Alvin Plantinga - Does Evil Disprove God?

The problem of evil troubles believers and well it should. How to explain the moral evil of human acts and the natural evil of nature? How could God be both all-powerful and all-good? Philosophers of religion offer ‘defenses’ (no logical contradiction between evil and God’s existence) and ‘theodicies’ (complete systems explaining why God allows evil). But do they work?

Alvin Carl Plantinga is an American analytic philosopher, the John A. O’Brien Professor of Philosophy Emeritus at the University of Notre Dame and the inaugural holder of the Jellema Chair in Philosophy at Calvin College.

Closer to Truth, hosted by Robert Lawrence Kuhn and directed by Peter Getzels, presents the world’s greatest thinkers exploring humanity’s deepest questions. Discover fundamental issues of existence. Engage new and diverse ways of thinking. Appreciate intense debates. Share your own opinions. Seek your own answers.

[mountainjay]

You should really put the year that each clip was filmed in the title because it's misleading otherwise

[marciomaia]

The arguments made for a good god can also be made for an evil god, but in reverse. Instead of the “problem of evil”, it’s called “the problem of good”. This evil god doesn’t want robots only choosing to do evil so he allows for free will so people can also choose to do good. Good exists because people have free will to choose evil and good. It also explains the brutality of the animal kingdom.

[muttlee]

I can’t believe intelligent rational men can talk like this. Shocking nonsense.

[gmlgml]

Yeah.
Evil doesn't disprove god.
God can be existing or not.
Evil doesn't care about that.
Evil disproves only
a good god.
Evil shows only that if there is
any kind of god,
with this much evil existing,
or downright evil.

[tschorsch]

This whole story is just another bad explanation of existence. Theists throughout the ages have made up so much silly nonsense that the current stories are pointless. these stories are so filled with older baggage that they are useless in the search for truth. Anyone today can come up with a more coherent creator story that is just as unlikely. The Christian tale of why god created man is totally ridiculous.

[paulybarra]

Good explanation

Makes sense to me. Christianity is a beautiful religion

I can’t imagine being an atheist. A Sad and pessimistic way of life, sorry but no thank you

I will choose Jesus as he is the way!

[Mr.Bdawg]

I came to see this video genuinely hoping to hear a solid theodicy, or way to frame the mystery of why evil exists. Instead Alvin said "this is THE best world that God could have created" and blamed animal suffering on prinicpalties and Satan?!