Intellectual Heritage A (Spring 2008) - Handout - Divine Evil

The Problem of Divine Evil

1. Producing gratuitous suffering is evil.

2. Punishment out of proportion to an offense is gratuitous.

3. Hence, punishment out of proportion to an offense is evil.

4. Eternal torment is far out of proportion to any offense.

5. God's punishment for sinners (insubordinates) is eternal torment.

6. Hence, God's punishment for sinners is evil.

7. You are evil insofar as you produce evil.

8. Hence, God is evil.

Divine Evil Contamination Argument

9. You are evil insofar as you admire someone evil in recognition of the evil it does.

10. Hence, those who admire God in recognition of his punishment for sin are evil.

11. Hence, those who admire those who worship God are evil.

- Formalization based on the argument in David Lewis and Philip Kitcher, "And Lead Us Not" (Harpers, 2007).