Protest Atheism Exploring some alternative responses to the Problem of Evil: Elie Wiesel(Holocaust Survivor) Ivan Karamazov (a fictional character in Dostoyevski’s book, “The Brothers Karamazov”)

Responses to the Problem of Evil Elie Wiesel, Holocaust survivor

Elie Wiesel Elie Wiesel is the only member of his family to have survived the Holocaust TASK: Read the collection of extracts from his book “Night” and see if you can identify how he feels about God, in light of his experience at Auschwitz. Elie Wiesel is Jewish – to renounce Judaism would mean giving Hitler a “post-humus victory”. But Elie Wiesel refuses to worship the God of the Jews.

Other examples Although it is most commonly referred to when discussing the extent of human atrocities, the Holocaust is by no means the only example of evil on this scale... (Examples from “The Puzzle of Evil” by Peter Vardy)

In 1943, the Nazis were running short of gas. They would throw young children into the graves while still alive, then pile up the adult corpses on top. If they tried to climb out, they would be bayoneted by guards. In Rwanda, the majority tribe, the Hutus murdered 800,000 of their neighbouring tribe the Tutsis in the space of 1 month. The Hutu soldiers would hack the limbs off children and throw them into the river to drown while their parents were forced to watch.

During the Vietnam war, the United States dropped Napalm, (a burning petroleum jelly) onto villages including children where members of the Vietcong were suspected of hiding. Napalm sticks to the skin & cannot be removed, burning fiercely until the person dies. In Bosnia, Serb soldiers systematically raped young girls as a deliberate war policy in order to impregnate the girls

Ivan Karamazov Now complete task 2 on your Student Activity Sheet Like Wiesel, Ivan believes in God – ie, he believes there is a God. Like Wiesel, Ivan refuses to worship God. Ivan knows this means he is cutting himself off from God forever, but he believes instead of being worshipped, God should be condemned for allowing innocent children to suffer. No matter what ultimate purpose God may have in allowing suffering, Ivan refuses to believe such suffering is justified. Ivan says it is morally inexcusable to view the end (Heaven) as justification for the means by which we might attain it (the price of suffering) Karamazov’s position is summed up by the philosopher Irving Greenberg: “The Holocaust confronts us with unanswerable questions. But let us agree to one principle: no statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of the burning children." “The Holocaust confronts us with unanswerable questions. But let us agree to one principle: no statement, theological or otherwise, should be made that would not be credible in the presence of the burning children." (From the essay "Judaism, Christianity, and Partnership After the Twentieth Century," by Irving Greenberg, Christianity in Jewish Terms, Tivka Frymer-Kensky, editor.)

Protest Atheism = Condemnation of God Both Wiesel and Dostoyevski’s character Ivan Karamazov believe that God exists Karamazov believes that in the end, peace and harmony will be restored – according to God’s divine plan. They refuse to believe God is worthy of worship They refuse to accept that the suffering of innocents is justified within God’s plan. They accept that we cannot hope to understand it, but given our position of ignorance, we have no option but to condemn God for such an injustice.