GCSE Philosophy and Ethics Practice Exam

What does the presence of evil suggest about the nature of God according to some arguments?

1. God cannot be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent

2. God does not exist

3. God is testing humanity

4. God has limited power

The correct answer is: God cannot be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent

The presence of evil raises significant philosophical questions about the nature and attributes of God, particularly in the context of the problem of evil. The argument that suggests God cannot be omnipotent, omniscient, and omnibenevolent posits that if God possesses all three qualities, then the existence of evil is problematic. If God is omnipotent, He should be able to eliminate all evil. If He is omniscient, He should know when and where evil occurs. And if He is omnibenevolent, He would want to prevent suffering and evil. Therefore, the existence of evil can be interpreted to indicate that at least one of these divine attributes may be limited or not as traditionally defined in classical theistic thought. This reasoning forms a key part of the logical problem of evil, which has been widely discussed in philosophical theology. In contrast, the ideas presented in the other options do not capture this specific philosophical tension as directly. Though the assertion that God does not exist addresses the existence of God entirely, it does not delve into the complexities of God's attributes in relation to evil. The notion of God testing humanity, while significant in many religious traditions, offers a different perspective and does not fundamentally challenge the definitions of God's omnipotence