the problem of evil

Dr. Ernest N. Prabhakar (ernest@pundit)
Tue, 23 Sep 97 22:01:20 -0700


You wrote:
>=20
> geez, how easy does it get.=20
>=20
> Evil =3D man
>=20
> wipe man off the face of the earth and evil goes away.=20

Geez, Tim. You keep coming up with these simple answers for free, =
you're gonna put a lot of theologians out of work.

That is actually one of the common answers: evil is due to humanity.

The problem, in Christianity, is now we have to reconcile three =
overlapping principles:
- God is good and loving
- God is all-powerful
- People have free will
which I would argue is possible, though perhaps not obvious.

For Tim, I think the problem is:
- The Universe is Good
- People are Evil
- There is no external, personal source of evil (i.e., Devil)

So, where does evil come from? Did man invent it himself? Is not =
man a part of the universe?

-- Ernie P.