1. ‘The existence of evil and suffering in the world proves that God does not exist.’ (12 marks)
Agree: Examples of natural and moral evil / God is omnipotent so has the power to stop evil / God is omniscient so knows how to stop evil / God is omnibenevolent so would not want his creation to suffer / the Bible describes the world God created as ‘good’ which is not true Disagree: Suffering is a test of faith e.g. Job / moral evil is caused by humans / suffering is part of God’s plan e.g. Jesus’ suffering on the cross / suffering gives us the opportunity to help others – the Sheep and the Goats – preparation for paradise / Jesus understands our suffering and is there for us in times of need / suffering is a punishment e.g. the Egyptians (Moses) / suffering is caused by the Devil (e.g. Adam, Eve and the snake)
Writing Frame
Some people would agree with this statement because God is supposed to be…
However, many Christians would argue that…
Furthermore…
Despite this…
Having considered both sides of the argument, the evidence strongly suggests that…