Deck 4: Why Does God Leave Us to Suffer?

Question 1

According to Aquinas, God's omnipotence is

A) able to bring about any outcome.
B) only able to bring about possible outcomes.
C) an unknowable mystery.
D) All of the above

Answer 1

B

Question 2

According to Leibniz, the world we live in is

A) a meaningless, godless world.
B) a world with equal amounts of good and evil.
C) the best possible universe.
D) the worst possible universe.

Answer 2

C

Question 3

Which of the following is not a premise in the theodicy argument of Leibniz?

A) Because God is omniscient, He knew how to create the world as good as possible.
B) Because God is omnipotent, He was able to create the best possible universe.
C) Because God is omnipresent, He is everywhere at all times.
D) Because God is perfectly good, He wouldn't choose to make a suboptimal universe.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Which of the following best articulates the problem of evil?

A) Theism implies that ours is the best possible universe. But ours is not the best possible universe. Therefore, theism is false.
B) Atheism implies that ours is the worst possible universe. But ours is not the worst possible universe. Therefore, atheism is false.
C) Theism implies that ours is the best possible universe. Ours is the best possible universe. Therefore, theism is true.
D) Atheism implies that ours is the worst possible universe. Ours is the worst possible universe. Therefore, atheism is true.

Question 5

The response to the problem of evil that claims suffering isn't real is an example of which kind of argument?

A) Reductio ad absurdum
B) Abduction
C) Bait-and-switch
D) Apodeictic syllogism

Question 6

Bait-and-switch responses

A) mislead by using words in nonstandard ways.
B) mislead by switching to another argument.
C) beg the question.
D) All of the above

Question 7

According to Augustine of Hippo, evil is

A) a necessary complement to God's goodness.
B) an illusion owing to human ignorance.
C) the work of the devil.
D) merely an absence (or privation) of goodness.

Question 8

The response to the problem of evil that claims God's goodness cannot be understood using human moral terms is an example of which kind of argument?

A) Reductio ad absurdum
B) Abduction
C) Bait-and-switch
D) Apodeictic syllogism

Question 9

The version of theism known as dualism claims

A) suffering is not caused by God.
B) God is not omnipotent.
C) God is incapable for the time being of preventing suffering.
D) All of the above

Question 10

Theodicies argue

A) God is incapable of preventing suffering, so should not be expected to do so.
B) God is capable of preventing suffering but justifiably chooses not to do so.
C) there is no suffering in the world.
D) all human suffering is an illusion.

Question 11

Which of the following is not a defense of theodicy?

A) In some cases God permits suffering because the people involved deserve to suffer.
B) Suffering is good for a person in the long term because it builds one's character.
C) Because human beings are free, we are capable of making bad decisions that lead to suffering.
D) All of the above

Question 12

J. L. Mackie argued against free will theodicy by claiming

A) a perfect God could create people who have free will, but have such good characters that they never, or almost never, do wrong.
B) a perfect God could not create people who have free will and always act morally.
C) free will is an illusion.
D) human suffering is an illusion.

Question 13

Free will theodicy seems unable to explain

A) suffering owing to human evils.
B) suffering owing to natural evils (e.g., earthquakes or hurricanes).
C) how free will can even be possible.
D) All of the above

Question 14

Skeptical theism claims that human beings should be skeptical

A) of God's existence.
B) of trying to understand God's reasons for permitting suffering.
C) that suffering exists at all.
D) All of the above

Question 15

One of the criticisms of skeptical theism is that it leads to

A) moral nihilism.
B) moral paralysis.
C) moral fanaticism.
D) no longer believing in God.

Question 16

Natural evil is when a bad state of affairs arises from

A) human causes.
B) nonhuman causes.
C) innate human evil.
D) All of the above

Question 17

Which of the following exemplifies natural evil?

A) The Holocaust
B) Earthquakes
C) Bad government
D) Losing one's job

Question 18

Moral evil is when a bad state of affairs arises from

A) human causes.
B) nonhuman causes.
C) innate human evil.
D) All of the above

Question 19

Which of the following exemplifies moral evil?

A) The Holocaust
B) Earthquakes
C) Bad government
D) Losing one's job

Question 20

If one were to claim that disbelief in God was beneficial, this would be an example of which kind of argument?

A) Evidential
B) Reductio ad absurdum
C) Pragmatic
D) Inductive

Question 21

Philosophy has raised the "problem of evil." After explaining this problem, discuss how it relates to God's omniscience and omnipotence.

Question 22

The problem of evil must address various different forms of evil. What are these, and how do they relate to a possible resolution of this problem?

Question 23

Discuss one of the various forms of theodicy. What objections can be made against it?

Question 24

What is moral paralysis, and how does it relate to theology? Could this problem relate to ways of thinking outside of theology?

Question 25

It has been claimed that some people benefit from believing that God exists and that this justifies their theism. Similarly, one might argue that some people benefit from believing that God doesn't exist? Discuss these ideas.