Does the problem of evil provide an insurmountable objection to belief in God? Speaking of God, what if the nature of the divine being that exists is supremely evil rather than good? If it were, would we know? I discuss these and other issues with the esteemed public philosopher Stephen Law. ?
problem of evil
The Problem of Evil: My Friendly Debate with Alex Malpass
Is the problem of evil less of a problem if evil is not a thing?
Some theists attempt to lessen the problem of evil by arguing that evil has no independent ontological existence: instead, it is merely the absence of good. Let’s consider that defense for a moment by trying out the logic in an analogous case. Imagine that Mr. and Mrs. Jones leave town for the weekend and they […]
Biblical Violence and the Problem of Evil: A Conversation
Is the Christian God an All-Good and Loving God? A Debate
This evening, I participated in a debate with atheist Floyd FP on the “Cognitive Distortion” YouTube channel on the topic Is the Christian God an All-Good and Loving God? It was a vigorous and wide-ranging discussion and of course, it comes highly recommended!
Theology, Worldview, and the Death of My Father
In this video, I reflect on the death of my father to Alzheimer’s in theological perspective while interacting with the eulogy I delivered at his memorial service in April 2019. The lesson: A Christian worldview should equip you to view life, suffering, and death in the light of hope, grace, and the cross. Unfortunately, the […]
COVID-19 and God’s Providence: An interview with my pastor
Actually, God Can: A Response to Thomas Jay Oord (Part 1)
Last week, I posted a review of Thomas Jay Oord’s book God Can’t. While the book was well written with admirable pastoral sensitivity and compassion for those who suffer, I wasn’t particularly taken with the main argument. Not surprisingly, Dr. Oord was not particularly taken with my review and he posted a response here. Since I […]
Should we hope that God has a reason for allowing evil?
Many people find the idea that God has a reason for allowing great evils to be implausible, even offensive. But does that make sense? Should we really prefer that evil occur for no reason at all? Or should we hope there is a reason, even if we can’t understand it? In this video, I take […]
The Questionable Comfort of Impotent Love: A Review of God Can’t
Thomas Jay Oord. God Can’t: How to Believe in God and Love after Tragedy, Abuse, and Other Evils. SacraSage Press, 2020. “Why God?” It is a question that has been asked by countless people. “Why did you allow me to get cancer?” “Why do you allow children to starve?” “Why do you allow a pandemic like […]
Is God punishing us with COVID-19? Here’s My Answer
What do you mean “God can’t”? A response to the Peckham-Oord Debate
Here are some quick evil thoughts pertaining to the most recent episode of Unbelievable featuring a conversation between John Peckham and Thomas Jay Oord. I’m not going to recap their positions here. Just listen to the show and then join the conversation. First, I didn’t hear enough about John Peckham’s (very Greg Boydian sounding) council […]
