The problem of evil and the Odyssey and systematic theology So the problem of evil is a philosophical theological challenge

that has confused humanity for centuries This problem addresses the apparent contradiction between the existence of evil and the belief

in a benevolent and all powerful God Like we discussed in the last lesson how can an all loving

and all powerful God How can that God allow the existence of evil and allow suffering to continue to

go on in the world So in response to this the Odyssey seeks to provide explanations justifications for

the presence of evil The Odyssey attempts to reconcile the existence of evil with the belief in

a good and mighty God So by exploring this topic we can better understand the nature

of God the human experience and the ways in which evil can be understood within

a religious framework So the problem of evil let's first define the Odyssey What is the Odyssey What does

it mean How does it work The Odyssey is a theological concept It attempts to justify

God in the face of evil It is also defined as the defense of God's goodness and omnipotence

all powerful in the face of evil So the problem of evil arises from the observation that evil

and suffering exist in the world So despite the existence of a supposedly loving and omnipotent God

it questions why a benevolent God would permit such pain and injustice to occur in the world Why

are these evil things we see allowed to occur and continue to occur So this dilemma it challenges our understanding

of God's attributes and it can raise doubts about his existence about his goodness and his power You

know does he actually have that power in James one verses 2 to 4 we see a good example of

this Consider it pure joy My brothers and sisters whenever you face trials of many kinds because you

know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance So what does this verse mean What is it

telling us that it is important to note that evil and suffering are not necessarily evidence against God's existence or

against God's goodness the presence of evil This could be attributed to human free will to

natural disasters or the consequences of living in a fallen world So how do we seek justifications Here The

Odyssey refers to the attempts made by various religious philosophical traditions to explain why evil exists in the

presence of a loving and a powerful God So we can see in Romans 828 and we know that

in all things God works for the good of those who love Him who have been called

according to his purpose So while there are numerous theodicy let's explore a few of

the more common ones and give some explanations on them So free will right One of the most prevalent one

of the main explanations suggests that the existence of evil is a result of human free

will and humans have free will to choose we can choose God we can choose evil God created us with

that ability to make that choice And that's important in the presence of evil It's a

consequence of mankind's misuse of free will When Adam made the wrong decision in the garden that's what set

everything in motion Now soul making is another one Some of the Odyssey propose that the

presence of evil serves a greater purpose in the development and the refinement of our

human souls The argument is made that made that adversity and suffering lead to personal growth lead to empathy

moral character right When we go through tough times we go through hard things we can develop we

can develop more Number three is divine mystery Another perspective acknowledges that human beings have a

limited understanding compared to an omnipotent God It suggests that God's ways are beyond our

human comprehension which they are and some events may occur for reasons that we cannot fully grasp that you and

I cannot fully understand and we probably never will and then redemptive suffering This the Odyssey asserts

that God allows suffering for a greater outcome such as the redemption the transformation or even the purification

of individuals or the entire world humanity So we see in Isaiah 45 7 I form the light and

create darkness I bring prosperity and create disaster I the Lord do all these things

So to summarize the problem of evil questions how the existence of evil aligns with the belief in an all

loving and an all powerful God The Odyssey is an attempt to reconcile this dilemma by

providing explanations and giving us justifications for the presence of evil and why evil exists Various the Odyssey propose

different explanations such as the role of human free will What does that role play in

our decision making in the outcomes in evil in evil's presence the soul making processes the mystery of God's

ways or the concept of redemptive suffering While the problem of evil remains a big and unresolved challenge

and it always will exploring these concepts can help us navigate the more complex areas of

our human existence and highlight the overall need for greater compassion and personal growth in the face

of these challenges So congratulations on finishing this section Please take some time spend some time filling

out the worksheets and taking the section quiz The quizzes are very helpful in retaining the information

in the next section We start getting into humanity into sin and discussing salvation