Omnipotence Essay

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Recommended: Deductive problem of evil

What is omnipotence? The literal meaning of the word “omnipotence” is the quality of having unlimited or very great power. People, who claim to have a religion, believe that God is omnipotent, that is, he is all powerful, and all knowing. However, the existence of evil in the world despite God being Omnipotent challenges this attribute of the God and raises question on his unlimited power. This contradiction gives rise to the argument which is described in the J.L Mackie’s article as problem of evil: God is omnipotent, God is wholly good, and yet evil exists.
In the light of Mackie’s argument if one accepts that evil exists, then he cannot accept God is both omnipotent and morally perfect. Thus, a solution that he proposed to this problem …show more content…

In addition to this, some of the fallacious solutions presented to this argument includes, God cannot exist without evil or evil is necessary as counterpart to good; evil is necessary as a means to goodness; the universe is better with some evil in it than it could be if there is no evil; evil is due to human free. However, each of these solutions poses limit to what a God can do; thus, making him not fully omnipotent.
Moving on, all the arguments presented by Mackie are justified, but restricted to worldly life only. Being a theist, I believe in the life hereafter, the life after an individual dies. This belief acts as counter attack to the problem of evil because I believe the life on earth is an exam for human beings with results partially being distributed in the present life and in the life hereafter. Those who follow the right path and do good deeds will be rewarded in the paradise whereas people who adopted a bad faith and led an evil life will be punished in hell. Therefore, God created evil in order to differentiate between good and bad people or the winners and losers of this worldly life. But again, there is an issue. Being a theist, I also believe in the omnipotence

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