eating meat because their digestive systems cannot properly digest vegetation. Their short, simple digestive tracts are not equipped to break down the tough cell walls of plants. They lack amylase in their saliva: an enzyme found in the mouths of herbivores and omnivores to begin the breakdown of plant cells while chewing. Plus, if they were not meant to eat meat why do they have jaws that are unable to move from sided to side so as to break down vegetable fiber, but are exceptionally strong and equipped with sharp, enlarged canines that are prefect for ripping into flesh? No herbivore is so equipped---omnivores have much reduced canines. So, if the Bible does indeed indicate that "God did not intend animals to harm each other," it's simply wrong, which wouldn't be the first time.
source

But how do you explain .. the horrendous and crippling diseases that both humans and animals have suffered from throughout all of history

Biblically, God's purpose is that man and animals live in good health and in perfect harmony

Boy that "purpose" was quite a flop, wasn't it.

But how do you explain .. and the violent weather that kills many thousands of humans and non-humans every year. How are these types of evils compatible with the existence of an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful god who is supposedly not sadistic at all? It seems to me that these types of evils refute the existence of an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful god. If a god exists, he either doesn't know that all these things occur, does not have the ability to stop them, or he has a sadistic streak and for some reason wants the majority of his creations to suffer immensely. Or (and this is the simplest and most reasonable explanation IMO), a god simply doesn't exist.
So, my debate question is, how do you, if you believe in an all-knowing, all-loving, and all-powerful God, resolve the problem of natural evils?

Storms don't have to be deadly, under God's direction they will merely be awsome displays of power, without endangering humain or animal life.

But some do endanger human and animal life. Even killing it.

"Tsunami hits Phuket on Dec 26, 2004 | Tsunami, Indian ocean, Natural disasters"

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[JehovahsWitness]

But how do you explain .. the billions of sentient animals that have suffered incredible pain and agony over the course of hundreds of millions of years,

The bible indicates that God did not intend animals to harm each other ...

Obviously you're unaware that some animals, obligate carnivores such as cats, cannot survive without eating meat because their digestive systems cannot properly digest vegetation.

Can an omnipotent God that made digestive systems of animals out of nothing not see them adapt to His will?







JW



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[brunumb]

The bible indicates that God did not intend animals to harm each other

Then how did they change in such a way that the entire web of life requires the majority of animals to consume other animals in order to survive? Their very physiology and biology is based on that.

[brunumb]

Storms don't have to be deadly; under God's direction extreme weather will merely be awsome displays of power, without endangering humain or animal life.

A quaint view but patently far removed from reality. Storms kill thousands of people and destroy homes and villages on a regular basis. An awesome display of God's power would be the exact opposite. What we have is a demonstration of natural forces at work and the non-existence of any gods.

[brunumb]

Can an omnipotent God that made digestive systems of animals out of nothing not see them adapt to His will?

So God is responsible for animals having to eat each other. Got it.

[Miles]

Can an omnipotent God that made digestive systems of animals out of nothing not see them adapt to His will?

Can an omnipotent God that made animals adapt to His will not erase the evil in people without drowning them all?

Of course he could. but did he? Nope! And why would god change lettuce and spinach eating lions and tigers into obligate carnivores? Did they some how displease him?
Bad kitty. Bad! Bad! Bad!


It's all too silly.


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