Good Question, Quick Answer: Suffering and Evil #1

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Q:  How can you believe in God when there is  so much evil in the World?

A: This is a great question,  but one that many Christian dread being asked. And having two minutes or less to answer it will never ever do it justice. So what do we say? We answer a question with a question: Where do you get your concepts of evil from to formulate the problem?

The reasoning behind this question should be spelled out for the sceptic. We will not have time to deal with the problem of evil at a deep level in an average conversation, it is important to show that every worldview has to deal with the problem. And I want to know how atheism deals with it. So for the sake of time we can concede the point and say: ok you got me there. Let’s say you’ve solved the problem of God – God doesn’t exist because of evil. You’ve actually made more problems for yourself.

If you say there is evil you are assuming there is  good. When you say there is such a thing as good you are assuming a moral law by which to distinguish between good and evil. When you say there is a moral law you are assuming a moral law giver. You say evil makes belief in a moral law giver problematic at best. Where then does your concept of evil come from? This is a massive problem for atheism; secularism and objective morality are not easy bedfellows to say the least. So there is no need to be afraid of the problem of evil. Not only does atheism fail miserably, but it can actually send  a person in search of God.

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