Existential Problem Outline

A. The Existential Problem of Evil

a. “The form [of the problem] in which theism is questioned and/or rejected on the

basis of moral protest, indignation, and outrage at the evils of this world.”

b. Humanistic Response (William Hasker)

i. “Am I glad that I exist?” (194).

ii. “It has had times of deep anxiety, when the worth of living at all comes

into question.” (195)

iii. “I can say, I must say, that it is good to live, that I am gald for my

existence and would not wish to replace it with non-existence…”(195)

iv. “A human being is initially individuated by his body, so that, had the body

not been conceived and born, that particular human being would have

never existed.” (Hasker 195).

v. Soul and body are created simultaneously.

vi. Had events in history been different, I and my loved ones probably

wouldn’t exist. (Hasker)

B. Christian Response to Existential

a. “How can the suffering of the innocent and loyal at the hands of the guilty and

hard-hearted solve the problem of evil?” (211)

b. “The Christian approach to evil through redemptive suffering affords a distinctive

solution of the problem of evil, for believers and unbelievers as well.” (211)

C. Some Methodological Reflections

 a. How can the propositions ‘There is an omnipotent, omniscient, and perfectly good

God’ and ‘There is evil in the world’ be logically consistent in view of the

assumption that ‘A perfectly good being would want to eliminate all of the evil

that he could.’ (211)

b. “It is conceded that ‘The fact that an evil was necessary for a greater good would

provide an omniscient and omnipotent being with an excuse, only if the evil were

a logically necessary prerequisite to or consequence of the good.’” (211-212)

c. “Is it not overwhelmingly plausible…that ‘God could do more than he does to

prevent or eliminate evils,’ even on the assumption that creatures have free will?”

(212)

D. Christian Solution to the Logical Problem of Evil

a. “The problem of evil for Christians is posed by the question ‘How can I trust (or

continue to trust) God in a world like this (in distressing circumstances such as

these)?’” (212)

i. “The Christian believer will not be reassured by the observation that it is

logically possible for an omnipotent and omniscient being to prove

trustworthy in and through these circumstances.” (212-213)

1. “Usually [the typical Christian] is moved by personal and/or

corporate experiences of deliverance from some concrete

difficulty…or big or little theophanies in which the believer is able

to see that the Lord is good. The Christian may come away deeply

convinced of God’s goodness and saving power w/out being able

 to articulate any clear recipe for predicting his behavior in future

situations.” (213)

ii. “It is fundamental to biblical religion that God’s goodness cannot be

comprehended by us in the simple formula of life.” (213)

1. God desires a relationship, one with trust and obedience. Our

minds are finite by design.

iii. “While we cannot get a simple, clear analysis of divine goodness that will

enable us to trace the hand of God in every situation the way the simple

act-consequence principle promised to do, we can get a general idea of

God’s character, purposes, and policies from the collective experience of

God’s people over the centuries.” (214)

iv. “Although the Christian religion does not hold that evil is an illusion or

deny the grim fact that many have to struggle for survival and meaning in

a world plagued by pain, disease, death, and wickedness., it teaches that

the place to begin in grappling with the problem of evil is not the evils

without but the evils within,…one’s own contribution to the problem.”

(215)

E. Sin as the Primary Evil for Christians

a. Humans are God’s primary interest and he made them to join in a relationship of

“self-surrendering” love with Him and others. (215)

b. God cannot be in a true relationship unless he gives people free will. It would be

manipulative otherwise.

F. God’s Costly Approach to the Problem: Martyrdom and the Cross

 a. A martyr is simply a witness, someone who gives a testimony about a person or

ideal, and is made to pay the price for it.

b. Martyrdom as potentially redemptive for the onlooker.

i. The cross is the primary expression of God’s goodness in the world.

1. The principle means of divine judgement, bc Christ is the only true

innocent victim.

2. Continual repentance is not only necessary for the Christian’s own

reconciliation with Christ, but also the best contribution he can

make toward solving the problem of evil.

ii. The cross is the chief expression of God’s love for the persecutor.

1. God was so eager to win our love that he incarnated and

volunteered martyrdom.

G. Martyrdom as a Vehicle of God’s Goodness to the Martyr.

i. Through His pioneering redemptive act, God in Christ turn turns

martyrdom into an opportunity for intimacy and identification with him. If

one person loves another, he not only wants to know what it is like for that

person, he wants to know what it would be like to be that person.

ii. If the cross does not unveil why God permits evil, it does reveal his love.

iii. God knows human pain and suffering.

iv. God uses the harrassment of his people by sinners both as instruments of

divine judgement and as opportunities for relationship building, intimacy,

and identification.

H. The Martyrdom Model and its Limitations

 a. There is suffering in which the victim not only will but cannot obtain the benefits

of relationship development. This type of suffering still may provide the

persecutor and onlooker with options of reconciliation.

b. Suffering comes through natural causes. Victim’s faith may be made stronger.

c. The price for the victim may be too high as opposed to the benefits.

I. The Vision of God and the Problem of Evil

a. Suffering cannot seem redeemable unless in Christianity.

b. Intimacy with God as the incommensurate good.

i. Humans were made for joy and intimacy with God.

ii. It sometimes seems as if God drops his mask to give the believer a more

direct if still unclear view.

c. Morally sufficient reasons and the incommensurate good.

i. Good must favor over evil.

ii. “Where ‘excuse’ is taken to mean ‘morally sufficient reason,’ the

statement ‘The fact that an evil was necessary for a greater good would

provide an omniscient and omnipotent being with an excuse only if the

evil were a logically necessary prerequisite to or the consequence of the

good’ is false. (226)

iii. No one would be disposed to blame God for not doing stuff about evils or

regard his love as insufficient.

d. Divine wisdom, temporal evils, and the meaning of life.

 i. Evil and sin were not part of God’s original intentions, but a byproduct of

free persons and the Christian doesn’t know why god permits so many of

them.

ii. Enduring temporal suffering, God’s people share in the divine

commitment to temporal order.

e. Suffering as a vision of the inner life of God.

i. God intends to be good to his people in calling them to share in

relationship.

ii. He wants to share his agony AND joy.

J. Conclusion

a. In the cross of Christ is the revelation of God’s righteous love and a paradigm of

his redemptive use of suffering.

b. The fact of evil is a mystery, but the answer (God) is a greater mystery.

1.
2. A Closer Look at the Existential Problem of Evil

a. Arguments in Support (of it being a problem)

i. We would be better off if the evils of this world did not

occur. They are something to be regretted (Hasker).

ii. It can sometimes feel impossible to fill a void left by a

personal tragedy that God allowed for some reason. It can

feel almost like a personal attack.

b. Arguments Against

i. “Had major significant events in the world’s past history

been different than they were, then in all probability neither

I nor the persons whom I love would have never existed,”

(Hasker).

ii. “I can say, I must say, that it is good to live, that I am gald

for my existence and would not wish to replace it with non-

existence…”

iii. “A human being is initially individuated by his body, so

that, had the body not been conceived and born, that

particular human being would have never existed.” (Hasker

195).

c. Redemptive Suffering as a Christian Solution to the Problem of

Evil and the cross as a primary expression of God’s goodness in a

fallen world (Marilyn Adams).

 1. The cross is the chief expression of God’s

love for the persecutor.

2. God was so eager to win our love that he

incarnated and volunteered martyrdom.

3. Martyrdom as a vehicle of God’s Goodness

to the martyr.

a. Through His pioneering redemptive act, God

in Christ turn turns martyrdom into an

opportunity for intimacy and identification

with him. If one person loves another, he not

only wants to know what it is like for that

person, he wants to know what it would be

like to be that person.

4. If the cross does not unveil why God permits

evil, it does reveal his love.

5. God knows human pain and suffering.

6. God uses the harassment of his people by

sinners both as instruments of divine judgement and

as opportunities for relationship building, intimacy,

and identification.

d. Conclusion

i. Christianity offers a solution to the Existential Problem that

other religions do not; the fact that Christianity has a God

who suffered as a human alongside the humanity he has

created sets it apart from other forms of theism.