The Most Powerful Argument Against God?

     One of the greatest obstacles for many in accepting the reality of God is the problem of evil, pain, and suffering. The argument can be traced as far back as the Greek philosopher Epicurus ca. 300 BC. If God is all-good and all-powerful, why does evil exist? If he desires to take away evil from the world but cannot, he is not all-powerful. If he can take away evil but does not, he is not all-good. If he is neither willing nor capable, he is neither all-good nor all-powerful. If he is both willing and capable, why does evil exist?   

     On the surface this may sound like a compelling argument, but is it valid? If the logic is so incontrovertible, why have there been staunch theists long before, during, and ever since the time of Epicurus?

The Question is Reasonable, But is the Conclusion Reasonable?

     Do “bad things” necessarily disprove the existence of a supreme causal entity beyond our universe? Do “bad things” then prove that something does come from nothing, that lifeless matter does generate intelligent life, and that specified complexity (intelligent design) does happen randomly without a purposeful designer?¹ Do our unanswered questions eliminate the answers we already have? Is human ignorance so powerful that it justifies the rejection of any supernatural creative force outside our universe and beyond our comprehension? If there is a problem we have difficulty understanding, might we be the problem? Is it possible that there is a purpose to the “bad” that we are not grasping, or perhaps the “bad” has a solution we are not looking for or not willing to accept?²

The Question No one Seems to be Asking …

     Why is there so much “good” in the world? Why isn’t anyone asking that question? If there is a black dot on an otherwise blank page, and passers-by are asked what they see, almost everyone will hone in on the black dot. Why? What about the rest of the page – the vast majority of the page – that surrounds the dot? We tend to be so focused on tiny abnormalities that we fail to see and appreciate everything else. The reality of evil, pain, and suffering grabs most of our attention because it’s not normal. With all the negativity in our newscasts and conversations, we seem oblivious to the plethoric beauty and decency in this less-than-perfect world. How do we explain love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control? If we are merely an evolutionary accident of amoral, unintentional, mindless forces directed by nothing and heading nowhere, there ought to be a whole lot more “bad” and a whole lot less “good” than there actually is.

     Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. To say – “Why is ‘evil’ in the world?” – presupposes: (a) knowledge of what constitutes “evil,” (b) knowledge (and appreciation) of what constitutes the contrasting “good,” and (c) an objective standard beyond oneself that determines what is “evil” and what is “good.” Is abortion evil or good? Is genocide evil or good? Who decides? You? Me? Adolf Hitler? Mother Teresa? Nazi Germany? ISIS? The society in which I live? Someone else’s society? Or is there an objective standard beyond any individual or social group? The question presupposes a higher authority (God?).³

     The irony is that evil and suffering exist, not because there is no God but because people reject God and then live accordingly. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works …” (Psalm 14:1). While the basis of the world’s evil lies in a practical denial of God, this is frequently twisted around to serve as what appears to be one of the most powerful objections to God’s existence.

Starting with a False Premise  

     Those who reject the God of the Bible because of evil, pain, and suffering are actually rejecting a misconceived version of God. It is true that the God of the Bible is all-good and all-powerful,⁴ but it is not true that he is only all-good and all-powerful. There are other aspects of his nature that provide a fuller, more balanced image. To assert that the God of the Bible can do anything and always gets what he wants is a fallacy not based in scripture. There are some things he cannot do. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2). He cannot be tempted by evil (James 1:13). He cannot do what is logically contradictory or impossible, like make a “square circle” or create a “married bachelor.” While the God of the Bible is sovereign,⁵ this doesn’t mean he always gets what he wants. Even though he desires all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:4), not all are willing to accept his conditions of salvation (Matt. 7:21; 23:37; etc.). God cannot be understood apart from all his attributes: justice, holiness, love, mercy, forbearance, et al., which, by the way, are often left out of the conversation.

A Revised Premise

     In order to have the greatest state of goodness in the world, it is necessary for some specific goods to exist that entail the possibility of certain evils. Humans are designed with the ability to think and the freedom to choose. A God of love doesn’t force us to act against our wills but grants freedom. The blessing of freedom involves choice, and choice includes not only the possibility of making good decisions but also bad ones. It is impossible for God to have made us free moral agents and yet take away our capability of making wrong choices. Freedom without choice is a logical contradiction.     

     Now God has provided an instruction manual to guide us in the right direction (2 Tim. 3:16-17), but when people disregard divine directives and make bad decisions, pain and suffering often result. It is man, not God, who has created slavery, whips, bombs, death camps, liquor, pornography, pollution, environmental destruction, false religion, and so on. The gift of freedom, when misused, accounts for the majority of human misery.⁶

Is All Suffering Evil?

     Most consider something good if it brings pleasure and bad if it causes pain, but this is shallow and shortsighted. What about things such as courage, patience, resilience, and determination? The imperfections of this world serve a purpose in allowing us to grow and develop into mature, responsible beings in a way that would otherwise not be possible. The suffering we see in the lives of others provides opportunities for compassion and service. God’s desire for his creatures seems to be, not the suffering itself, but the positive and beneficial effects. “Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope” (Rom. 5:3-4 ESV).

     Hardships also help to create an acknowledgment of human weakness and the need for God in one’s life. Pride and arrogance are self-destructive traits (Prov. 16:18), but suffering has a way of helping put things in perspective. It is said that when a man is flat on his back, the only direction he can look is up. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psa. 73:26).⁷

Conclusion

     The problem of evil, pain, and suffering may offer an excuse for rejecting God, but it provides no solid proof that God isn’t real. It’s okay to have questions, but it’s not okay to ignore answers that challenge unfounded preconceptions. Whether or not I’m contributing to making this world a better place, how is shaking my fist at the concept of God going to make any positive difference?

Endnotes:

     ¹ See Are You Sure About God? (Part 2).

     ² See Richard Parr, “Big Questions of Life: Is there a God?,” HubPages (23 Oct. 2015), <Link>.

     ³ Listen to the thought-provoking exchange between atheist David Silverman and theist Frank Turek on this question, <Link>. Also Dennis Prager's commentary on Subjective vs. Objective Morality, <Link>.

     ⁴ Psa. 18:30; 19:7; 136:1; 147:5; Jer. 32:17; etc.

     ⁵ Isa. 46:9-10; Dan. 4:35; Psa. 115:3; 1 Tim. 6:15; etc.

     ⁶ Even natural calamities are ultimately linked to human sin. From a biblical perspective, the earth’s environment today is significantly different than it was prior to the catastrophic global flood (Gen. 6–9). See Wayne Jackson’s “Why Do Natural Disasters Happen?” <Link>, where he observes: “No wickedness, no Flood. No Flood, no change of earth’s environment. No change of earth’s environment, no geological disasters. Thus, no wickedness, no geological disasters.”
    ⁷ The last portion of this article is a revised version of the 8th June 2016 post, <If God is So Good ...>.

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Psalm 14: Proclaiming God's Existence to the World

     The collection of poetic verses known as “the Psalms” served as a hymnbook for the corporate worship of the Israelites. Above fifty-three of these texts is the heading, “To the Chief Musician,” probably alluding to the one who organized and supervised the song service. What makes this so intriguing is that a number of these psalms contain little or no expressions of praise. With statements of doctrine and even cries of complaint, they appear to have been used not only to worship Jehovah but for teaching and admonishing the assembly. The words of the fourteenth Psalm, with slight modification, occur again in Psalm 53 and are then quoted in part by the apostle Paul in the third chapter of Romans.

THE FOOLISHNESS OF UNBELIEF

     “The fool [senseless one] has said in his heart, ‘There is no God’” (Psalm 14:1a).¹ Beyond the foolishness of rejecting the Creator, having done so one becomes a fool in the way he lives. A person can deny the reality of fire, but that will not prevent him from getting burned. Likewise, to dismiss God’s existence does not eliminate the consequences of so doing. And the denial is not limited to formal atheism. People deny the Lord when they dismiss Him from their thoughts and leave Him out of their lives, saying in essence, “There is no God for me.”

     Does a man first become an unbeliever in his head or in his heart? “The fool has said in his heart . . .” If one’s affections are set on truth and righteousness, there is no difficulty acknowledging the reality of the Supreme Being. Alternatively, if one’s affections are set on the earth – worldly pleasures and selfish ambitions – then it becomes much easier, more convenient, and even necessary to deny that God is real. Such a repudiation is not due to a lack of evidence (Psalm 19:1). All the proof in the world will not convince a man whose heart is set on earthly things (cf. Luke 16:31). It is therefore not a problem that can be solved in the realm of intellect alone.

     The bottom line is, if a person does not first have a willingness to believe, he will not be convinced regardless of the evidence that is available (see Acts 17:21-34). It is ultimately a matter of faith, but it is a false dichotomy to suggest that the issue is faith vs. science or faith vs. evidence or faith vs. reason. I exist, you exist, and this universe exists. From where did it all come? Whether one accepts the origin of our universe as having resulted accidentally from absolutely nothing or from a primordial clump of non-intelligent matter or purposefully from the intelligent design of a supernatural Creator, it is still a matter of faith.

     No one looks at an intricately designed, carefully constructed edifice and concludes that it came from nothing or randomly fell into place or gradually evolved into its current state. “For every house is built by someone, but He who built all things is God” (Hebrews 3:4). While this is reasonable, believable, and even self-evident, unfortunately it is not enough to convince the Richard Dawkins of this world. The problem is one of the heart.

OUR RESPONSE TO AN UNBELIEVING WORLD

     When it comes to the highly complex intellectual debates, I am happy to leave that to the capable apologists among us.² But what about those of us who deal with ordinary, everyday people who disbelieve, not because of outright antagonism and immersion in naturalistic philosophy, but simply because they have not had the opportunity to hear the alternative?

     In my experience, when meeting people who say they do not believe in the God of the Bible, the biggest obstacle for them is the problem of evil and human suffering. The irony is that evil and suffering exist, not because there is no God but because people reject Him and then live accordingly. “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, They have done abominable works, There is none who does good” (Psalm 14:1). While the basis of the world’s evil lies in a practical denial of God, this is frequently twisted around to serve as what appears to be one of the most powerful objections to God’s existence.

     The argument goes all the way back to Epicurus (300 BC): If God is all-good (omnibenevolent) and all-powerful (omnipotent), why does evil exist? If He desires to take away evil from the world but cannot, He is not all-powerful. If He can take away evil but does not, He is not all-good. If He is neither willing nor capable, He is neither all-good nor all-powerful. If He is both willing and capable, why does evil exist?

     While this may sound like a compelling argument on the surface, is it valid? Let us first acknowledge that there are some things God cannot do. He cannot lie (Titus 1:2), for instance, or be tempted by evil (James 1:13). He cannot realistically be expected to do what is logically impossible (like make a square circle). If He is indeed a God of love, would He force us to act against our wills or would He grant us freedom? The blessing of freedom involves choice, and choice includes not only the possibility of making right decisions but also wrong ones. It is impossible for God to have made man a free moral agent and yet take away his capability of making wrong choices.

     Now the Lord has given mankind an instruction manual to guide us in the right direction (2 Timothy 3:16), but when people disregard divine directives and make bad decisions, pain and suffering often result. It is man, not God, who has created slavery, whips, bombs, death camps, liquor, pornography, pollution, environmental devastation and waste, false religion, et al. The gift of freedom, when it is misused, accounts for the majority of human misery.

     At the same time, the imperfections of this world serve a purpose in allowing individuals to grow and develop into mature, responsible beings in a way that would otherwise not be possible (see Romans 5:3-4). God’s desire for His creation seems to be, not the suffering itself, but the positive and beneficial effects.

     Pain, loss, and hardship also help to create a realization of human weakness and the need for God in one’s life. Pride and arrogance are self-destructive traits (cf. Proverbs 16:18), but suffering has a way of helping put things in perspective. "My flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever” (Psalm 73:26). Moreover, the suffering we see in the lives of others provides opportunities for compassion and volunteer service (both of which would otherwise be superfluous).

     The trials we face help us to avoid complacency and to look forward to that place where “God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4). It would appear that the Lord desires a loving relationship with His creation more than a perfect world. Out of suffering, pain, hardship, and loss God can and will accomplish His good purpose (Romans 8:28-39).

GOD’S RESPONSE TO AN UNBELIEVING WORLD

     “The LORD looks down from heaven upon the children of men, To see if there are any who understand, who seek God” (Psalm 14:2). The Lord is seeking those who seek Him! “But from there you will seek the LORD your God, and you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul” (Deuteronomy 4:29); “so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us” (Acts 17:27); “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened” (Matthew 7:7-8).

     For anyone who sincerely desires to know God, God will provide a way. And this more often than not involves a connection with the people of God (2 Corinthians 5:17-21). May we be diligent, not only in seeking the Lord ourselves, but in proclaiming His message to a world that is lost and dying without Him.

--Kevin L. Moore

Endnotes:

     ¹ All scripture quotations are from the NKJV.

     ² See, for example, Apologetics Press, Focus Press, Christian Courier, et al.

*This is a modified version of the lecture “Preaching God’s Existence to the World” presented at the 2009 FHU Lectureship.

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