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<\/a><\/div>\nI\u2019ve not really even been that bothered by the problem of theodicy, so, unfortunately, I can\u2019t make good use of what I imagine Egnor though would be the most attractive question for atheists. \u00a0I think most discussions of evil\/theodicy can be split into two separate categories: evil that befalls people and evil that is committed by people, so I\u2019ll tackle this question in two parts.<\/p>\n
Evil that happens to people<\/strong><\/p>\n This category includes harm that befalls people as a result of natural accident (earthquake, illness, etc) and deliberate action by others. \u00a0This is the \u2018why bad things happen to good people\u2019 question.<\/p>\n For an atheist the answer is easy: there is no mechanism by which we can escape the logical or physical consequences of the actions of others or of nature. \u00a0If it begins to rain, we will get wet, regardless of whether we deserve it or how urgent it was to stay dry. \u00a0There is no way to negotiate with a hurricane, and, although you may try to reason with an enemy soldier, once she fires her gun, there is no arguing with her bullet. \u00a0As long as there is the\u00a0possibility\u00a0of naturally\u00a0occurring\u00a0harm and\/or deliberately engineered harm by others and if we do not have the superhuman foresight and power that would be necessary to be able to avoid these\u00a0occurrences, undeserved evils will occur.<\/p>\n I think this exact explanation is available to religious people as well. \u00a0Even someone who believes in occasional miracles would be hard-pressed to argue for a world of constant intercession to protect us from the consequences of other people\u2019s actions. \u00a0You quickly end up undermining the entire principle of causality and with it, the possibility of reasoning about our own actions and making reasonable choices. \u00a0(I discuss this in more detail in my answer to Why is there Regularity\/Law in Nature<\/a>). \u00a0This line of argument works as well for theists as for atheists; C.S. Lewis makes it very well in Mere Christianity<\/em><\/a>.<\/p>\n
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