Instigator / Pro
4
1485
rating
91
debates
46.15%
won
Topic
#1532

The Problem of Evil

Status
Finished

The debate is finished. The distribution of the voting points and the winner are presented below.

Winner & statistics
Better arguments
0
3
Better sources
2
2
Better legibility
1
1
Better conduct
1
1

After 1 vote and with 3 points ahead, the winner is...

Nemiroff
Parameters
Publication date
Last updated date
Type
Standard
Number of rounds
4
Time for argument
Two weeks
Max argument characters
15,000
Voting period
Two weeks
Point system
Multiple criterions
Voting system
Open
Contender / Con
7
1554
rating
15
debates
73.33%
won
Description

Topic

Resolved: The Problem of Evil is a sound argument against an omnibenevolent and all-powerful God.

Definitions

The Problem of Evil:

If an omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient god exists, then evil does not.exist
There is evil in the world.
Therefore, an omnipotent, omnibenevolent and omniscient god does not exist.

Evil: In this context, there are 2 types of evil I want to talk about: moral evils and natural evils. Evil is that which causes significant and unnecessary harm.

Structure
R1: Opening Statements
R2: Rebuttals
R3: Defense
R4: Summary/Close

Rules
1. No k's
2. No trolling
3. Cite all your sources within the text of the debate either as a hyperlink or as a full URL.

Criterion
Pro
Tie
Con
Points
Better arguments
3 point(s)
Better sources
2 point(s)
Better legibility
1 point(s)
Better conduct
1 point(s)
Reason:

"Pro seems to have based his argument on his assumptions of how God should be. That is not grounds for a logical case against God. Pro's foundational claim is that the existence of evil is impossible if God exists. But his reason for this belief is based on his personal taste, not logic.
Con makes a convincing argument that there is no inherent contradiction between the existence of evil and the existence of God, and he offers several examples of such a situation when he says...

"My stance is that there is no contradiction. A good god may logically make 2 choices: 1. Free will, the result of which was moral evil. And 2. A knowable reality that is stable, with knowable rules, which resulted in natural evil."

Pro never overcomes these credible possibilities and thus con's argument does establish that a good God can be compatible with the existence of evil.