Arguments for Atheism

[i7nvd]

I'm in a second year philosophy class. My professor is a big atheist, and in the next three classes, we'll be getting into the arguments for atheism. The biggest one of course is the question of evil. If God is all loving, he wouldn't want evil to befall us. If God is omnipotent, He can stop evil from happening. And if God is omniscient, He knew at the beginning of time evil would befall us. So if God is supposed to be all those things, how come there's still evil. I'm not talking about evil between one person and another, because that's easy enough to prove - the free will aspect is a given. I'm talking natural evils... Volcanos erupting... Tsunamis.... You know it. Can someone help me out? How do I give reason for natural evil?

[HomeTeamFamily]

without God, there would be no atheism

[Specter]

Well, I know one way to go about this, is that when God created the world, it was structured differently. Who knows if, before the flood, there were all of these natural evils? Because the shift in the make-up of the world caused much to change, and the effects were that natural disasters would happen.

There is also this quote from a Star Wars book called "Tales of the Bounty Hunters":[quote]"Everyone dies.

It's the final and only lasting Jusice. Evil exists; it is intelligence in the service of entropy. When the side of a mountain slides down to kill a village, this is not evil, for evil requires intent. Should a sentient being cause that landslide, there is evil; and requires Justice as a consequence, so that civilization can exist. There is no greater good than Justice; and only if law serves Justice is it good law. It is said correctly that law exists not for the Just but for the unjust, for the Just carry the law in thier hearts, and do not need to call it from afar.

I bow to no one and I give service only for cause."  --Journeyman Protector,
Jaster Mereel[/quote]
I'll let others take it from here.

Edited February 9, 2005 by Specter

[i7nvd]

I see what you're saying with taht quote, but the atheist would reply "Why would God have let that landslide happen in the first place?"

[Specter]

Why did God cover the earth with a flood? Why does God let bad things happen to good people? Sin. Now that's a hard argument to make, but it's the most logical, when you trace it back. How are STDs transmitted? Sin. I've lead a chaste life, and thus have next to no chance of getting any STD at all. Sin is the root of all evil.

[Crusader_4]

Through original sin we have corrupted gods creation put it like this is the world is perfect God gave man the choice to sin as a result his creation has become imperfect in all aspects not just humanity but nature as well.

[phatcatholic]

here are some articles that may be of help to you:

--[url="http://www.bringyou.to/apologetics/a86.htm"]The Problem of Evil[/url]
--[url="http://cuf.org/member/humansuffering.pdf"]Human Suffering: Why Does God Permit It?[/url]
--[url="http://www.ewtn.com/library/SCRIPTUR/SFRING.TXT"]Suffering[/url]
--[url="http://www.catholicculture.org/docs/doc_view.cfm?recnum=4297"]The Problem of Suffering Reconsidered[/url]
--[url="http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/SFS/an0802.asp"]Why Me? Suffering and Meaning[/url]
--[url="http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0702.asp"]The Mystery of Suffering: How Should I Respond?[/url]
--[url="http://www.americancatholic.org/Newsletters/CU/ac0287.asp"]Why Must I Suffer?[/url]
--[url="http://www.domestic-church.com/CONTENT.DCC/19990901/ARTICLES/suffering.htm"]God Allows Suffering[/url]

two answers immediately come to mind when i consider this problem of suffering. one is that evil is not something that God created. it is merely the deprivation of good, and it exists solely b/c sin has the effect of depriving every single thing of goodness. secondly, God can exist, and still be omniscient, omnipotent, and all-loving and evil can STILL exist in the world b/c evil is never and end in and of itself. instead, it is a means thru which God accomplishes good in the world. God can and does accomplish good thru every evil in the world. so, instead of being an end, evil is a means to an end, and that end is goodness, justice, and mercy.

i hope that helps

pax christi,
phatcatholic

[phatcatholic]

here is another excellent explanation: short and to the point

--[url="http://www.geocities.com/Athens/8160/faq.htm#q4"]Does [b]Evil and Suffering Disprove Theism?[/b][/url]