Miracles and the problem of evil LO: I will know about the link between miracles and the problem of evil Hmk: Folder checks tomorrow Your assessment is fast approaching. Begin to revise. You can do this tomorrow whilst folders are being checked.

Examples of Natural and Moral Evil

In the last week…Beginning 9/11/15

A short history of evil http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/a-short-history-of-evil/3157.html

Dostoyevsky ‘Perhaps no one has stated more powerfully the objection that human, moral evil poses to the existence of God more than the great Russian novelist Fyodor Dostoyevsky. In a scene in the novel The Brothers Karamazov the atheist Ivan explains to his brother Alyosha, a Russian Orthodox priest, how evil in the world makes it impossible for him to believe in God.’ After reading through this, take a moment to note down some comments, or questions which came to mind. Be ready to share with the class. Handout, page 76-77 of William Lane Craig’s book, Hard Questions, Real Answers.

Key Question – Does belief in miracles solve or add to the problem of evil? Why doesn’t God perform miracles and intervene more regularly to avoid suffering? Why does God intervene in some trivial cases but often not in more serious cases of suffering? (Cf. Wiles – water into wine and the holocaust). We will do a ‘teaching hit’ activity do help prepare you for a series of head-to-head debates. Responses: Wiles/Bultmann – we shouldn’t understand miracles in a literal sense (cf. Bultmann and demythologisation), otherwise God will seem partisan, arbitrary and uncaring. Counter-argument – Threat to traditional Christian understandings of miracles and undermines their significance. Does God fail to intervene because he can’t (threat to omnipotence) or because he chooses not to (threat to benevolence). Are we putting God in a box and subjecting him to human reasoning? Is this acceptable? Irenaeaus - “He hurts you to help you” (House) suffering is a necessary part of the process of ‘soul-making’. If God kept intervening to prevent suffering then this couldn’t happen Counter-Argument – If God is omnipotent then couldn’t he have found another way for us to achieve likeness? Augustine – God cannot intervene wherever there is suffering. We suffer because we are being punished for disobeying God (i.e. the fall) Counter-Argument – the notion of the fall is problematic. Is it fair that we are all punished for a historical event? Did God not know that this was going to happen? ‘Beyond our Understanding’ – this kind of responses argues that we cannot hope to understand why God doesn’t always intervene. It’s beyond our understanding. God is omniscient – it is all part of a greater plan Counter-argument – Cop out? No way of arguing back.

Teaching-Hit! http://www.online-stopwatch.com/classroom-timers/ This activity is designed to develop your ability to peer-teach. You will be ‘equipped-to-hit’ with a handout, to teach your partner about responses to the problem of evil and miracles Students Questions you can ask your teacher: What did Wiles and Bultmann say? What is a counter argument? What did Irenaeus say? What is a counter argument? What did Augustine say? What is the counter argument? What is the argument to do with God being beyond our understanding? What is the counter argument?

Responses … Wiles/Bultmann – we shouldn’t understand miracles in a literal sense (cf. Bultmann and demythologisation), otherwise God will seem partisan, arbitrary and uncaring. Counter-argument – Threat to traditional Christian understandings of miracles and undermines their significance. Does God fail to intervene because he can’t (threat to omnipotence) or because he chooses not to (threat to benevolence). Are we putting God in a box and subjecting him to human reasoning? Is this acceptable? Irenaeus - “He hurts you to help you.” Suffering is a necessary part of the process of ‘soul-making’. If God kept intervening to prevent suffering then this couldn’t happen Counter-Argument – If God is omnipotent then couldn’t he have found another way for us to better ourselves? Augustine – We suffer because we are being punished for disobeying God (i.e. the fall) Counter-Argument – the notion of the fall is problematic. Is it fair that we are all punished for a historical event? Did God not know that this was going to happen? ‘Beyond our Understanding’ – this kind of response argues that we cannot hope to understand why God doesn’t always intervene. It’s beyond our understanding. God is omniscient – it is all part of a greater plan. We’re not God. Counter-argument – Cop out? No way of arguing back. Rational argument is redundant?

The Debate Game ‘A world filled with suffering must mean that a God performing miracles never happens.’ RULES: 1.You will be scored on preparation, contribution, and quick thinking 2. Only one person may speak at one time. http://www.teachit.co.uk/custom_content/timer/timer.html 1 Minute on what you think of the title, and why you are correct. 30 seconds on why others are wrong. Ask a question to challenge the other view You will then have 1 minute to prepare your closing statement.

Plenary: Essay plan ‘In practise, miracles can never be proven.’ Discuss Using your notes from your folders how would you approach this question? Have spare copies of the mark scheme available. Big players Definitions of miracles Examples – Holland etc Hume Swinburne Wilson Grudem Wiles Evaluation Form criticism – Gunkel (1862-1932) argued that the key to understanding miracle accounts was understanding the period where the stories were passed on by word of mouth prior to being written down. Demythologisation – Rather than reading them in literal terms we need to think about the message they are trying to convey. This will get us closer to the true Christian message (Bultmann) Why does Wiles reject miracles? God seems arbitrary and partisan (e.g. why turn water into wine, but not step in to intervene in the holocaust?) For Wiles, biblical miracles, including the resurrection, have a symbolic value and teach believers about the nature of God and the importance of obedience. Eval of Wiles: +ve Allows belief in God whilst upholding scientific laws. Solves the problem of evil. -ve Wiles goes against scripture and 2000 years of church history. Limits God, and makes God subject to human reasoning.