Atheism and the Problem of Evil

[Backwoods Presbyterian]

This could fit in about 4 forums so I put it here. Mods feel free to move it.

"For Charles Darwin and all who make evolution and natural selection central to their view of life, realism constantly tends to collapse into pessimism, whatever their individual protestations of joy and hope in life. And the reason is simple. Not only is natural selection utterly blind to evil and suffering, but it favors the "selfish gene" and the survivalistic ethic of "might makes right" that is the evil heart of oppression and abuse of power. No account of twentieth-century evil can ignore its close kinship to the dark side of Nietzsche's will to power."

Os Guinness, "Unspeakable: Facing Up to the Challenge of Evil" pg. 130


Cannot recommend this book enough. Excellent. Excellent. Excellent.

You can purchase it here.

 

[Pergamum]

Thanks. The problem of evil actually drove me to God (after it made me doubt God) because if there is no God or no absolute reference point for goodness, then there is no such thing as evil, just "inconvenience" to certain persons. Evil is a problem, but it is a theistic problem. Atheists give up the ship at the get-go even to acknowledge that such a thing as evil actually exists. As a teenager I found it odd that atheists were speaking of things as good or evil (transcendent values)...sort of like they didn't want to admit that might makes right in their little worldview.