#STRask Can You Really Say Evil Is Just a Privation of Good?
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Apr 21, 2025 The discussion delves into the philosophical debate of whether evil is merely a lack of good. It raises questions about the nature of sin and its introduction through the fall of man compared to angelic rebellion. A challenging biblical narrative about God's judgment on Israel leads to shocking consequences, including cannibalism during famine. The conversation emphasizes the balance between collective sin and individual responsibility while exploring deep theological implications in a thought-provoking manner.
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Evil as Privation of Good
- Evil is not a thing God created, but a privation or lack of good caused by human sin.
- This explains why evil is real yet without ontological existence independent of good.
Broken Pencil Illustration
- Greg Koukl uses a broken pencil to illustrate evil as a loss of function, not an addition of badness.
- The pencil stops working as intended but isn't made worse by adding an evil substance.
Responsibility for Privation
- Those who deprive themselves of good, like reducing their own oxygen intake, are responsible for their own harm.
- In the Fall, humans chose to deprive themselves and the world of original goodness, not God causing evil.