Doing Philosophy: An Introduction Through Thought Experiments, 2/e

Theodore Schick, Muhlenberg College
Lewis Vaughn

The Problem of Evil and the Existence of God

When Bad Things Happen to Good People: God as Troublemaker

Thought Probes

Adam and Eve: If Adam and Eve didn't know that it was wrong to eat the apple, was it right to punish them?
Adam and Eve: Set Up? (http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Academy/2850/Eden.html) Article claiming that since Adam and Eve didn't know the difference between right and wrong, they shouldn't be held responsible for their actions



Adam and Eve: Who is Guilty and Who is Innocent? (http://members.aol.com/wheregod/chapters/adameve.htm) Article by Lee Adams Young exploring some of the implications of the story



Bible Morality (http://members.tripod.com/ColoradoWeb/kentbible1.htm) Article by Kent Lewis arguing that Adam and Eve were psychological children and thus not responsible for their actions



Women were Considered to be Sinful (http://www.womenpriests.org/traditio/sinful.htm) Article by John Wijngaards explaining how women became blamed for the fall of humanity



It All Depends on Adam and Eve (http://www.powernet.net/~postpubco/fubadam.htm) Article by James Nathan Post critiquing the idea of original sin



Eve and Adam Resources Online (http://www.webwinds.com/thalassa/adameve.htm) Set of links compiled by Tracey Marks dealing with Adam and Eve

Moving the Moon: Does the fact that a good deal of natural evil could have been eliminated if the Earth had a different orientation show that the world was not created by God?
The Problem of Natural Evil (http://www.update.uu.se/~fbendz/library/bm_evil.htm#conclusion) Article by Brian Marston arguing that natural evil cannot be justified



Aquinas and the Necessity of Natural Evils (http://www.aquinasonline.com/Topics/probevil.html) Article from the Thomistic Philosophy Page presenting Aquinas's view of natural evil



The Philosophical Problem of Evil (http://www.nova.edu/~seltzer/id13_m.htm) Article by Bob Seltzer (Nova Southeastern University) exploring many different solutions to the problem of evil



Assessing the Problem of Evil and the Existence of God (http://sguthrie.net/evil.htm) Article by Shandon L. Guthrie arguing that the existence of natural evil is not incompatible with the existence of God



God's Answer to Job (http://stripe.colorado.edu/~morristo/phil2job.html) Article by Wes Morriston (Colorado University) from Religious Studies (1996) exploring various interpretations of the Book of Job

Is there free will in heaven? If there can be no free will without evil, can there be free will in heaven?
The Dilemma of Heaven (http://www.secweb.org/asset.asp?AssetID=265) Article by Doug Wetzel on reasons for believing that there can be no free will in heaven



Free Will in Heaven (http://www.opentheism.org/free_will_in_heaven.htm) Article by Doug Wetzel on reasons for believing that there can be no free will in heaven



Will There Be Free Will in Heaven? (http://www.losingmyreligion.com/articlesf/freewill_questions.html) Response from Opentheism.org claiming that in heaven we will not be tempted to do evil



Will There be Free Will in Heaven? (http://www.truthwalk.com/Q%20and%20A/sin%20in%20heaven.html) Article from truthwalk.com claiming that we cannot sin in heaven



Is There Free Will in Heaven? (http://www.ewtn.com/library/ANSWERS/FRWILL.htm) Article by Fr. William Saunders claiming that the notion of free will in heaven is a mystery

Karma: Does the doctrine of Karma provide a plausible solution to the problem of evil and inequality?
Karma: the Problem of Evil in India (http://www.friesian.com/karma.htm) Article by Kelly Ross explaining the role that Karma plays in solving the problem of evil in India



Karma and Evil (http://www.kcmetro.cc.mo.us/longview/socsci/philosophy/religion/karma.htm) Lecture notes by Michael J. Connelly (Longview Community College) on Karma, Hinduism, and the problem of evil



Karma and the Origin of Evil (http://www.kundalidasa.org/articles/article18.htm) Article by Kundali Dasa on explaining evil through Karma



Suffering and Buddhism (http://www.counterbalance.net/scisuff/suffe-body.html) Article by Paul Ingram on the Buddhist solution to the problem of evil



The Afterlife: Reincarnation vs. Resurrection (http://www.shakinandshinin.org/TheAfterlife.html) Excerpt from Norman Geisler and Ronald Brooks When Skeptics Ask criticizing the notion of Karma and reincarnation

God's Goodness: Given the actions reported in the Bible, is it reasonable to believe that God is all-good?
Bible Passages that Seem Immoral by Today's Standards (http://www.religioustolerance.org/imm_bibl1.htm) Article from religioustolerance.org listing some seemingly immoral bible passages



Bible Atrocities (http://www.infidels.org/library/modern/donald_morgan/atrocity.shtml) List of seemingly immoral acts portrayed in the Bible compiled by Donald Morgan



God and Evil (http://www.bbie.org/english/Study06GodandEvil/0601GodAndEvil.html) Article by Duncan Heaster from Bible Basics arguing that God, not Satan, must be the author of evil



Why God Permits Evil (http://www.biblestudents.net/library/bkevil.htm) Article from Bible Students Online arguing that we cannot judge God



Gratuitous Evil and the God of the Bible (http://members.aol.com/ps418/evil2.html) Article by Patrick S. presenting seemingly evil acts condoned by the Bible

A Flawed God: Could a being that was neither all-knowing, all-powerful, nor all-good still be God?
The Papers of Martin Luther King, Jr (http://www.stanford.edu/group/King/publications/papers/vol2/520109-Final_examination_answ... ) A final exam taken by Martin Luther King in which he claims that a finite God is the only solution to the problem of evil



Finitism and the Problem of Evil (http://www.nd.edu/~rpotter/courses/finitism.html) Article by R. Dennis Potter (University of Notre Dame) defending a finite God as the best solution to the problem of evil



Things God Cannot Do (http://www.letusreason.org/Apolo2.htm) List by Mike Oppenheimer (Let Us Reason Ministries)



God, Evil, and the Holocaust (http://www.probe.org/docs/evil-holo.html) Article by Jimmy Williams exploring many reponses that have been proposed by Jewish scholars to the problem of evil raised by the holocaust



The Problem of Suffering (http://allanturner.com/ss10.html) Article by Allan Turner critiquing various versions of the finite God argument



If God is so great. . . (http://hometown.aol.com/purrplepoppie/godshortcomings.html) Set of questions by Diane Poppie whose answers seem to suggest that God is not omniscient or omnipotent

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