Philosophy Paper- God and Suffering
Nice Student
PHL 267
09/19/12
The reason for God-
Timothy Keller
“How could God Allow suffering” If God is good, why is there so much suffering and evil doing in the world today? Look at 9/11, why couldn’t God stop the terrorist’s from doing these awful things to our beautiful nation? At one point in our lives we all have experienced some sort of suffering, weather it may be the passing of a family member, getting robbed, not living in livable conditions, or just plain dislikes of your life. Through out our times of despair we ask our self “where was God when I suffered, Why didn’t he do anything about it?” the times we suffer we always cry out and ask for answers. Is their any reasoning for Pain and suffering? Timothy Keller touches on this subject in chapter two of his book “ The Reason for God”. Keller believes that these reasoning’s are unjustified and Evil and suffering isn’t evidence against god. For people today that go through the motions of life think that unjustified suffering is a “Philosophical Problem”. How can there be suffering if there is an all-powerful God? An undergrad English major, Hillary and her boyfriend speaks on the subject when interviewed by Keller. Hillary clearly states that she doesn’t believe in god “I just don’t believe in the God of Christianity “but her reasoning for it was that“ god allows terrible suffering in the world”. This is a perfect example of how people look at situations and expect God to do and be everything if he is so powerful. A philosopher named J.L. Makie makes a broad case against God in his book “ Mericale of Theism” agreeing with Hillary’s statement. Makie’s claim against God is that if there were an all-powerful god that is good, he wouldn’t just allow mediocre evil in the world. With that being said he comes to conclude that the “traditional good and powerful God” doesn’t exist. This reasoning is skeptical and bias. Just because you can’t visually see or view anything doesn’t
PHL 267
09/19/12
The reason for God-
Timothy Keller
“How could God Allow suffering” If God is good, why is there so much suffering and evil doing in the world today? Look at 9/11, why couldn’t God stop the terrorist’s from doing these awful things to our beautiful nation? At one point in our lives we all have experienced some sort of suffering, weather it may be the passing of a family member, getting robbed, not living in livable conditions, or just plain dislikes of your life. Through out our times of despair we ask our self “where was God when I suffered, Why didn’t he do anything about it?” the times we suffer we always cry out and ask for answers. Is their any reasoning for Pain and suffering? Timothy Keller touches on this subject in chapter two of his book “ The Reason for God”. Keller believes that these reasoning’s are unjustified and Evil and suffering isn’t evidence against god. For people today that go through the motions of life think that unjustified suffering is a “Philosophical Problem”. How can there be suffering if there is an all-powerful God? An undergrad English major, Hillary and her boyfriend speaks on the subject when interviewed by Keller. Hillary clearly states that she doesn’t believe in god “I just don’t believe in the God of Christianity “but her reasoning for it was that“ god allows terrible suffering in the world”. This is a perfect example of how people look at situations and expect God to do and be everything if he is so powerful. A philosopher named J.L. Makie makes a broad case against God in his book “ Mericale of Theism” agreeing with Hillary’s statement. Makie’s claim against God is that if there were an all-powerful god that is good, he wouldn’t just allow mediocre evil in the world. With that being said he comes to conclude that the “traditional good and powerful God” doesn’t exist. This reasoning is skeptical and bias. Just because you can’t visually see or view anything doesn’t