Category Archives: The Problem of Evil

The book of Job is not a parable of divine justice. It is a parable of resignation to a world-making force that has no justice as we understand justice. God comes off sounding like a metaphor for the universe: violent and chaotic yet bountiful and marvelous. The Job story is a story of doubt.

(Jennifer Hecht, Doubt: A [...]

Comments (14)

The Chapman Tragedy and the Absence of God

By Daniel Florien on August 7, 2008 in Articles, Atheism, Christianity, The Problem of Evil.

Three months ago a five-year old girl was accidently killed by a car that was pulling into her driveway. The driver was her teenage brother. The father was Steven Curtis Chapman, a popular Christian musician and advocate for adoption.
Chapman and his family are going to be on Larry King tonight. A blurb for the show says, “How a [...]

Comments (74)

What if there was a god, and he was evil

By Daniel Florien on July 28, 2008 in Evidence, God, Questions, The Problem of Evil.

Pretend for a minute that there is irrefutable evidence for a god — so much evidence that no one doubts his existence, anymore than they would doubt the existence of Bill Gates.
But this god isn’t a kind, cuddly, boyfriend like Jesus who you want to sing love songs to. He seems pure evil. He kills little [...]

Comments (25)

What about the ones that didn’t survive?

By Daniel Florien on July 26, 2008 in Atheism, God, History, Quotes, The Problem of Evil.

[In the fifth century BCE,] a friend pointed out an expensive display of votive gifts to Diagoras and said, “You think the gods have no care for man? Why, you can see from all these votive pictures here how many people have escaped the fury of storms at sea by praying to the gods who [...]

Comments (4)

24,000 children died today from starvation

By Daniel Florien on July 23, 2008 in Atheism, God, Prayer, Quotes, The Problem of Evil.

24,000 children died today from starvation. What makes you think God will answer your prayers?
—Atheist bumper sticker (via William Lobdell)

Comments (10)

“God cares for souls, not stomachs.”

By Daniel Florien on June 23, 2008 in Apologetics, Christianity, God, Quotes, The Problem of Evil.

“God provides for all of our needs. He is a good father and knows how to take good care of his children. Yet there is famine and suffering. How can this be? Is it that God does not provide? No. It means God’s provision for us is not always what we expect. God cares for [...]

Comments (20)