Free Will Essay Instructions
The Problem of Evil (suffering) is probably the strongest argument against the existence of God. It seems that an omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent (3o) being would prevent all suffering. Since suffering does exist, it seems unlikely (or even impossible) that a 3o being (God) exists. The Free Will Defense is probably the most popular response to the Problem of Evil, arguing that humans have free will and sometimes make morally incorrect decisions that cause suffering. According to the Free Will Defense, it is better that God allow humans to have free will than to force them to choose correctly. If the Free Will Defense is successful, however, the best it can do is explain how suffering caused by humans is not God’s fault. In other words, the Free Will Defense at best can get God (assuming God exists) off the hook for suffering caused by humans. The Free Will Defense, however, cannot get God off the hook for Natural Evil (suffering caused by non-human means such as hurricanes, tornadoes, diseases, etc.) Or at least the Free Will Defense cannot get God off the hook for all instances of Natural Evil. Humans seem to make instances of Natural Evil worse through climate change, inadequate responses to infectious diseases, etc.
For your essay, pick an action (or lack thereof) that a human (yourself or some other human) that apparently worsens instances of Natural Evil. It could be an action that apparently exacerbates climate change or furthers the spread of an infectious disease, or apparently worsens Natural Evil in some other way. Explain the action you have chosen and how it apparently makes instances of Natural Evil worse. If the Free Will Defense is correct, the action you explained was freely chosen and God (if God exists) cannot be held responsible for the effects of the action and apparently gets God off the hook (at least to some extent) for instances of Natural Evil. Do you agree with the conclusion of the Free Will Defense? In other words, do you think the action you described helps get God off the hook for at least some instances of Natural Evil? Give at least one reason supporting your position.
Your essay, at minimum, should be at least half a page (12 size-font with regular margins and double-spaced) and will be turned into a dropbox on D2L. The due date for this assignment is Wednesday, April 17 by 10 p.m.
