The 'Evil God' Challenge (REBUTTED)

In this episode Trent rebuts Stephen Law's "evil god" challenge to the existence of God.

00:00 - Introduction
00:54 – The evil god challenge
05:05 – #1 - Evil god unlikely to exist
11:57 – #2 - Evil god is impossible
19:43 – #3 - Reasons for God over evil-god

Ed Feser on the evil-god challenge:
Jack Symes's Book:

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[Theonewhoknocks]

This idea of an ‘evil god’ Is old and catholic refutations of it are just as old, the gnostics tried their hand at it now modern day atheists are giving it a go.

[CamiloSoares]

O, no! Not the bad old gnostic heresy again!

[supernerd]

As Trent points out, the "evil God" hypothesis rests on the belief that evil is the opposite of good, not a lack of goodness. This theory rests on the idea that evil exists in the world as an antithesis of goodness and not a lack of goodness. It's a Yin-Yang idea.

[partydean]

Man this used to be a very convincing argument.

One really has to learn what evil is and the whole hypothetical falls apart as impossible

[DuffTerrall]

"C. s. Lewis put it this way.

'I take blocks of cheese and I turn them into art!'"

Never change, YouTube ads.

[jonbolton]

There can be no filth In a world without the concept of cleanliness. No death in a world without life. No criminality in a world without law. And no evil in a world without good.


A maximally evil god is grammatically possible but logically impossible because evil cannot exist independently.

[dekr-choy]

Well.. isn`t "evil God" a contradiction in terms? Evil by who`s standard?

[CatholicTruthTeller]

God would not allow evil to exist, if he could not bring greater good out of it.... St. Augustine said something like this.

[roninway]

Creation is a necessary product of goodness. If there is creation, the source of it must be good. Evil only intends to destroy thus cannot initiate creation.

[MrSimpoge]

Pretty sure if “evil god” were a thing, we wouldn’t exist.

[calledtobedifferent]

It's all an excuse so they feel affirmed in their reasoning for not beliving in God.

[CatholicElectrician]

“Evil” means opposed to the natural order. A universe created by “evil god” would have a different natural order, and in that world, that god wouldn’t be considered “evil”

[Tony-sozl]

My priest reminded us recently that there is infinitely more good than evil in the world. The evil is seen first many times

[ApostolicZoomer]

By definition this doesn’t seem to follow for me. Law is describing a perfect being that is also evil. A truly all evil “god” would have the worst characteristics, no knowledge, no power, and no eternal existence.

All I know is that evil god is not dying for me like my God. An all evil being would have too much pride. Literally maximum pride. My God has maximum love

[teo]

15:12 - "Hey, that's me!"

[ithurtsbecauseitstrue]

They cannot comprehend that we're in a world separated FROM that good God. This is no different than the "why not heaven now" immaturity.

[heavenbound---]

The shortest rebuttal of this challenge is the fact that evil is just a lack of good, there cannot be good in the world created by an evil god but there can be evil in the world created by a good God.

[alebeau]

Awesome video, Trent. You do truly amazing work.

[cartraz]

Attaching morality outside of religion to God is crazy. It's almost like they don't understand omniptence.
God IS. That's it. We are good or evil and HE is the judge of that.

[Derek_Baumgartner]

Figured C.S. Lewis would pop up!

But yeah: let's take another example to demonstrate how evil is a privation of good, rather than its own substance.


We can agree sex is a good thing.
If, however, one party is forced into non-consensual sex, then the *lack of* consent here turns the good thing evil.
Consent doesn't require an evil thing that - when combined with it - makes it good, for evil is not its own substance.
Rather, consent is a part of what makes that good thing good.
(And, per God's Word, marriage is part of what makes sex for humans good, too. If you're not brave enough to commit to putting a ring on her, don't take advantage of her body)