Atheism And The Problem Of Evil (An Illustration)

The Problem of Evil is not only a problem the theist must tackle, it also has implications for the atheist. In fact, it is one implication in particular, which instantly makes the atheist position suspect, and which, to a theist, disqualifies it as a ground from which one can even raise the question. The atheist holds a position that is, unfortunately, sub-human in regards to the problem. He says, basically, the problem exists so I will simply say good and evil don't really exist, thus it is no problem. He'll go on to say, of course, that there are moral atheists, that they personally think this action is right and that action wrong; but by saying they "personally think" it right or wrong they've relegated the rightness or wrongness of the action to mere preference, not to something that is really right and wrong for everyone. The logic of it looks like this: "I feel killing children is wrong, but it is not really wrong."

The logical conclusion is absurd in itself, at least if one lives according to what is most valuable in life. Here's an illustration:

Little Bobby atheist: "Mommy, we read in school today about the holocaust. I felt sick to my stomach."

Mommy atheist: "Yes Bobby, sometimes what humans do to other humans makes us feel that way."

LBA: "Well, why do I feel that way?"

MA: "Because you don't want that done to you."

LBA: "Not because it's wrong?"

MA: "Right and wrong are dead concepts, the thought you have is nothing but the rotten stench of a dead God which is finally wafting from our culture."

LBA: "But I feel it's wrong."

MA: "You may feel it's wrong, that's ok, but it is not wrong."

LBA: "Do you feel it's wrong, mommy?"

MA: "Yes, but I know it's not."

LBA: "Then it's really not, even though I feel it is?"

MA: "Well, yes."

LBA: "Are these feelings good to have?"

MA: "Yes, they help us get along in society."

LBA: "But you said good was a feeling."

MA: "Indeed, I should have said it's not good, but I feel it is."

LBA: "So should I do whatever I feel?"

MA: "Well, yes, I suppose so."

LBA: "Didn't the Nazi's do whatever they felt like doing?"

MA: "Well… yes… I suppose so."

LBA: "So my feelings are an illusion then, mommy."

MA: "Why do you say that son?"

LBA: "Because I feel killing Jews is wrong but the Nazi's felt it was right."

MA: "Go on."

LBA: "But there's no way to judge which I should feel."

MA: "Our philosophers taught us long ago: "ought" and "should" have no place in our vocabulary."

LBA: "What if I feel God exists?"

MA: "You should not… well… I mean… you may feel that way but it's not true."

LBA: "Do you feel that way?"

MA: "Certainly not!"

LBA: "Then you feel God does not exist?"

MA: "Absolutely."

LBA: "And you believe that's really true?"

MA: "Yes, my feelings correspond to reality."

LBA: "So you can feel something that is really true, and feel something that is really not?"

MA: "Yes, but only about matters of fact, not about matters of a prescriptive nature, matters that have to do with "ought."

LBA: "Mommy?"

MA: "Yes?"

LBA: "If God is not real then I don't want to feel that He is."

MA: "I feel that's noble, son."

LBA: "So I'm going to practice doing what I feel is wrong."

MA: "Hmm… why?"

LBA: "So I can control my feelings better, make them go away."

MA: "What do you have in mind?"

LBA: "I feel that hurting Jewish people is wrong. My friend Irwin is a Jew. Tomorrow I am going to punch his teeth out."

MA: "You mustn't do that son!"

LBA: "Why mom? You said prescriptive statements like "must not" have no place in our vocabulary."

MA: "Bobby, if you do not want to be punished by the authorities then do not punch Irwin tomorrow."

LBA: "But you say you feel it's bad to do things because of the threat of punishment. That's why you don't believe in hell - it's just a form of manipulation."

MA: "I don't believe hell is real, that is why I feel it's bad to use as a tool for controlling people."

LBA: "So it's only because the threat of authority is real that I should not punch Irwin?"

MA: "Partly. I also feel it's wrong."

LBA: "But your feeling doesn't correspond to reality."

MA: "True."

LBA: "And I want my feelings to more closely correspond to reality, so I do not want to feel what you feel because your feelings about punching Irwin do not correspond to reality."

MA: "I will punish you Bobby."

LBA: "You will act based on an illusion, mommy. If I don't act because you threatened me, then I am practicing acting on feelings which don't correspond to reality."

MA: "Ok, I can play that game Bobby. So you're going to act on what you feel about your feelings corresponding to reality?"

LBA: "Yes."

MA: "Why should you?"

LBA: "Should is an illusion, like God. So mommy, why shouldn't I?"

(Silence...)