The Problem with the Problem of Evil

In this video, I explain why the Problem of Evil is ultimately the atheistic equivalent of Pascal's wager.

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Disclaimer:

The content used in this video is intended for educational and informational purposes only and is protected by the Fair Use guidelines of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. All rights to the images, music, clips, and other materials used belong to their respective owners. I do not claim ownership over any third-party content used and have made every reasonable effort to credit copyright owners as appropriate.

References:

Hitchens, C. (2007). God is not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything. New York: Twelve Books. ISBN 9780446579803

Kearns, M. (2022, May 4). Christopher Hitchens on Abortion. National Review

Pengelly, M. (2023, October 27). ‘Go pick up a Bible’: Speaker Mike Johnson defends anti-LGBTQ+ views. The Guardian

Background Music

Tonehinge. (2021). Above the sun. [song].

[Spyder_King]

Also the problem with evil that theists don't want to acknowledge is, if God is all powerful, but won't stop evil, he's not all loving. If he can't stop evil, he's not all powerful.
Because they like to say he's all-powerful all loving and all knowing. He cannot be all three and still have evil in the world

[zzyyxxzz]

The outdated argument that is objective vs subjective has run its course. Morality is derived from consensus in a given population at a given time. Nothing written on hearts, it is continuously changing as populations shrink, grow, and mix. As such morality changes, in modern times exposure to foreign thoughts and morals have broadened our understanding and caused subtle changes in our consensus of morality. If you cannot see the changes through time, all the way back to the dawn of writing, as an example, then I cannot offer any more help. Study history, study average people in history, and find better answers that explain how society has changed.

[scottslaughter]

Is abortion immoral? Different groups of Christians at various times have had differing views on that. What about contraception? The Catholic church says it is immoral, the Protestant church doesn't. Morality is subjective even within Christianity. There are many similar examples.

[HansJürgentheWizard]

Atheism doesnt claim that objective morality exists, but religion does.

For example, in the 10 commandments, it is established that one should not kill, but God, if seen as an omnipotent being, should be seen responsible for all of the death in the world. God therefore acts immoraly according to his own standard.

[josefuher]

As the nonexistance of god is the null hypothesis there can be no argument for it as it is. What can be done is to take some definition of god and take it''s existance as H0 and argue for H1 - it doesn't exist. The argumet of evil (AoE) is an example of an agrument against the tri-omni god (omni-potent, omni-science and omni-benevolent).

To express AoE as a syllogism (aguably very symplified):

P1: tri-omni being and evil cannot both exist
P2: evil exist
C1: tri-omni being does not exist
P3: god is a tri-omni being
C2: god does not exist

P3 is there to target this argument against a conception of god but you don't have to accept it, there is no contradiction between accepting C1 and being a theist. That is not unknown to people using this argument. However because a lot of people do belive in tri-omni god it is a usefull argument.

[NN-wcdl]

I don't believe what people say about the divine for exactly the same reason—they are simply foolish and deceptive—but I kind of approach it from the opposite perspective.

[AnthonyChinaski]

Objective v Subjective. Talk about that.

This is pure drivel

[kurtellestad]

but Athiest are not making any at least I am not. I just think its ridiculous to think that the most complicated entity could be made before the most simple entities. I dont believe a god exists or ever has.

[Spyder_King]

Your argument so far as kicking puppies is flawed. You said if the social contract says it's okay that "seems off". But if God says it's wrong that's incomplete.
An honest comparison would have been to say if God says it's okay, that seems off too.
Just pointing that out

[onceamusician]

BTW, are you aware of the High Priestly Prayer in John chapter 17?

what did Jesus say would persuade the gentiles that God had sent the Son?

take a look.

you will find that apologetic arguments was NOT named

and thus you and all your companions in this endeavour are merely skirting the issue. That is to say we rely on purportedly rational argument as we do not have what Jesus said would persuade people.

i invite you to think about this

[worldwithouttime]

Born-again atheist here. The 'problem of evil' isn't so much an 'argument for nonexistence' as it is a *response* to the ludicrous assertions of deists. You have pointed out many of the contradictions and paradoxes that these assertions lead to. Therefore, the default position is: God does not exist (of it it does, it encompasses evil). It is not, as you seem to resort to in the conclusion of this otherwise good summary of the problems of 'objective morality', "the lord works in mysterious ways" This is a copout. If there is no duty to prove where objective morality comes from, then I could just as easily say: It comes from an undiscovered "Morality sub-particle" This is more palatable than a vindictive God who commands people to murder. ETA: since after reading your responses you don;t claim to be a deist: what is the point of your video then? Maybe you are arguing against some small subclass of atheists who insists the 'problem of evil" disproves god--fine, but that is not what I or most atheists claim.

[emodude]

For you to be right about God, then by your own reasoning every religion must be wrong in their definitions of God. And apparently all atheists are wrong as well 😂 How shocking, another theist who thinks they've got the sole answer of what 'god' is 🙄

[glennrdbotten]

Boring crap. There is no evidence for god. Just play with words all you like.

[MeowingStar]

Try not lying, you'll be more moral for it.