The Evil God Challenge Stephen Law - 1561 Words

The Evil God Challenge Introduction Stephen Law conducted a thought experiment with a purpose of establishing the existence of an evil God, whereby he challenged those who believed in the presence of a kind and good God, doing nothing evil, and argued that the existent God is wicked indeed. The hypothesis developed into the challenge based on the argument that, if an omnibenevolent God is said to exist, yet there is so much evil in the world, then there is as well a possibility that an evil God exists, yet there is so much good. Law aimed to doubt not the fact of the existence of God, but the generally accepted assumption that the existing God is benevolent. Another researcher, Rowe, refutes this approach, arguing that the existence of a Supreme Being, who created people and hence cares for them, cannot be associated with evil. In fact, the presence of evil is a clear sign of the absence of a God. This paper seeks to take a position opposing to Law’s theory and prove that, despite the presence of evil, an omnibe nevolent God still exists. Law’s Evil God Challenge Law’s position is based on the principles of traditional theodicy, which reconciles a benevolent Deity with the presence of evil in the world (Law, 2011). Basically, he argues that this point of view mirrors a similar situation, in which the presence of good in the world could be reconciled with the existence of an evil God. In general, he believes that the same reasons that are used to prove the existence of theShow MoreRelatedStephen Law : Evil God Challenge1897 Words   |  8 PagesYourFirstName YourLastName University title Stephen Law: Evil-God-Challenge Introduction English philosopher Stephen Law is attached to Heythrop College of University of London as a senior lecturer. As an acknowledged atheist Stephen Law in his argument Evil-God Challenge challenged the theists. He said that evidence shows existence of Evil negates the idea of a Good-God. He pre-empts the arguments of theodices by this cryptic phrase â€Å"Evil-God Challenge†. By it the theists are asked if there is anyoneRead MoreUsing Proofs to Establish a Case for Gods Existence: McCloskey1374 Words   |  6 Pagesestablish a case for Gods existence I would first agree with McCloskey that we should not use â€Å"proofs† for Gods existence since â€Å"proofs† cannot be a 100% proof of Gods existence. But there are two arguments that can help explain the existence of God. The first is the best explanation approach which is the best explanation for the things we witness. Another classical argument is cumulative case approach, in this approach we use more than on e argument to make a case for Gods existence. Both of theseRead MoreLaws s Of The Good God1857 Words   |  8 PagesChallenge Accepted: Laws’s refutation of the â€Å"Good God† The English philosopher Stephen Law’s â€Å"The evil-god challenge† is a retort against the arguments raised in favour of the theistic belief that the world was created and is governed by an all knowing, supremely benevolent being. In order to refute the existence of the notion of a â€Å"good-god† as constructed in the arguments of theists, law has constructed his own hypothetical entity the â€Å"evil-god†. Law’s challenge stems from the logical and evidentiaryRead MoreCupid and Psyche: Myth or Folktale?1023 Words   |  5 Pagesthat there is a very fine line between the two. Myth can be defined as Â… to do with the gods and their actions, with creation, and with the general nature of the universe and of the earth. (Thompson, 106) On the other hand, some might say that folktale is defined as an anonymous story, that originates and circulates orally among a people (Harris and Platzner, 1054), or even that folktales involve a fairy god mother a nd dancing mice. However, there seems to be many similarities between the two conceptsRead MoreThematic Antithesis in Greek Tragedies Essay1358 Words   |  6 Pagesof thematic antithesis gives greater irony within Greek plays. The gender roles of female and male challenge the traditional stereotypical roles as observed in Greek society, and when those roles are crossed or blurred, the rational becomes irrational and the order of civilized Greek society itself falls into disorder. Euripides manipulates the characters, through contrast, to explore or challenge Greek society’s gender roles of female and male behavior through the stereotypes that are establishedRead MoreRealism and Naturalism in American Literature Stories Essay1493 Words   |  6 PagesThere are two dominate aspects of Realism (Social Rules Morality), and two dominate laws of Naturalism (Environment Determinism), that comes into play in the American Literature stories of Daisy Miller ,Frank James, and Jack London. According to one authoritative source (Britannica), realism in its basic form in Literature is a literary style in which the author describes the reality of persons (people) in detail to resemble their actions, emotions, and environment. The strengths and weaknessesRead MoreExistence of God Argumentative Paper2119 Words   |  9 Pages McCloskey There are many different types of arguments for the existence of God. With each argument there is a conception presented of God. For each argument there are different approaches. I will be focusing on the Cosmological and Teleological Arguments. Teleological Arguments are known to be arguments from divine, arguing from order in the universe to the existence of God (1).With the ordering of the universe, created by an intelligent being, they hold that it is orderedRead MoreIntelligent Design: Science or Faith Essay1640 Words   |  7 Pagesreligious argument of the existence of God that has proceeded for centuries. Studies document that, in 13th century, Thomas Aquinas outlines that, intelligence enables natural things to accomplish the best results while setting goals (Machen, 1991). The version formulated by Aquinas outline that, God is paramount important in providing direction to human beings thus, setting a clear evidence of nature of intelligent design. To some extent, the intelligent design outline God as supernatural but; extraterrestrialRead MoreThe Leaders Of Isis And Their Wicked And Vicious Slaughter Of Christians2376 Words   |  10 Pages They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, ‘Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!’ Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, ‘Lord, do not hold this sin against them!† Having said this, he fell asleep.† Chapter 8 v erse 1 tells us that Saul was in hearty agreement with putting him to death. I want you to observe Stephen’s reaction to their vicious attack on him. Instead of seeking revenge, Stephen sought forgiveness and specifically asked God not to hold their sin againstRead MoreDo God Exist ?1960 Words   |  8 Pagesthe existence of God have been made over the years. Basically, these arguments are divided into two large groups i.e. logical and metaphysical. Actually, these arguments seek to prove that the existence of a being or having faith with at least one attribute that only God could have is logically necessary.    2. Believing and having faith in God will only resort to one thing—goodness.    3. Faith has something to do with one’s conception about God.    4. The existence of God remains a matter