PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION D A Y 7 & 8 F A I T H A N D R E A S O N

PHILOSOPHY OF RELIGION D A Y 7 & 8 F A I T H A N D R E A S O N

REVIEW: A POSTERIORI ARGUMENT AGAINST THE EXISTENCE OF GOD The Problem of Evil 1. Since God is all loving, he wouldn t want humans to suffer. 2. Since God is all powerful, he wouldn t let humans suffer. 3. However, suffering exists. 4. Therefore, God does not exist.

REVIEW - SOLUTION #1: C.S. LEWIS CS Lewis (1898-1963) Writer, Christian Apologist Reading from The Problem of Pain Addresses Two Issues: 1) Problem of suffering we inflict upon each other. 2) Suffering from physical pain. In order to explain these two issues he qualifies omnipotent.

REVIEW - SOLUTION #2: PROCESS PHILOSOPHY Alfred Whitehead (1861-1947) Mathematician, Philosopher Process and Reality - 1929 Mentor to Hartshorne More Accurate Perspective of Matter & Quantum Mechanics Universe not made up of things (separate, independent & permanent entity) All things are really events -- actual entities/occurrences with experiences. All events are not separate but are continually in relation to other processes Reality not primarily made up of nouns, but verbs. Why are we fooled? Fallacy of Misplaced Concreteness

PROCESS PHILOSOPHY COMPARISON Traditional View of Western Philosophy Fundamental reality is being. What is primary in reality are things, substance. Things are individual, separate, entities. In reality, we see forces acting upon separate things we call matter. Process Philosophy Fundamental reality is becoming. What is primary in reality are creative, experiential events (a happening). Our experience of separate individual entities in perception/language only. In reality, things are temporal societies

GOD IN PROCESS THOUGHT (PROCESS THEOLOGY) So what is God? The Ultimate Process: Not Grand Being, But Grand Becoming. God s Two Natures Primordial Nature: Contains all eternal possibilities Consequent Nature: Contains experiences & responses of all creatures All behaviors affect God, become part of God s consciousness. Hence God is continually changing. Our actions have more meaning now.(why?) to serve God and to please God

PROCESS THEOLOGY Modern world often atheistic due to faulty world view. Traditional theism wrong because of faulty world view. Panentheism is more accurate based on modern science (we are part of the grand process) God does not coerce. God attempts to lure us, persuade us, away from evil through feeling/desires. Some call this specific feeling love.

PROCESS THEOLOGY Question: How then does process theology resolve the problem of evil? Let s look at the 3 Perfections: God is all loving: Does his best to persuade behaviors to our best ends. But because we are given the gift of free will, evil may occur. The more freedom, the more possibility of evil. God is all powerful: No he s not. God is Most powerful. God is all knowing: He knows all that can be known. The future is not knowable since it has not happened yet.

SOLUTION #3A: NO EVIL? St. Augustine (354-430 AD) Theologian Evil has no substantial reality Since God created the world, it is inherently good. Evil does not really exist in a tangible sense on its own. It is simply the absence of good or a choice away from good. Example: darkness is not a thing, just the absence of light.

SOLUTION #3B: THE SOLUTION OF KARMA The solution of Karma (principle of law and effect): Our behaviors in one life effect the conditions of our lives in the next. Q - For Puranic Hinduism, how does Karma address the problem of evil? A - Typical Responses: God(s) did not create a world of evil, but a world of Karma. No such thing as unjust suffering, since much of it is influenced by our past lives. What are some obvious problems with this story? What about another story

ANNOUNCEMENT Alfred Whitehead (1861-1947) Mathematician, Philosopher Process and Reality - 1929 Mentor to Hartshorne (fix)

THE REST OF THE STORY: HINDU COSMOLOGY One impersonal, ultimate reality (ground of all being) called Brahman. Individual self is Atman. Trapped in suffering through The Wheel of Samsara Rebirth governed by Karma. Trapped due to Maya (illusion). Escape Samsara after awaken to realization that Atman is Brahman. (Moksha)

THE (REST OF THE)HINDU STORY Suffering exists. But does evil? Evil, along with all our perceptions of reality, is illusion (maya). How? All reality is filtered/processed by our mind, and it causes us to have false perceptions: 1) Separation from all things 2) Experience chopped up into labels & categories Evil: Evil just our label, not a property of a neutral universe. Usually refers to unjust/immoral acts one does to another, but there is no other. Evil human behaviors are caused by the false misperception that we are separate from one another. We come into the world with memory loss of true identity. Alan Watts: It s all a game of hide & seek.

HINDUISMS OTHER SOLUTION How does this solve the problem of evil? No benevolent God. Evil is an illusion, a judgment we make on an impartial material world. Our painful circumstances are due to our own actions Karma People do evil acts is a result of false perception of self and world. Suffering exists for the greater good of the game of life. Think of suffering of an athlete or musician when they practice or play.

KARM-A-GAIN? Is Karma really about bodily life and death? According to process thought, every moment we are created anew. To some, Karma is simply saying our personal actions have an effect on our lives moment by moment. So take responsibility for your life!

SOUL-MAKING THEODICY John Hick (1922 2012) English Philosopher

NATURE OF MYTHOLOGY & FOLKLORE Some take them literally like historical accounts. Others, symbolic narrative of the human condition. Hence, similar myths exist across cultures.

ADAM & EVE TWO VIEWS As Hick coins it St. Augustine (5 th Century) View: The Majority Report Literal Interpretation 1) Suffering due to Adam & Eve s choice to betray deceive God. 2) Original human state was perfection. St. Irenaeus (2 nd Century) View: The Minority Report Symbolic Interpretation 1) Story of Adam & Eve is the story of the human condition, right now, in our personal lives. 2) Life is about learning, growing, and developing as a result of our suffering and hardship. How might this minority report change our view of suffering in the world?