A CRITIQUE OF THEISM AND THE PROBLEM OF EVIL

ABSTRACT

This work examines the meaning of theism and the problem of evil in a world said to have been created by a being who is not only Omnipotent but also Omniscient, Omnipresent and perfectly good. The problem of evil has bedeviled religious thoughts since antiquity. Its long history can be traced back to the ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus who lived in the 4th century B.CE and is widely considered as the originator of the logical problem of evil. Given the benevolent and almighty and all-knowing nature of God, how can evil exist in the world created by such a being? The question presented before adherents of theistic traditions is, how can there be a loving God, all-powerful and all-knowing God and still there is a problem of evil? How can their reality be reconciled with the existence of evil? If really he is perfectly good, created everything, then where does evil originate from? Epicurus has long since explained the problem of evil in his famous quote; “Is God willing to prevent evil but not able? Then he is not omnipotent, is he able but not willing? Then he is malevolent, is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? If God is truly allpowerful and all-good, he would have created the universe in the same way he created the heavens with free will for all, no suffering and no evil. This problem necessitates theodicy, an attempt to explain why a good god would have created evil and suffering.