Why does evil & suffering exist?

As I have visited with various students across the campus of Texas Tech one question continues to surface: Why does evil and suffering exist? So with this question in mind, allow me to make a few comments.

First, I feel the major reason this question continues to be an important one is because we all face difficulties in life. We have all suffered in one way or another. When I have asked others why this question as opposed to others, the response I usually receive sounds something like one of the following: "My best friend was killed in a car wreck." "My parents got a divorce!" "My mom has cancer."

Second, because none of us are imune from difficulty, and because suffering is something we will all experience at some point in our lives, the question of evil and suffering is one that all religious and non-religious groups/people must answer unless, of course, you do not believe evil or suffering exists. The question arises, however, as to all the possible answers, which one is most plausible? Is there a good answer to the problem of evil? I personally think there is as you will most likely see on the blog.

So, what is the answer to the question of evil and suffering in specific relationship to God? I would like to first start by writing that there are two ways this question can be answered. It can be answered logically and it can be answered personally. So, let's start by answering the logical question of evil.

The logical argument of evil goes something like this: If God is all-good, and all-knowing, and all-powerful, and yet evil exists, then God cannot be all-good, all-knowing, or all-powerful. This argument therefore says that since evil exists, then the God of traditional theism cannot exist because if he did, then he being all good, powerful, and knowing would not allow evil.

It is a simple argument and is one you have most likely have heard before. However, this is no longer a logically argument for the non-existence of God. Several years ago, a philosopher by the name of Alvin Plantiga answered this argument with the free will defense. What the free will defense entails is that the world with moral good is better than a world without it. However, only free moral agents can do moral good so God created moral free agents. The controversial point in this argument is that God cannot create free moral agents who never do wrong. Free creatures have the choice to whether they do right or wrong.

Now whether or not you hold to the free will defense does not matter, the point is that Plantiga has shown that God's existence is not logically incompatible with evil. In a logical argument, you do not have to show what God's reasons are for actually allowing evil, but just what they might be. If those reasons are possible, then you defeat the logical incompatibility of evil and God's existence.

So from a logical point of view, God and evil can exist. But for most people, this does not settle the question as to the existence of evil and suffering. It gets more personal! And because of that, I will write a few more thoughts concerning the question of evil and suffering on another post.

Thoughts?