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What is a problem for the theistic worldview?

User Yong Shun
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Final answer:

The central problem for theistic worldview is the Problem of Evil, which pits the existence of a benevolent, omnipotent, and omniscient deity against the presence of evil and suffering in the world. Additional problems arise from the reconciliation of spiritual causation with material reality, scientific challenges like evolution, and the philosophical implications that contribute to atheism.

Step-by-step explanation:

One significant problem for the theistic worldview is the Problem of Evil, which questions how a deity can be simultaneously all-knowing, all-powerful, and all-good while evil exists in the world. The Logical Problem of Evil, famously addressed by David Hume, suggests that if God cannot stop suffering, He is not omnipotent; if He is not aware of the suffering, He is not omniscient; and if He knows about the suffering, can stop it, but chooses not to, He is not omnibenevolent. The Evidential Problem of Evil points to the actual existence of evil and suffering as evidence against a benevolent and caring God.

Another issue is the incompatibility between pure spiritual causation and the material world. Traditional theism faces challenges from science as well, particularly the Theory of Evolution, which contradicts the creation account in Genesis. The claim that the universe was created ex nihilo (from nothing) is also criticized for being metaphysically problematic, as well as the concept of a 'beginning of time', which may be considered self-contradictory.

Furthermore, the dualistic nature of the traditional concept of God has contributed to a shift towards materialistic science and negates room for divine causation. This, in turn, can lead to atheism, for some the absence of evidence for any deity, compounded by the presence of evil and suffering, is more psychologically convincing and logically compelling than theism.

User Compor
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