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problem of evil Cameron Bertuzzi logical problem of evil

Problem of evil as the strongest argument for atheism: suffering and evil as evidence (not logical disproof) against God's existence

Discussion of atheist arguments

problem of evil moral argument for God Cameron Bertuzzi

Argument from morality as a compelling Christian argument: moral facts (e.g., torturing children for fun is wrong) require a grounding explanation

Cameron presents the moral argument as interesting for its emotional grip, parallel to the problem of evil

problem of evil emotional vs. logical reasoning philosophical method

Emotional vs. logical reasoning: the importance of separating emotional response from logical analysis of arguments

Cameron's methodological point about evaluating arguments

problem of evil moral realism nihilism

Mike's response to the problem of evil: if evil disproves God, then the moral framework that makes evil "evil" also collapses, creating a self-defeating argument

Mike shares his own perspective on the problem of evil

John McCrae problem of evil John McCrae SIDS / sudden infant death

Personal account: two friends experienced SIDS (crib death/sudden infant death) and responded differently — one drew closer to God, one turned away

John shares a personal story illustrating different responses to suffering

Revelation eschatology Revelation theodicy

The Christian hope of eschatological restoration answers the problem of evil: God wiping away every tear, remaking of heaven and earth

Mike elaborates his response to the problem of evil using Christian eschatology

Mike Winger idea 2019-04-24

Three biblical causes of natural evil: divine judgment, spiritual warfare, and the greater good

Mike surveys biblical reasons for calamitous suffering

Job John 9:1-3 spiritual warfare Job problem of evil

Mike Winger idea 2019-10-02

Slogan 6: "God knows our hearts and good people will be okay" — people are not actually good

Final and most substantial of the six slogans

original sin human nature total depravity

Mike Winger idea 2020-10-02

Calvinist theodicy: God is not guilty for decreed sin because he is perfect goodness; skeptical theism is the strongest available path for Calvinists

Question from Matt Bach about whether the Calvinist claim "God is not guilty for sin he decrees because his purposes are good" is a form of ends-justify-the-means reasoning

theodicy Calvinism problem of evil

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike comments on Jeff Durbin of Apologia Radio, praising him for having a solid gospel and effective outreach to cults but disagreeing with his strong Calvinism; he also notes controversy around a debate Durbin and James White did against a Mormon.

Response to viewer question about Jeff Durbin

James White Mormonism theodicy James White

Mike Winger idea 2018-10-31

Mike argues it is philosophically irrational to charge God with immorality because God’s character is the very grounding of moral goodness, making the question of whether God could do something immoral logically incoherent, analogous to asking if a circle could be a square.

Response to non-believer asking whether there is anything God could do that would lead Mike to consider him immoral

apologetics atheism moral argument

Mike Winger idea 2021-01-22

Why God creates people he foreknows will reject him

Our Fish asked why God would create people he knows will not choose him.

Matthew 13:24-30 free will theodicy problem of evil

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-26

Satan in the Garden: God did not place Satan there; Satan's presence does not negate human free will responsibility for the Fall.

Brian Harper asks why a God who hates evil would place evil incarnate (Satan) in the Garden knowing it would lead to human corruption.

Genesis 3 Genesis 3 Satan free will

Mike Winger idea 2021-03-12

Responding to online skeptics who call God evil and Christianity irrational: focus on one argument, watch for dumping tactics

Q9 from Dora Ashby: Skeptics say belief in God is irrational, that Christians must approve of rape and torture, and that God is evil. How to respond?

apologetics atheism debate strategy

problem of evil problem of evil trilemma

Drew's Question 1: Why did God communicate through literature? Literature demands interpretation, leading to contradictory sects and suffering (e.g., JW blood transfusions). If God couldn't do better, he's not omnipotent; if he didn't know, not omniscient; if he didn't care, not omni-benevolent.

Presenting Drew's argument — literature and the problem of evil

problem of evil problem of evil trilemma

Braxton responds: even if Drew's point succeeded, it wouldn't lead to atheism — at most it would adjust your concept of God. The video's title ("make you an atheist") overstates the stakes. Drew's argument mirrors Epicurus' logical argument from evil, which is too ambitious.

Response to Q1 — Drew's argument doesn't lead to atheism

John McCrae hermeneutics hermeneutics sin nature

John McCrae adds: our sin nature explains interpretive divergence — we read preferences into Scripture. The Bible calls us to strive for truth (narrow gate), which makes the relationship with Christ richer. Drew's question is really just the problem of evil focused on one aspect.

Additional response to Q1 — sin nature and striving

Isaiah 11 problem of evil problem of evil skeptical theism

Cameron and Mike discuss animal suffering as a serious philosophical problem, but note: (1) atheism offers no solution to suffering at all, (2) Christianity promises resolution (Isaiah 11 — wolf lies down with lamb), (3) Stephen Wykstra's no-see-um principle: we wouldn't expect to perceive overarching goods from specific instances of suffering.

Animal suffering — atheism vs Christianity

free will problem of evil problem of evil

Drew's Question 4: If God knows who will choose him, why not only create those people and skip earthly suffering? If free will is the answer, that implies heaven lacks free will (since there's no suffering there), making earth better than heaven.

Presenting Drew's argument — why create the non-elect?

problem of evil Cameron Bertuzzi problem of evil

Cameron responds: 3 of 4 questions are really just versions of the problem of evil. Questions are not arguments — they require structured premises and conclusions. Cameron identifies three goods requiring earthly existence before heaven.

Response to Q4 — questions aren't arguments

Mike Winger idea 2020-08-07

Calvinism and free will: Mike isn't a Calvinist. He believes in genuine human free will while also affirming God's sovereignty. The key issue: does God determine every single human decision (Calvinist compatibilism) or do humans have genuine libertarian choice? Mike believes libertarian free will better fits Scripture and makes better sense of God's commands, judgments, and the problem of evil.

Calvinism and free will — Mike's position

Calvinism free will Calvinism

circular reasoning atheism circular reasoning

Overview: Responding to an article presenting the "best arguments" of top atheists against God. The first four are circular and self-refuting; the fifth (problem of evil) is genuinely difficult but well-answered.

Introduction to video analyzing Sam Wickstrom article on atheist arguments from Dawkins, Nietzsche, and Epicurus

Romans 8:28 problem of evil logical problem of evil problem of evil

Argument 5 — The Problem of Evil (Epicurus) — is genuinely difficult but the logical version has been abandoned by academic atheist philosophers. The dilemma offers a false set of options.

Fifth argument: the problem of evil from Epicurus

theodicy theodicy problem of evil

Four theodicies provide a cumulative answer to the problem of evil: soul-building, free will, natural law, and skeptical theism.

Detailed treatment of theodicies responding to the problem of evil

atheism problem of evil atheism

The problem of evil actually backfires on atheism: evil's existence presupposes objective moral values, which have no grounding on atheism. The problem of evil is itself evidence for God.

How the problem of evil becomes an argument FOR God