God and Evil - Atheism

GCSE Religious Studies (Philosophy & Ethics)

God and Evil

Atheism

Atheists basically believe that, if an almighty god, isn’t squaring up against evil, then instead of there not being evil, they believe that instead there is no God!

Dualism

This is the belief that evil cannot be the fault of god, as its principles are that of opposites of a God, so there must instead be an anti-god, otherwise known as the Devil, or Satan, and that that is the source of evil. Also there is a universal and a constant struggle between good and bad, God and the Devil.

Evil is Unreal

This basically means that there is no evil; it is just something when there is not good, but not evil either, just an absence of good. So as an example, it is like being blind, the world is still there, but you are just unable to see it! So in this case, the good is there, but there is an illusion of bad, not really there, but just created in the form, of craving and greed. Augustine was a proponent of this view, and it is common in Hindu and Buddhist beliefs.

Original Sin

This is basically saying that God, made the good, and everything was good, but human beings are the ones who created the bad and rebelled against God, so that the evil humans could be known as the devils. As they are the opposition to God. This is also a point in which Augustine developed.

Evil as a Punishment

This basically means what it says! It is a belief, which means that when you deserve to be punished for something it comes as something evil.

The phrase “What have I done to deserve this” is basically that someone has done something bad, and so something evil has happened to him or her as a punishment.

Evil as a Test

This basically means that when evil comes to us in any form, it is a test to see how we react to it and what we do. As humans were not created ...

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Evil as a Punishment

This basically means what it says! It is a belief, which means that when you deserve to be punished for something it comes as something evil.

The phrase “What have I done to deserve this” is basically that someone has done something bad, and so something evil has happened to him or her as a punishment.

Evil as a Test

This basically means that when evil comes to us in any form, it is a test to see how we react to it and what we do. As humans were not created perfectly, but have been given life to show that they deserve it so that they can grow to perfection. An example of this is when any religion, try to improve on things like prayers, and keep away from things like drugs, alcohol, smoking etc. An example of this, is when Jesus was tempted by the devil while fasting for 40 days and nights, when he told him to fall of a cliff and not die, or turn the rock into bread, and if Jesus would have done this, then he would have failed the test, but he passed, as he refused the devil!

A Christian Solution

This is that God, was reincarnated as Jesus, and is shown therefore, as a figure that does not HAVE to do good things, but for its love, reliability and dependability does it. Also, he is made as something that is not separate from evil, and fighting it. But that God is present in evil, as it tries to make it turn good, instead of the other views of destroying or fighting it.

I do not think that the atheistic view is correct as I believe that there is a god, and that the reason that he does not fight against the evil is that, he put US there to fight against us, by already giving us so much, life, hope, happiness, a mostly easy life, and a world which started as a free and peaceful and unpolluted world, and as good is so powerful, we are taking advantage by saying this, as we are saying that god should do this for us cause it is compulsory as he is God, but I think that really it is the other way round, and that god really has already given us enough, and if we go pollute our earth, kill ourselves in war, and WE become evil, then that is our own punishment, as god will not be effected by it. He is safe, and he can’t ALWAYS have to come and help us! So this is why I don’t believe in it!

For the Dualist view, I also think that this is incorrect in some ways, although right in some. As I think that yes, evil cannot be blamed onto god, since it comes from somewhere else. But I disagree about there being an ACTUAL being such as the Devil. Maybe we can be called the devil if we are evil, BUT we cannot say that is we are evil it is because of A or THE devil. As I think that that is just a poor excuse for our wrongs and faults in life! And sometimes when people do dire things and then say that the devil made them do it, I think that that is just an excuse as it was THEM that did the wrongdoing and nothing else.

I think that this belief that evil is unreal is actually one of the ones that make most sense to me. As, as I said, I believe that evil is not something, in a form or something that is there. But evil is something that is what we are if we do wrong things and are greedy and selfish etc, and that there is not something separate called “evil” or in any name or form, that makes us do things, but is something that WE create when we do wrong.

As well, this makes sense to me, as it says that we are the ones that cause evil and nothing else. And that God has nothing to do with it, cant be blamed, and should NOT have to sort it out for US, but that we should sort our ourselves.

Evil as a punishment, is something, which I am not sure about, as if something bad happens to you it would naturally be called evil… BUT what if you deserved it?!?!?! For example if you were someone that killed many people, like Hitler, for no reason, then an evil thing happening to you, would be also a good thing, as it was deserving! So I am a bit uncertain of this one.

Evil is a Test; I think that this sounds quite sensible, as it is easily possible, as something like temptation, and that to pass the test you must not give in to it. And also with the reason that without there being something bad, why should you deserve for doing good!? As there can be no good, if there is no evil!

I think that the Christian solution, is although quite good, I think that it is a bit too optimistic about the earth, as although I think it is fair enough and it would be brilliant if it were true, I think that it is like a heads or tails flip, and you only get one or the other, and the Christian solution, is having both sides in one toss… but obviously there is still the chance of a coin having two heads, or two tails! So the idea cannot be too easily dismissed.