Christianity & Atheism

The Problem of Evil

This is widely regarded as the strongest argument against God: if God is all-powerful and all-good, why is there so much, and such terrible, suffering? We state the argument at full strength before offering any response. Christian answers include human free will, the shaping of character through hardship, and, distinctively, a God who does not remain above suffering but enters it himself on the Cross, and promises finally to end it.

The argument, at full strength

The ancient philosopher Epicurus is credited with the sharpest form: is God willing to prevent evil but not able? then he is not omnipotent. Is he able but not willing? then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? then why is there evil? Philosophers distinguish the logical problem (evil is incompatible with God) from the evidential problem (the sheer amount of apparently pointless suffering, a fawn burning slowly in a forest fire no one sees, is strong evidence against God, as William Rowe argued). This is not a weak objection. For many it is decisive, and it should be felt, not waved away.

Christian responses

Christians answer in several ways, none tidy. The free-will defense (Alvin Plantinga) holds that much evil is the price of a greater good, real freedom to love, which cannot exist without the possibility of its abuse. The soul-making view (John Hick) sees the world as a place where courage, compassion, and love are forged, which a frictionless world could not produce. But the distinctively Christian claim is not an explanation so much as a Person: God did not stay above the suffering.

Historical and philosophical sources are named in the text (e.g. Tacitus, Josephus, Bart Ehrman, Gary Habermas, Alvin Plantinga, John Hick). We aim to cite atheist and skeptical scholars accurately and in their own terms. Bible: King James Version.

Frequently asked questions

What is the problem of evil?

The argument that the existence of evil and suffering is hard to reconcile with an all-powerful, all-good God. It comes in a logical form (evil is incompatible with God) and an evidential form (the amount of pointless-seeming suffering is strong evidence against God).

How do Christians respond to the problem of evil?

With the free-will defense (evil is the price of genuine freedom), the soul-making view (suffering can form virtue), and above all the claim that God entered suffering himself in Jesus on the Cross and promises to end all suffering. These are responses, not proofs.

Does the problem of evil disprove God?

Most philosophers think the logical version (that evil is strictly incompatible with God) fails, largely due to Plantinga's free-will defense. The evidential version remains a serious and widely held argument. It is weighty, not decisive on its own.