...Is the existence of God logically consistent with the existence of evil? The existence of evil is a seemingly irrefutable fact of life, one which Davies considers to be “the most discussed topic in the philosophy of religion.”1 This presents the theist with a dilemma, forcing them to make attempts at reconciling the existence of an omniscient, omnipotent and wholly good God with that of evil. Kreefy stresses the extent that this ‘problem of evil’ challenges theism, going so far as to claim that “more people have abandoned their faith because of this problem than for any other reason.”2 In the course of this essay, I intend to show that the existence of evil gives one sufficient cause to doubt traditional theism; and that one is rationally justified in doing so. In order to achieve this end, I shall identify the problem of evil, evaluating some of the major defences and theodicies proposed by theists and ultimately demonstrating that such attempts at accounting for the existence of evil are neither adequate nor convincing. The problem of evil is presented in two distinct modes; these being the logical argument from evil and its evidential counterpart. The logical problem of evil stems from the “contradiction involved in the fact of evil, on the one hand, and the belief in the omnipotence and perfection of God on the other.”3 At first glance, this contradiction is merely implicit, being made explicit through the presupposition that if God were a wholly good being, then He would...
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...Introduction Philosophy of religion is a branch of philosophy concerned with questions regarding religion, including the nature and existence of God, the examination of religious experience, analysis of religious vocabulary and texts, and the relationship of religion and science. It is an ancient discipline, being found in the earliest known manuscripts concerning philosophy, and relates to many other branches of philosophy and general thought, including metaphysics, logic, and history. Philosophy of religion is frequently discussed outside of academia through popular books and debates, mostly regarding the existence of God and problem of evil. The philosophy of religion differs from religious philosophy in that it seeks to discuss questions regarding the nature of religion as a whole, rather than examining the problems brought forth by a particular belief system. It is designed such that it can be carried out dispassionately by those who identify as believers or non-believers. Religion: A Part of Metaphysics Philosophy of religion has classically been regarded as a part of metaphysics. In Aristotle's Metaphysics, the necessarily prior cause of eternal motion was an unmoved mover, who, like the object of desire, or of thought, inspires motion without itself being moved. This, according to Aristotle, is God, the subject of study in theology. Today, however, philosophers have adopted the term philosophy of religion for the subject, and typically it is regarded...
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...Religious claims are statements that seek to prove a specific point of view in regards to an individual’s or a group’s faith or belief in the existence of some specific point of view in relation to religion. These claims are the basis of intense debates between atheists and Christians in the society today. However, in reality, some of these claims from either side of the divide hold some similarity to their structure and arguments. In the statements, “I believe in God because the Bible says God exists” and "The Napkin religion is the one true religion because it says so right, here in this napkin" there is some similarity although the claims are different in meaning. The two statements may make perfect sense to the believers in the different...
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... Because religions are complicated and dynamic, it's impossible to outline the entire doctrine of a religion in a single paper. Instead, stick to a limited topic. For example, you might research the ethical mandates of Christianity or the gods of Hinduism. Explore History and Religion If you find a particular religion fascinating, explore it through a historical lens. For example, you might research the historical evidence that Jesus existed or address the social trends that led to the rise of Islam. For such a paper, rely primarily on secular and historical sources, though you can use the religion's sacred texts to inform your historical analysis. Sponsored Links 2013 Pri Sch Exam Papers Come with Free 2006-2012 Papers P1-P6 Primary School Exam Papers. www.filomaths.com Debate a Religious Topic If there's a particular religious doctrine with which you agree or disagree, use research to support your argument. You might, for example, discuss the role of abortion or premarital sex in a specific religion, then provide statistical or scientific evidence either supporting or refuting that religion's claims. Because this is a research paper, support your opinions with facts rather than simply asserting an idea. Research Religion and Society Religion and social trends are inextricably linked. In the United States, for example, the Judeo-Christian tradition has influenced everything from government to norms for raising children...
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...HOW CAN I BE MORAL IF I DON'T BELIEVE IN GOD? Let's just get this out in the open now: I do not have any faith or belief in any personal deity--one that dispenses grace, goodness, and/or miracles according to its 'will'. I do not acknowledge any ‘supernatural’ agent or agency that intentionally intervenes in human affairs (like say, one that chooses sides in a war), or selectively answers peoples' prayers. I do not and can not abide any willful deity that plays with tornados and trailer parks. I do not support or espouse any formal, organized religious notion or expression of any such 'god'. I acknowledge only a creative principle at work in the Universe. I also acknowledge a wish fulfilling tendency in the human mind, a desire to be part of some greater whole or purpose, which is the outgrowth, or by-product, of our unique self-awareness and knowledge of our eventual death and decay. This is all that the evidence of my perception and experience allows. What is not forbidden is compulsory. There are many labels that others use to describe a person such as me. Unlike religious labels, labels for non-religious persons are about what he/she does not believe in, or does not possess (such as in the word agnostic, meaning 'no knowledge’). Implicitly, the non-religious (non-theist) person is viewed as being in deficit.* Although I have personally used such terms to simplify social discourse, no such label adequately, or truthfully, describes what I do ‘believe in’. But...
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...Report on Religious Field Research Joe Carter Bob Andrews Religion 212 June 4, 2012 Report on Religious Field Research Religion is defined by Brodd (2003) as a collection of beliefs concerning the existence of nature, the purpose of the universe, the existence of human beings, and deities. Religion is usually related to the cultural beliefs systems, which are connected to humankind, spirituality, and the moral values. There are different types of religions in the world that have different signs, beliefs, descriptions, ethnicity, and, sanctified accounts that explain the meaning and origin of life and the universe. Through the accounts ideas, principals, morals, sacred laws, and the way of life are generated in addition to the existence of the universe and the human nature. Examples of religions include Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Islam, and atheism. Among all the religions, atheism tends to be different from the others as it is not similar from any of the others. I watched a program on atheist and this encouraged me to conduct a research on atheism through interviewing an atheist and through books to gain a complete understanding of atheism. According Neilson (1985), atheism is said to have a great connection in the lack of beliefs of God’s existence. This situation occurs due to a purposeful choice of not believing or from a natural failure to believe the religious teachings of a certain religion, which literally seems unbelievable...
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...first text of King Lear, Nahum Tate published an alternate ending to the play in which Cordelia lives and eventually goes on to rule in her father‟s place. While this “happy” ending was performed as if it were Shakespeare‟s original for decades afterwards, it actually runs contrary to the original version of King Lear by applying Judeo-Christian human concepts of justice to a world that is not governed by a just God. In the nihilistic world Shakespeare creates, there is no just force to establish an objective morality, and therefore, the rules of right and wrong, and the consequences of each, are obsolete. Thus, because King Lear is set in a world in which the generally accepted rules of justice do not apply, Shakespeare‟s ending, including the death of the only truly virtuous character, is valid and even necessary in asserting the necessity of Christian beliefs for true justice. However, in order to understand and accept Shakespeare‟s seemingly unjust ending, it is necessary first to understand the world in which King Lear is set—a world in which the Judeo-Christian God of Shakespeare‟s audience does not exist and therefore fails to justly deal out Hermesmann 2 reward...
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...existence of God. Some philosophers believe that due to the existence of evil and suffering in our world, it poses a serious challenge to the belief in the existence of a perfect God. In this paper however I am not concerned with the question whether God exists or not but I rather will be discussing the Western concepts of God as well as the Eastern one, followed by the dual existence of a higher being and evil. I will also emphasize on Immanuel Kant's perspectives on religion and radical evil as his views intrigued me the most among all the other philosophers, mentioning my own belief on religion and God. Western thought about God has fallen within some broad form of theism. Theism is the view that states there is a God, which is the creator and one who sustains the universe and is unlimited with regard to knowledge (omniscience), power (omnipotence), extension (omnipresence), and moral perfection. Western philosophy has interfaced most widely with Christianity, Judaism and Islam has also had some influence. The orthodox forms of all these three religions have embraced theism, though each religion has also yielded a wide array of other views. The western concept of God reveals that God created the Heavens and the Earth (which is mainly known as the cosmos) explained by the two theories. The first one was that God created the cosmos by his word, out of nothing, The second that the cosmos got created by the pre-existent matter, which was water, interpreted by the sentence : God was...
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..."Jesus was a man and as such could not also be God." How could anyone print this on a track? Jesus was born of a woman, but was “the Son of God.” But what exactly do we mean when we say that God the Son became man? We certainly do not mean that He turned into a man, in the sense that He stopped being God and started being man. Jesus did not give up any of His divinity in the Incarnation. Rather, as one early theologian put it, "Remaining what He was, He became what He was not." Christ "was not now God minus some elements of His deity, but God plus all that He had made His own by taking manhood to Himself." Thus, Jesus did not give up any of His divine attributes at the Incarnation. He remained in full possession of all of them. For if He were to ever give up any of His divine attributes, He would cease being God (Perman, Matt). Jesus came to this world through a virgin birth but did not give up any of his divine attributes. This would make Jesus both man and God. There were eight aspects to Jesus’ claim to deity. The first was in the Gospel of John he used the Jehovistic I AM, that identified him with deity. The Jehovistic I AM statements were used without the figures of speech (John 8:25, 56-59; 18:6, 8 the pronoun “he” is not in the Greek). Jesus claimed to be Adonai (Matt 22:42-45) of the Old Testament. In the baptismal formula, Jesus identifies himself with God. Jesus claimed to be one with the Father (John 10:30) and that anyone who saw him was seeing the Father (John...
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... Unlike the first half of the book addressing pluralism, Nash begins his discussion of inclusivism with an introduction to its claims. This is helpful and provides a better playing field to dispute inclusivism’s validity than his analysis of exclusivism. When he addresses pluralism, Nash starts by focusing on Hick’s beliefs and how he attempts to support them. With inclusivism, he first addresses inclusivism as a whole, then moves on to refer to various supporters’ opinions and inclusivism’s specific claims. This system of progression is more effective in that it lays out the foundation initially to reference back to later. Nash does well to clarify the distinction of inclusivism from universalism. The “universality axiom” insists that “God must make salvation available for all human beings,” (p. 106). According...
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...Maria, a 36-year-old, Hispanic woman, has just been diagnosed with breast cancer. Maria is despondent and doesn’t know how she will be able to take care of her children, let alone pay for cancer related treatments. She expresses her spirituality as a belief in God and says it gives her meaning in life yet, she is also angry with God for inflicting her with such a devastating disease. Maria tells the nurse her frustrations. The nurse actively listens, then asks Maria if she would like to see the chaplain or if she would like the nurse to contact her parish for emotional and spiritual support. The nurse also connects Maria with cancer support systems, social and financial services to help elevate some of the stress and burden she is feeling. Maria expresses appreciation for connecting her with multiple support...
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...Liberty University Theological Seminary A THEOLOGICAL BOOK CRITIQUE: GOD IN THE WASTELAND A Theological Book Critique Submitted in Partial Fulfillment Of the Requirements for the Course Systematic Theology I - THEO 525 By Chad Stafford ID# 22235852 28 September 2008 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction Brief Summary Capitulation Keys to reformation Critical Interaction Jesus and McGuire Modernization Displacement of God Loss of God’s transcendence and holiness Loss of God’s authority Moral Irrelevance Regaining our voice Conclusion 1 1 2 2 3 3 3 5 6 7 9 9 10 ii. Introduction God in the Wasteland: The Reality of Truth in a World of Fading Dreams is authored by David F. Wells, a distinguished seminary professor and theologian at Gordon-Conwell Seminary in South Hamilton, Massachusetts. No Place for Truth was his first significant treatise on the subject of evangelicalism’s theological corruption which grabbed the attention of the evangelical community. God in the Wasteland is a continuation and his second treatment of the subject, in a four-volume series, where the author seeks to further define the origins and problems of evangelicalism’s theological compromise while proposing solutions like radical resistance to modernity and restoration of God-centeredness as central to regaining ground that has been lost to modernity within the church. In this critique I will seek to primarily interact with Wells assessment of evangelicalism’s compromised condition, and secondarily...
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...facie good epistemic reason to reject theism-that is, a reason that is sufficient for rejecting theism unless overridden by other reasons for not rejecting theism. By "theism" I mean the following statement: There exists an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect person who created the Universe. I will use the word "God" as a title rather than as a proper name, and I will stipulate that necessary and sufficient conditions for bearing this title are that one be an omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect person who created the Universe. Given this (probably technical) use of the term "God," theism is the statement that God exists. Some philosophers believe that the evils we find in the world create an evidential problem for theists because theism fails to explain these evils (or most of what we know about them). (See, for example, (Hare 1968).) This position is attractive. It seems to reflect NOUS 23 (1989) 331-350 ? 1989 by Nouis Publications 331 332 NOUS the intuitions of a great many people who have regarded evil as an epistemic problem for theists. After all, the most common way of stating the problem of evil is to ask a why-question like "if God exists, then why is there so much evil in the world?" And such questions are either genuine...
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...of “a coherent sociological definition and theoretical context for the term fundamentalism” (p. 37). And no wonder. The accepted wisdom among those who studied religion and society was that societies were secularizing. According to secularization theories, religion was not supposed to resurge and take a center spot on a global stage. Sociologists fumbled to understand, and it took them nearly a decade to begin making serious progress. Indeed, many of the most notable early works on the relationship between fundamentalism and society were not written by sociologists. Duke religious historian Bruce Lawrence published an important book in 1989 that anticipated a growth in the study of fundamentalism as a sociological category. In Defenders of God: The Fundamentalist Revolt against the Modern Age, Lawrence (1989) argued that fundamentalism is an ideology rather than a theology and is formed in conflict with modernism. His study set the groundwork for sociology because in his work we see that fundamentalism is viewed as a transcultural phenomenon located in a developmental historical framework. He sought to understand fundamentalism as a socio-cultural category with common roots in its encounter with the modern world. Lawrence’s work was preceded by sociologist Nancy Am merman’s (1987) book, Bible Believers. Although this work was limited to U.S. fundamentalists, Am merman was among the first sociologists to conduct an in-depth study into the lives of contemporary fundamentalists and...
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...making sense within a network of other beliefs which people hold to be true. 2. What Religious Language is: Religious language is an outlet for emotion in special times of life. Religious language is the language of worship. It is performative, ‘I baptise you in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit’, and it is prescriptive (law making – i.e. honour your father and mother). However, none these uses of religious language is our focus. Our focus is how religious language might make truth claims about the reality of God and whether it can succeed in doing this. Philosophers have suggested many different ways in which this might be done. These include: |Via Negativa |Analogy |Symbol |Myth | Philosophers have made a distinction between cataphatic God-talk which involves reflection on the revealed names of God such as ‘good’, or ‘wise’,’...
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