Mackie-Existence Of Evil

Andrew Johnson
February 3, 2011
Philosophy 1010
Paper #1

Tension has existed between atheists and theists since the dawn of time. some of the arguments mull over the peoples belief in a classical divinity. It is said that God is fair and vindicatory and all knowing and omnipotent. Atheists wonder how this could possibly be true. human life is often generation sound of cruelty and suffering, there atomic number 18 unacquainted(p) people who die every delicate of everyday. If God is fair and just as well as omnipotent then why does he allow abominable things to happen to innocent people? God is often times referred to as the Holy Father, what kind of father would allow an innocent child to starve to death or allow atomic number 53 of his children to be beaten and raped. Many theists believe that there is a higher divine plan, and the reason evil-minded exists and bad things evanesce is because it is part of this plan.
It is not a question whether evil exists in the world. The question that arises is that if there is an all-good and all-powerful God why is he not preventing evil and suffering from occurring. In 1955, a philosopher by the name of J.L. Mackie published Evil and Omnipotence. Mackie explores the debate with an atheistic sight and believes that the greatest argument against the existence of God is the fact that evil does exist.




Mackie assumes that there are three statements that every theist must(prenominal) accept. The three statements every religious believer assumes, first that God is omnibenevolent, second that God is omnipotent, and lastly that evil exists. The first cardinal statements are definitional. All theists accept that God is, the Being everlasting(a) in power, wisdom, and goodness who is worshipped as creator and principle of the universe (Merriam-Webster.com) As Mackie points out there is a correct contradiction between the three propositions. If any two of the statements are true than the third would be false. But at the selfsame(prenominal) time all three are essential split of most theological propositions: the theologian, it seems,...If you want to get a full essay, order it on our website: Orderessay



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