The Reasons to Believe #118

Our Reasons to Believe Scripture verse for today is Acts 16:31. It reads, "And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house."

Our Reasons to Believe quote for today is from E. Paul Hovey. He said, "Men do not reject the Bible because it contradicts itself, but because it contradicts them."

Our Reason to Believe powerpoint today is titled "The Problem of Evil" part 15 from "The Handbook of Christian Apologetics" by Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli.

Peter Kreeft and Ronald K. Tacelli go on to discuss the topic of "Solutions to the Problem of Evil":

Where are we now? Have these five definitions enabled us to construct a solution to the problem of evil?

Better than that. The definitions, which we thought would be preliminary tools for constructing a solution, turn out to contain the solution. The problem is now not so much solved as dissolved, like a fog. Once we see clearly, we need not construct clever, elaborate arguments any more.

There are six problems: the nature, origin and end of spiritual evil and of physical evil.

1. The nature of spiritual evil is sin, separating ourselves from God.

2. The origin of spiritual evil is human free will.

3. The end for which God allows spiritual evil is to preserve human free will, that is, human nature.

4. The nature of our physical evil is suffering.

5. The origin of physical evil is spiritual evil. We suffer because we sin.

6. The end or use of physical evil is spiritual discipline and training for our own ultimate perfection and eternal joy. (It also is just punishment for sin and a deterrence from sin.)