The problem of religious evil: Does belief in god cause evil?

Lloyd Strickland

doi:10.1007/s11153-018-9665-2

Abstract

Daniel Kodaj has recently developed a pro-atheistic argument that he calls “the problem of religious evil.” This first premise of this argument is “belief in God causes evil.” Although this idea that belief in God causes evil is widely accepted, certainly in the secular West, it is sufficiently problematic as to be unsuitable as a basis for an argument for atheism, as Kodaj seeks to use it. In this paper I shall highlight the problems inherent in it in three ways: by considering whether it is reasonable to say that “belief in God” causes evil; whether it is reasonable to say that belief in God “causes” evil; and whether it is reasonable to say that belief in God causes “evil.” In each case I will argue that it is problematic to make such claims, and accordingly I will conclude that the premise “belief in God causes evil” is unacceptable as it stands, and consequently is unable to ground Kodaj’s pro-atheistic argument.

Highlights

Daniel Kodaj has recently developed a pro-atheistic argument that he calls ‘‘the problem of religious evil.’’ This first premise of this argument is ‘‘belief in God causes evil.’’ this idea that belief in God causes evil is widely accepted, certainly in the secular West, it is sufficiently problematic as to be unsuitable as a basis for an argument for atheism, as Kodaj seeks to use it
The most notable example of this line of thinking can be found in a 2014 paper by Daniel Kodaj, in which he develops an argument he calls ‘‘the problem of religious evil.’’ Kodaj formulates the argument as follows (2014, p. 428): (1) Belief in God causes evil
2 For example, we find no argument from religious evil in recent works of pro-atheistic philosophy such as Le Poidevin (1996) or Everitt (2004), nor is anything of the sort mentioned in Oppy (2013), a survey article of pro-atheistic arguments

Summary

Introduction

Daniel Kodaj has recently developed a pro-atheistic argument that he calls ‘‘the problem of religious evil.’’ This first premise of this argument is ‘‘belief in God causes evil.’’ this idea that belief in God causes evil is widely accepted, certainly in the secular West, it is sufficiently problematic as to be unsuitable as a basis for an argument for atheism, as Kodaj seeks to use it. My focus in this paper will be on the first premise of Kodaj’s argument, that belief in God causes evil.

Results

Conclusion