Problems of evil statements

Ernest Hepnar photo

From

2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University 

MPhil

(Comments from September 27, 2019 in brackets)

Statements twelve, thirteen, fourteen and fifteen:

Statement twelve stated: The philosophical discussion of the problem of evil is beneficial.

With Anglicans 80% agreed, 14% were not certain, and 6% disagreed. In the Baptist group, 84% agreed, 10% were not certain, and 6% disagreed.

The thirteenth statement stated: Philosophers cannot solve the problem of evil.
 
For Anglicans 84% agreed, 8% were not certain, 8% disagreed. With the Baptists 86% agreed, 12% were not certain, and 2% disagreed.

Statement fourteen stated: There is no single philosophical solution solving every aspect of the problem of evil. 

Within the Anglican Church people surveyed, 88% agreed, 6% were not certain, and 6% disagreed. With Baptists, 86% agreed, 8% were not certain, and 6% disagreed.

I believe that Christ’s restoring work is the ultimate remedy for the problem of evil; however, I do not think there is a single philosophical answer to every individual problem of evil that arises. Logically, individual problems of evil are solvable, but only God has ultimate answers for many of these problems.

(An important idea from my key compatibilistic exemplar, John S. Feinberg, is that there are various problems of evil and therefore, various remedies and solutions. My MPhil thesis and especially my PhD thesis, discussed both logical problems of evil and gratuitous problems of evil and their solutions.)

Statement fifteen: Statement fifteen stated: Philosophers can provide theistic solutions to problems of evil. 

For Anglicans, 44% agreed, 26% were not certain, 30% disagreed. For Baptists, 46% agreed, 22% were not certain, and 32% disagreed.

With statement fifteen, I side with the minority of the responders who agreed that philosophers can provide theistic solutions to problems of evil. For example, I think there are logical arguments that can demonstrate that God can be infinite, omnipotent and perfectly holy, yet have evil exist within his creation. I do not believe there is a logical problem of evil for Christianity that theologians and philosophers cannot solve; however, I still think the overall problem of evil, with all of its complexities, can only be intellectually solved by God.

(I view gratuitous evils as also logically solvable by humanity and provided a solution within my PhD thesis, please see archives. But only God can fully intellectually solve and remedy gratuitous evil (s).)

Human beings can rightly reason that God is not a contradictory being by having evil exist within his creation, but they cannot completely understand how this takes place. There is still a tension in existence.

(Both my theses also focused on practical and contextual theologies that can serve as helps to persons within problems of suffering. Empirical theology also produced useful data in both my works.)

2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter.

FEINBERG, JOHN S. (1994) The Many Faces of Evil, Grand Rapids, Zondervan Publishing House.

The true reason for the existence of evil in humanity is impossible to construct?

Ernest Hepnar photo: Saint Mark's in Venice

2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University

MPhil from 2003

Statement eight: 

In hindsight, the eighth statement was perhaps a little too tricky.

It was: The true reason for the existence of evil in humanity is impossible to construct. 

Why do I think this is a tricky statement? Personally, on one hand as a reader, I could read the statement in absolute terms. I would then agree because I think that God alone can answer the statement with knowledge. On the other hand, if I take the statement as a matter of degrees, I can disagree because I believe we can apprehend some of the reasons why evils exists, but that we lack complete comprehension.

I view this statement in somewhat similar fashion to statements on the concepts of Incarnation and Trinity, where complete human comprehension is not possible but levels of apprehension are attainable. Some of the doctrines which deal with God’s infinite nature require this humble and cautious approach. Whereas with some doctrines (such as why adultery is wrong), we can claim to understand them for the most part, leaving the unknown details up to God to explain to us. . . or not, upon the culminated Kingdom of God.

Here, 56% of Anglicans agreed that the existence of evil was humanly impossible to construct, while 18% were not certain, and 26% disagreed. With the Baptists, 44% agreed, 20% were not sure, and 36% disagreed.

September 19, 2019

I did provide a PhD theory within the Reformed tradition, and using philosophy of religion, for human problems of evil.

2010 Theodicy and Practical Theology: PhD thesis, the University of Wales, Trinity Saint David, Lampeter

My theory is that human beings that are saved through Christ with the use of compatibilism will eventually have greater spiritual maturity than Adam and Eve did prior to a fall from God.

It can be reasoned that those within the culminated Kingdom of God will surpass those first persons in spiritual maturity as well. This would be so because those God saves will have experienced their own sin, death, and the atoning work of Christ and his resurrection applied to them. These would be citizens of the culminated Kingdom of God.

Persons cannot be created with experience, even if made with a level of initial maturity. God can create a perfect person, but God cannot logically create a perfect person with experience as such. The act of creating implies newness and inexperience. Admittedly, God could hypothetically create a being with false memories of a perfect life, but this would not be the same as having experience. I deduce the results would not be the same.

Human beings can possess finite moral perfection and goodness but not infinite, God-like moral perfection and goodness. Isaiah 43 makes it clear there was no God formed before God and there will be no God formed after. Isaiah 44-46 make similar statements. The New American Standard Version Bible (1984: 816-821).

Those within the culminated Kingdom of God would not possess the initial inexperience and immaturity of the first persons. It is reasonable to deduce that the problem of evil is possibly God’s means of developing certain individuals to eventual Christ-like stature, not sharing Christ’s divinity in nature but becoming like Christ in a mature and moral manner, combined with an unbreakable devotion to God.

Moltmann reasoned that Christ will be God’s lieutenant in this godless world and bring about, through his crucifixion and resurrection, the promise of a better future, which includes hope. The Kingdom of God was present in Christ and this has been defined in history.

MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1993) The Crucified God, Minneapolis, Fortress Press.

MOLTMANN, JÜRGEN (1999) ‘Perseverance’, in Alan Richardson and John Bowden (eds.), New Dictionary of Christian Theology, Kent, SCM Press Ltd.

THE NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE (1984) Iowa Falls, Iowa, World Bible Publishers.

Philippians 4:19 In brief (MPhil)

 Ernest Hepnar photo, presently touring Rome and Italy.

Thursday, November 30, 2017 Philippians & Ephesians: Thankfulness

Sunday, July 28, 2013 Spiritual Education (MPhil)

Tuesday, January 10, 2006 MPhil Wales 2003

From

2003 The Problem of Evil: Anglican and Baptist Perspectives: MPhil thesis, Bangor University 

Today, our needs are often misunderstood. In the evangelical Christian church it is sometimes said that God will always meet our needs; however, there could be confusion with the concept of ‘always’. Let us not forget that there are Christians who are blind, or missing limbs for example. Both sight and limbs are basic human needs. Some realize this in philosophical terms, but often these people are living in lonely rooms and homes, away from the mainstream, so they may not be seen and/or experienced by many in the church. In reality, God does always meet what we see as basic human needs, or scientifically what can be deemed as basic human needs such as good health; however, what God promised, mainly, is everlasting life if we believe in Christ as Saviour, and judgement for all humanity.

In Philippians 4:19, Paul promises his readers that God will supply their needs in Christ. However, Martin noted that: "The precise meaning of will meet as a wish-prayer, not a statement of fact, is a helpful insight." Martin (1987: 184). The fact that Paul is waiting for God to supply the reader’s needs means there is an element of faith involved, and in matters of faith, God sometimes does not deliver as expected although he will meet the needs of his people in order for them to best serve him.

God will meet the needs of the believer, mainly in the context of making it feasible for a person to complete his will for their individual life. This unfortunately, from a human perspective, leaves much room for suffering. Yes, God loves his people, but he has knowledge of what must take place in a believer’s life in a more complete way than any human being could be aware of. He alone is omniscient.

MARTIN, R.P. (1987) 'Philippians', in Leon Canon Morris (gen. ed.),Tyndale New Testament Commentary, Leicester/Grand Rapids, Inter-Varsity Press/William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.

WOODS, B.W. (1974) Christians in Pain, Grand Rapids, Baker Book House.

I have shared this work above previously from my British, MPhil thesis and in the Spiritual Education, article.

September 14, 2019

Bible Hub

Cited with my work in brackets:

your needs χρείαν chreian Original Word: χρεία, ας, ἡ

needs, business

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Philippians 4:19 N-AFS (noun, accusative feminine, singular)

(Accusative, meet (verb) needs of you)

GRK: πληρώσει      πᾶσαν  χρείαν      ὑμῶν     κατὰ
(will fill up or meet  all        needs  of you  according to)
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The New Testament Greek to me with a definition of needs and business, could be described in context, as the needs and business of the individual Christian in serving God, being met, more so than all of the ontological needs of the individual Christian, all being met.

The Orthodox Study Bible: James 1: 26-27

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee. 

James 1:26 was the header verse used in the sermon reviewed on the previous entry...

James 1:26-27 New King James Version (NKJV) (Same version as the Orthodox text)

26 If anyone [a]among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one’s religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
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The Orthodox Study Bible from 26-27, opines on 'three examples of the relationship between faith and works'. (542).

1) Mastery over speech: It is reasoned that the quality of speech from believers in Jesus Christ 'will reveal the quality of our faith in God'. (542).

This connects more specifically to verse 26, and the subject of the previous article on this website, which discussed theoretical theology on lying.

In agreement with Orthodoxy, divinely respectful speech that is grateful in love to God, is in my theology, an indicator of the quality of faith. I personally would place even more emphasis on the worldview embraced and lived, by the person claiming to be a Christian in determining the quality of faith in a Christian. Ultimately only God can adequately and exhaustively judge the spirit, mind and deeds of a person (Revelation 20, 2 Corinthians 5: 10).

2) Ministry to the needy: 'Faithful Christians must be the guardians of the poor.' (542).

This is the 'Pure and undefiled religion' of verse 27. Justification and salvation by grace through faith in the applied atoning and resurrection work of Jesus Christ to believers, not by any human works, but for good human works in Jesus Christ.  (Ephesians 1-2).

3) Moral purity in thought and deed:  'A faith that works produces moral purity.' (542). The idea from James here is in agreement with Ephesians 2. A legitimate Christian walk by grace through faith should lead to general (sinful nature still exists in this realm) obedience in good works.

In regards to James 1: 26, Courson writes that 'a truly religious man, a deep man, does not pop off and throw temper tantrums at God, God is God and we're not. God is good, and we're not.' (1519).

I have been verbally angry at God. I partially agree with Courson here. Tantrums should be repented of where sinful thoughts and speech was expressed. Obviously, humanity is finite and sinful and God is theologically, infinite and perfectly good and holy.

I think that in faith it is at times good to pray to God with emotion, including anger, rather than directing emotion at other people that do not have God's infinite knowledge and complete knowledge of the human heart.

It is good to vent to God in faith, and it is good to avoid foolish misunderstandings of our emotions with other people. It is good to vent with God in faith and not hold a grudge.

Let us remember that anger at God, and other sinfulness, can exist, even without being verbally expressed.

Matthew 15: 19

New American Standard Bible

"For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders.

In regards to James 1: 27, Courson explains that 'true religion is a matter of purity and humility.' (1519).

Unspotted (ἄσπιλον) from James 1: 27

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Strong's Concordance aspilos: spotless, unstained

Original Word: ἄσπιλος, ον Part of Speech: Adjective Transliteration: aspilos

Phonetic Spelling: (as'-pee-los)

Definition: spotless, unstained Usage: unstained, undefiled, spotless, pure.

Englishman's Concordance

James 1:27 Adj-AMS GRK: θλίψει αὐτῶν ἄσπιλον ἑαυτὸν τηρεῖν NAS: oneself unstained by the world. KJV: himself unspotted from INT: tribulation of them unstained oneself to keep.

It is accusative, masculine, singular.

COURSON, JON (2005) Application Commentary, Thomas Nelson, Nashville.

The Orthodox Study Bible, New Testament and Psalms, (1993) Saint Athanasius Orthodox Academy,Thomas Nelson Publishers, Nashville, Tennessee.