The Problem of Evil according to Plantiga Essay Example
The Problem of Evil according to Plantiga Essay Example

The Problem of Evil according to Plantiga Essay Example

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Argument: Premises: 1. God exists, is omnipotent, omniscient, and wholly good 2. The tsunami caused people to suffer 3. An omniscient and omnipotent good being prevents any suffering that it can properly eliminate (that is, eliminate any suffering without eliminating an outweighing good or bringing about a greater evil) that it knows about 4. An omnipotent being has the power to prevent anything 5. An omniscient being is all knowing 6. The tsunami did not bring about good
Conclusion: God should have prevented the tsunami

The premises listed above support the conclusion that God should have prevented the tsunami if we assume that God exists and is all-powerful, all-knowing, and truly good. The tsunami caused widespread suffering and brought about additional evils such as famine, poverty, despair, and death. According to premise 1, an

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omniscient and omnipotent good being would prevent any suffering it could properly eliminate, which includes eliminating the tsunami knowing the damage it would cause. Premises 1, 4, and 5 establish the nature of God as a being with the power to prevent anything and knowledge of everything, making it reasonable to expect that God could have prevented the Asian tsunami.Alternative premises that simply state that God is all-powerful and wholly good would not be enough. This is because God could potentially not be aware of the suffering caused by a tsunami. Therefore, it was necessary to include the quality of omniscience in the premise. Additionally, as Plantiga mentions in his book, it is not always true that a benevolent being should prevent all suffering if it has the power to do so. Eliminating one form of evil could lead to more evil o

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overshadow a greater good. Consequently, it was essential to add the notion that a good being prevents evil that it can effectively eliminate to my premises.

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