Mackie and Rowe on the Problem of Evil (1420 words)

This question is on the traditional philosophical problem called "The Problem of Evil." According to the philosophers Mackie and Rowe, how is evil compatible with the existence of an all-powerful, all-good, all-knowing God?

Mackie and Rowe On The Problem of Evil
To summarize both Mackie and Rowe's presentation of the "problem of evil," with my own thoughts and reflections, if we consider certain summary statements about God are true, that God is all good, all-powerful, and all knowing, and if evil exists in the world, then we have to wrestle with the problem of evil. How can a good God allow bad things to happen? Bad things happen every day (for example; people suffer), so God either doesn't care or must not be very good. But this contradicts the claim that God is all good. Bad things do happen. If we understand "bad things" and "evil" to mean the same thing as "suffering," then we can say that people and animals suffer. Suffering is a clear instance of evil (Rowe 307).
So if suffering persists, why doesn't God prevent bad things from happening? God does not appear to prevent bad things from happening. People die....

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