Claim 7 of 8 · Case 06 · Problem of Evil
The logical problem of evil, the claim that God and evil cannot both exist, is now widely regarded as answered.
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For a long time critics argued that the mere existence of evil is logically incompatible with an all-good, all-powerful God. The turning point was Alvin Plantinga’s free will defense, which shows it is at least possible that God could not create a world of free creatures who always freely choose good. If that is even possible, then God and evil are not a contradiction, and the logical problem fails. This is not a Christian talking point. J. L. Mackie, who pressed the logical problem hardest, effectively granted that the free will defense defeats its logical form.
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Plantinga’s free will defense and Mackie’s concession
When the argument’s leading proponent concedes, the matter is settled at that level. It also narrows the real discussion to the evidential problem, which is the honest place to have it.