A theodicy is a story that attempts to demonstrate that the presence of evil in the world does not disprove the existence of a perfectly good, almighty, and all-knowing God. Theodicies and defences are two forms of response to this conundrum. Evil can be classified into natural evil such as disease and physical catastrophes or moral evil, which can be summed up as "man's inhumanity to man."
Yes, theodicies explain the existence of an all-powerful, benevolent God
Theodicies demonstrate the power of an all-powerful God.
We don't know God’s plan - evil might have a higher purpose
God, in their omniscience, knows the outcome of everything. It is possible that they permit some evil acts because to prevent them would incur greater evil or prevent greater good.
God the Creator is the only perfect being in all of existence
God is described by theists as the "perfect being"; one that is omnipotent, omnibenevolent, omnipresent, and is devoid of sin or weakness. Anything else that is not God is by definition imperfect, including anything that God creates because it is not God. Humans, despite their great capacity for consciousness, are still predisposed to act sinfully.
Theodicies explain a loving, all powerful, benevolent God
The theological approach of theodicy justifies the holiness and divine attributes of God. It affirms God’s ability to exist as omnipotent and benevolent while permitting moral and physical evil.
Yes, theodicies explain that God allows people the free will to commit evil
Theodicies reconcile the fact that we are all God's children with the evil that some people commit.
The free will defence claims that evil is caused by human beings
One argument, known as the free will defence, claims that evil is caused not by God but by human beings, who must be allowed to choose between good and evil if they are to have free will. Having the ability to decide one's fate is necessary to understand the importance of God.
God didn’t create evil but we need evil to see God’s love
If we never experienced evil, we would not comprehend goodness. We experience the ultimate goodness through God’s love-but we must experience evil to value it. If we lived in a perfect world, we would not appreciate God's love. Though God did not create evil, he uses it to show Himself to the world.
Theodicies explain suffering as evil allowing personal growth
Humans are unable to reach moral perfection unless faced with obstacles that encourage them to improve morally. Through the endurance of suffering and evil, they grow closer to moral perfection.
Evil acts as a litmus test checking mankind's loyalty to God
Evil is God's sieve that separates the loyalists from the unworthy. Yet, everyone is loved by God and is given a chance to reject temptation, or to repent and save themselves from eternal damnation. All He looks for is loyalty in exchange for the boundless gifts given to His creation.
The only plausible explanation for the existence of both God and evil is the existence of another potent spiritual force that creates or encourages evil.
Evil proves the existence of Satan as a nemesis to an omnibenevolent God
God is all-good and would not create evil. Nevertheless, evil exists in the world. This points towards the presence of another divine being with the power to create and promote evil on earth. This separation of good and evil is the foundation of people's belief in God and religion.
No, the opposite: the existence of evil disproves the existence of God
David Hume in his Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion (1779): “Is [God] willing to prevent evil, but not able? then is he impotent. Is he able, but not willing? then is he malevolent. Is he both able and willing? whence then is evil?”
The only explanation for evil is that there is no God
The existence of evil is fundamentally incompatible with the existence of God.
