Theodicy and the Problem of Evil


Theodicy in a nutshell. If God created everything, then God created suffering.

If, as Christian doctrine teaches and indeed is the pursuit of the Christian practise, we are headed for a state where suffering and evil is not even possible, why did God not choose just to start there instead of putting us through all this? (Assuming that perfect love is God, as is the experience and premise of Progressive Christianity.)

Because evil is even a theoretical possibility the only theoretical solution is that we must live in a universe where evil is defeated. What we now experience is the outworking of that. That is one philosophical answer.

To put it another way. Even if God just created heaven and paradise, if evil was even just a theoretical possibility then eventually - given enough time - it would happen. Creation would fall and evil must be defeated. And so, here we are.

In order for evil to not even be possible it must have happened and been defeated. So the way things are is the only way they can be if we are to have true perfection.

Christianity cuts the Gordian knot by saying that evil is defeated by God incarnate dying to pay the very real price for suffering. There is a price and it is exacted in blood, the blood of perfection itself.

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