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Problem of evil
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===Evil God challenge=== One resolution to the problem of evil is that God is not good. The [[evil God challenge]] thought experiment explores whether an evil God is as likely to exist as a good God. [[Dystheism]] is the belief that God is not wholly good. [[Maltheism]] is the belief in an evil god. [[Peter Forrest (philosopher)|Peter Forrest]] has stated:{{blockquote|text=The anti-God that I take seriously is the malicious omnipotent omniscient being, who, it is said, creates so that creatures will suffer, because of the joy this suffering gives It. This may be contrasted with a different idea of anti-God, that of an evil being that seeks to destroy things of value out of hatred or envy. An omnipotent, omniscient being would not be envious. Moreover, destructive hatred cannot motivate creation. For these two reasons I find that rather implausible. My case holds, however, against that sort of anti-God as well as the malicious one. The variety of anti-Gods alerts us to the problem of positing any character to God, whether benign, indifferent, or malicious. There are many such character traits we could hypothesize. Why not a God who creates as a jest? Or a God who loves drama? Or a God who, adapting Haldane's quip, is fond of beetles? Or, more seriously, a God who just loves creating regardless of the joy or suffering of creatures?<ref>Forrest, P. (2012). Replying to the anti-god challenge: A god without moral character acts well. Religious Studies, 48(1), 35β43.</ref>}} ====Catholic Response==== The [[Catholic Church]] believes good things include power and knowledge, and that only the misuse of power and knowledge is evil. Consequently, the church believes God could not be evil or become evil if he is omnipotent and omniscient, since these qualities spring from omnibenevolence. As the [[Roman Catechism]] puts it: {{blockquote|For by acknowledging God to be omnipotent, we also of necessity acknowledge Him to be omniscient, and to hold all things in subjection to His supreme authority and dominion. When we do not doubt that He is omnipotent, we must be also convinced of everything else regarding Him, the absence of which would render His omnipotence altogether unintelligible. Besides, nothing tends more to confirm our faith and animate our hope than a deep conviction that all things are possible to God; for whatever may be afterwards proposed as an object of faith, however great, however wonderful, however raised above the natural order, is easily and without hesitation believed, once the mind has grasped the knowledge of the omnipotence of God. Nay more, the greater the truths which the divine oracles announce, the more willingly does the mind deem them worthy of belief. And should we expect any favour from heaven, we are not discouraged by the greatness of the desired benefit, but are cheered and confirmed by frequently considering that there is nothing which an omnipotent God cannot effect.<ref>[https://www.saintsbooks.net/books/The%20Roman%20Catechism.pdf Roman Catechism: Why Omnipotence Alone Is Mentioned In The Creed]</ref>}}
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