Pastor Mike Winger, a passionate defender of biblical teachings, delves into the complex issue of evil and suffering. He outlines five crucial steps to approach this topic effectively. Mike distinguishes between moral evil and suffering, emphasizing the importance of understanding their implications. He shares insights on how suffering can lead to personal growth, referencing stories like Job's. The discussion encourages finding hope and faith in God's promises, underscoring the transformative power of enduring hardships.
Understanding the problem of evil requires distinguishing between emotional suffering and intellectual challenges posed by moral evil.
The existence of moral evil highlights the necessity of free will, while suffering can foster personal growth and deeper spiritual connections.
Deep dives
Understanding the Problem of Evil
The problem of evil encompasses the existence of bad things in the world and its impact on faith in God. Various forms of suffering, such as natural disasters, abuse, and disease, raise challenging questions about a benevolent God. Many individuals either reject the idea of God altogether or express anger towards Him due to their struggles with evil. Ultimately, this problem is dissected into two separate issues: the emotional problem, relating to personal suffering, and the intellectual problem, which involves the philosophical challenges of evil's existence alongside a good God.
Distinction Between Moral Evil and Suffering
A crucial distinction is made between moral evil and suffering, where moral evil refers to wrongful actions, such as abuse or murder, while suffering relates to pain caused by natural phenomena or afflictions. Moral evil is firmly linked to human choices and implies the existence of free will, suggesting that evil acts stem from individual decisions rather than divine intent. The acknowledgment of moral evil serves as evidence for the existence of God, as a framework for objective morality requires a moral standard, which pointing to the moral nature inherent in humanity. In contrast, suffering, although painful, does not carry a moral weight—hurricanes or diseases are not ethically wrong but are part of the human experience.
Purpose Behind Allowing Evil
Several reasons are presented for why God might allow both moral evil and suffering to exist in the world. First, the concept of free will posits that genuine choice necessitates the potential for wrongdoing, illustrating the importance of autonomy in human experience. Second, the capacity for love and relationships is contingent upon free will, suggesting that even the potential for pain can lead to deep connections and care. Additionally, divine glory can arise from justice and the resolution of moral conflicts, and ultimately, humans are given the opportunity for repentance and growth when faced with challenges.
Learning Through Suffering
Suffering often leads to lessons and character development, enabling individuals to grow through difficult experiences. For example, narratives of those who have faced tragedies, such as losing a limb or loved ones, frequently highlight transformational moments that catalyze personal faith and outreach to others. This learning process emphasizes that pain can foster resilience, prompting individuals to seek deeper spiritual truths and connections. Moreover, moments of suffering often awaken a need for God's presence, encouraging a reliance on Him that might not occur during less challenging times.
Step one: Separate the emotional problem from the intellectual one. Step two: Separate moral evil from suffering. Step three: Seek answers to why God would allow moral evil. Step four: Seek answers to why God would allow physical suffering. Step five: Seek help for the emotional problem.
I can't pretend this fully deals with the problems of pain and moral evils, but I really hope that it helps people. -Pastor Mike Winger
Subscribe on YouTube for weekly uploads of explaining and defending biblical truth! (and don't forget to click the bell icon)
Get the Snipd podcast app
Unlock the knowledge in podcasts with the podcast player of the future.
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode
Save any moment
Hear something you like? Tap your headphones to save it with AI-generated key takeaways
Share & Export
Send highlights to Twitter, WhatsApp or export them to Notion, Readwise & more
AI-powered podcast player
Listen to all your favourite podcasts with AI-powered features
Discover highlights
Listen to the best highlights from the podcasts you love and dive into the full episode