RELIGION AND LIFE 

1 - BELIEVING IN GOD 

Evil and suffering - 

• Moral evil - caused by humans using their free will (eg: rape, murder, burglary) 
• Natural evil - not caused by humans (eg: earthquakes, floods, volcano eruptions)

How it can lead to agnosticism/atheism (questioning/rejecting belief in God) - 

• If God is omnipotent (all-powerful), he must be able to remove evil and suffering from the world 
• If God is omni-benevolent (all-good), he must want to remove all evil and suffering from the world 
• If God exists there should be no evil and suffering in the world 
• God is either not all-good and all-powerful or he doesn't exist 
• If God is omniscient (all-knowing) he would have known the evil and suffering that would come from creating the universe - should have created it in a way that avoids that 

Religious responses (Christian) - 

1 - God must have a reason for allowing evil and suffering 

• Humans can't understand it 
• Should follow example of Jesus and fight against evil and suffering (healing sick, feeding hungry, challenging evil) 
• Christians do this by praying for and helping those who are suffering (eg: doctors, nurses, social workers etc.) - reduce amounts of suffering in the world 

2 - Caused by free will 

• God gave humans free will 
• Created a world where evil and suffering will come out through humans misusing their free will 
• Caused by humans, not God 

3 - Evil and suffering (in this life) isn't a problem, this is preparation for paradise

• Must face evil and suffering in order to improve their sould 
• Gives people the chance to become good people 
• Will show omni-benevolence and omnipotence by rewarding good in heaven

4 - God has a reason for it 

• God has a reason for not using his power to remove evil and suffering but humans can't understand it
• God is divine - no way we can understand his thoughts