cbostrum (04/05/83)
DJHawley points out that Augustine "solves" the problem of evil by saying that it is really just a lack of perfection (or perfect good) which of course is necessary since only God is perfection. I would just like to point out that this is an absurd argument. Calling evil a lack of good does not mean that therefore it is not evil; you cannot define it away by fiat. I think this is the biggest problem people who are religious must face: There is evil in the world, and their best minds to this date have been dismally unable to explain why or how. I still believe that there is a contradiction inherent in the existence of an omnipotent benevolent god which no one has been able to avoid. (Please note that by evil here I mean uneccesssary suffering, and I am therefore presupposing an agency which can make it go away. That is, I do not require a moral theory in order to make this claim about the existence of evil)