Leibniz's 'Why God? Why?'
“Why, God? Why?” This all too common phrase can be heard in every language around the world. Throughout time people have always wondered how a supposedly kind, loving, and just God could allow such suffering and evil to happen to his children. How could he create some of his children poor, while others rich? Why are some beautiful, while others ugly? Some healthy, and others sick? Some find love, and others die alone? So many times, has God’s children looked to the skies and cried out, “Why, God? Why?” In finding the answer to this daunting question, other questions always arise. Questions like, “Does God really love us?” “Is he really all knowing?” “Is he really all powerful?” and “Is he really there?” These questions have been taunting philosophers throughout human existence, and while they have been able to find great truths here and there, the whole answer has only been found when asking God himself.
The trickiest part about this whole question is the inconsistency in God’s attributes in accordance …show more content…
There has to be more to this picture for God to make any sense at all. A philosopher by the name of Leibniz gives a partial solution by suggesting that God doesn’t interfere with evil because he needs it to be there for the greater good. A harmony or balance needs to be in place with both good and evil. It is comparable to a beautiful painting, where darkness is needed to contrast with the light. This solution solves the inconsistent triad mentioned above, but brings about another problem entirely. It is known as the soteriological problem (stemming from the word soto, meaning salvation). If God created these beings, which He knew would be flawed and would create evil and suffering in the world, and then He damns them to their own eternity in Hell, where is the justice of God? He is responsible for the evil, as well as inflicting eternal torment on his own
The trickiest part about this whole question is the inconsistency in God’s attributes in accordance …show more content…
There has to be more to this picture for God to make any sense at all. A philosopher by the name of Leibniz gives a partial solution by suggesting that God doesn’t interfere with evil because he needs it to be there for the greater good. A harmony or balance needs to be in place with both good and evil. It is comparable to a beautiful painting, where darkness is needed to contrast with the light. This solution solves the inconsistent triad mentioned above, but brings about another problem entirely. It is known as the soteriological problem (stemming from the word soto, meaning salvation). If God created these beings, which He knew would be flawed and would create evil and suffering in the world, and then He damns them to their own eternity in Hell, where is the justice of God? He is responsible for the evil, as well as inflicting eternal torment on his own