Theodicy: The Problem Of Evil

Since the commencement of time, people have been questioning and debating the problem of evil and why God allows for evil to exist. If evil is the spiritual balance of good, then without the existence of evil, good would not be able exist. This belief may be explained by the contrast theodicy that God may have reasons for evil to exist in society. An example of a contrast theodicy would be that bad things happen to good people and is the basis of the relationship of evil to God’s intent for the good of mankind. People also question why God does not eliminate the suffering of mankind from the world. Again, we can turn to a theodicy to provide an explanation to this question. The answer may found in the big-plan theodicy, which explains that suffering may be part of God’s big plan and needs to happen for good of mankind.

There are two forms of evil that exist in the world, moral evil and natural evil.

Moral or intrinsic evil is the evil that man inflicts upon his fellow man. Whereas, natural or instrumental evil is when mankind suffers by the act of natural causes that God inflicts. The problem of evil is not that it exists in the world, the problem of evil is that mankind will select it. It is mankind who struggles inside himself when making decisions of good and evil. A person’s decision making will influence the actions that a person will make and their actions will result in good or evil consequences. This research paper will explore the premises of moral evil and attempt to explain its effect on mankind’s decision

making.
When man commits an action of moral or intrinsic evil, such as murder, rape, and deceit are the result of man’s poor decision making and not of God’s free will. From the start, God created man in his image and intended that mankind would follow his planned pathway of life. God’s pathway of life was for man to reproduce in his image, to carry out his will, for man to help lead with God, and that man would symbolize good. However, through evolution of mankind and the environment which man shaped began to challenge the spirit of God’s purpose. It is the moral decisions made by man that test the true intent of God’s will for mankind. God created a special place on earth and wanted all of earth to be as beautiful and picture-perfect as the Garden of Eden. The first test theodicy of God’s intent of moral decision making was in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve. Satan disguised himself as a serpent in the Garden of Eden and told a convincing deceptive story to Eve and persuaded her to eat an apple from the “tree of life”. What makes the serpent story so powerful to Eve is that the serpent knows what God knows, that eating the forbidden fruit will separate the knowledge of “good and evil”. It was their disobedience of their loyalty to God’s commandment and listening to the serpent’s encouragement to eat the forbidden fruit. This event symbolizes the devil theodicy how God created the innocence of man and by man’s decision making would place the entire human race into sin and dishonesty forever. The problem of evil is that man will select it and it is morals of man that stand between man and God’s commandments.