The Problem
Why Evil?
Without freedom, both the possibilities for people to love and to destroy would be eliminated. The problem of evil is the problem of freedom. God is Love incarnate (1), and despite the high amount of choice that He allows, He also is bursting to lavish His Love not merely on the perfect, which existed solely in Christ, but on the imperfect who could never deserve it by virtue of their imperfection (2). He does not completely shield the more deserving, not even the sole perfect One in all of human history, from destruction, yet He loves to redeem and restore, even through death at times as with His only begotten Son (3). His love is completely undeserved for the imperfect, despite their notions at times of amassing karma by their good deeds, yet He loves to pour out grace on the undeserving (4). Everything good in our existence, including the very life that we have, the air that we breathe, and even the good things that we do are by His mercy and grace (5). May all praise be to the One who has lavished loving-kindness on us in times of plenty and in times of want, who even seeks to grow us in the darkest of times when the cost of freedom is most clear, who remains with those who have found Him even though we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (6).
1: 1 John 4:16;
2: Romans 3:9-31; 9:16, 23-29; 11:5-6
3. Job, Isaiah 53:3-6, 11 (prophesied centuries before Christ), Romans 3:24-26, 2 Corinthians 5:21
4. Romans 5:6-8; 11: 35-36, Isaiah 64:6, Ephesians 2:7-9, Psalm 50:7-15
5. James 1:17, Romans 2:4
6. Romans 8:28, Ephesians 1:3-10, James 1:2-5, Philippians 4:4-9, Psalm 23, Deuteronomy 31:8
1. The Case for Faith (Lee Strobel)
Why it matters: A structured, interview-based exploration of the biggest emotional and intellectual objections to Christianity, with significant focus on suffering and doubt
Strong on:
- The emotional and personal dimension of the problem of evil
- Interviews with philosophers (especially Peter Kreeft)
- Making complex ideas accessible to a general audience
- Framing objections the way real skeptics actually experience them
Best for:
- People who are struggling with suffering personally, not just philosophically
- Readers/viewers who want an entry point before heavier philosophy
- Seeing how the problem of evil connects to real-life stories and faith crises
▶️ Watch the film: https://store.str.org/purchase/the-case-for-faith-the-film
📖 Read the book: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0310249284
2. The Problem of Pain (C.S. Lewis)
- Why it matters: A classic and accessible philosophical reflection on why a good God might allow suffering
- Strong on:
- Free will and moral responsibility
- The role of suffering in shaping human character
- Best for:
- Readers looking for a clear, thoughtful introduction to the problem of evil
The Problem of Pain (free audiobook)- Problem of Pain In Brief
3. Alvin Plantinga — Free Will Defense
- Why it matters: One of the most influential philosophical responses to the problem of evil, arguing that a world with free will may necessarily include the possibility of evil
- Strong on:
- Logical problem of evil
- Free will and moral responsibility
- Best for:
- Understanding why evil does not logically disprove the existence of God
- ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9AzNEG1GB-k
4. William Lane Craig — Problem of Evil
- Why it matters: Provides a clear distinction between the logical and emotional problem of evil
- Strong on:
- Logical vs evidential problem of evil
- Philosophical clarity
- Best for:
- Structuring the debate and understanding different forms of the argument
- ▶️ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KkH0cY0gZxI
🔹 2. Stories of Suffering and Faith
Stories of suffering reveal the full weight of the problem—and how some have found meaning, life, & comfort from God in the midst of it.
1. The Hiding Place (Corrie ten Boom)
- Why it matters: A true story of a Christian family who hid Jews during the Holocaust and suffered imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps
- Strong on:
- Forgiveness in the face of extreme evil
- Faith under persecution and suffering
- Best for:
- Seeing how Christian belief responds to real-world evil—not just theoretical questions
2. Shadowlands
This film follows C.S. Lewis as he faces the suffering and loss of his wife, forcing him to confront the gap between what he believed about God and what he experienced. It offers a personal, unfiltered look at the problem of evil—not as an abstract idea, but as lived reality.
A later adaptation of Shadowlands (1993, starring Anthony Hopkins) is widely regarded as the more powerful and critically acclaimed version of this story.
This page was developed through an iterative collaboration between Adam Garrett and AI tools. AI assisted with structuring, drafting, summarizing, and refining language, while source selection, theological judgment, factual review, and final editorial decisions remained under Adam Garrett’s direction.