problem of evil

An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 10 – God 2 (Atheism) – Part 4: Have you stopped beating your wife?

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The free will defense, often cited by believers to explain the problem of evil, sounds comforting at first: evil exists because God gave us the freedom to choose. But this reasoning quickly unravels when we consider that free will is selectively interrupted by miracles, prayers, and divine intervention. Why, then, does God intervene sometimes and not others? Additionally, much suffering is not a result of human choice—natural disasters, diseases, birth defects—so the free will defense cannot explain natural evil. And in heaven, a place of perfection, free will seems unnecessary for goodness. The defense falters when we confront the reality of suffering and the fact that, often, telling the grieving that pain is “necessary” for a greater good feels dismissive, not loving. Maybe, the honest response to suffering is not explanation, but humility and presence.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 10 – God 2 (Atheism) – Part 3: Have you ever been in pain?

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Pain doesn’t ask permission. It doesn’t care about belief. It just is. The traditional view of God—powerful, all-knowing, and good—collides with the reality of suffering, leading us to ask: If God could intervene, why does so much pain remain untouched? The problem of evil isn’t a theological trick; it’s a question born from love. It’s the refusal to accept suffering as just the way things are. Sometimes, atheism begins with grief, with the painful recognition that a loving God who doesn’t intervene looks eerily like one who isn’t there at all. So, what do we do with a universe where pain is real, often undeserved, and the most compassionate response isn’t explanation—but presence?

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