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The Existence Of God And The Problem Of Evil A Philosophical Evaluation
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REFERENCES
Jeremy Bentham, An Introduction to the Principle of Moral and legislation (London Claredon press 1977) p. 45.
Dale Jacquette, Philosophical Entrees (Columbus: MCGraw Hill 2001) p. 379.
Akinyemi Onigbinde, What is Philosophy? (Ibadan: fronthine resource 1999) p. 2-7.
William Shakespeare, Macbeth (U.S.A: Destiny image 1992) p. 110.
Joseph Omoregbe, knowing Philosophy (Lagos: Joja Educational publisher 1990) p.16.
CHAPTER ONE
1.1 PHILOSOPHY AND ITS QUEST FOR KNOWLEDGE
Philosophy
was created from man's quest for knowledge.lt is a reasoned pursuit of
fundamental truths, a quest for understanding, and a study of principles
of conduct. Philosophy seeks to establish standard of evidence, to
provide rational methods of resolving conflicts, and to create
techniques for evaluating ideas and arguments. It gives one the ability
to see the world from the perspective of other inch the perspective of
other inch vandals (Plato, Aristotle, Thales, Anaximander, Socrates ect)
and other groups and cultures. It enhances our ability to perceive the
relationships among the various fields of study, and it deepens one's
sense of the meaning and varieties of human experience philosophy is an
endless search for knowledge.
Philosophy is the only discipline that
pursues question in every dimension of human life, and its technique
apply to problem in any field of study or endeavor. Other disciplines
like religion, psychology, sociology, law, machine, education and other
fields of study hold philosophy very important.
Philosophy is the
mother of all disciplines, it is very unique unlike other field. It has
no universally acceptable definition, it is a unique berth in its
methods, nature and its application.
However, the knowledge of man's
existence is not as tasking as that of God but yet, its serves as the
topmost miracles in the world. This factual injunction is supported in
one of completion's statement that miracles in the world are many and
that there is no greater miracles than man1. The search for the true
nature of man has generated a lot of philosophical discussion,
conflicting views and hypothesis.
1.2 CONCEPTIONS OF GOD
Xenophanes
was the Greek pre-Socratic philosopher who woke the metaphysicians and
Theologian from their dogmatic slumber, when he criticize the
anthropomorphism of God, even since then, there has been an attempt to
understand the nature of God.
Various religions thinkers have held
that God is different from finite beings that he must be considered
essentially a mystery beyond the power of human conception, the
philosopher to the God of thoughts.
In Judaism, Christianity and
Islam God is conceived primarily in term of transcendence, personality
Hebrew Scriptures, in which God is presented as creator. In the
beginning God created the Heaven and the Earth1. This God is
anthropomorphic. He has finite intelligent and has epistemic unit this
is made manifest in his regret over the creation of man.
This God is
tribalistic as secure in his astounding support for the Jewish race
above any other reace. View of malinky keener. He writes:
The Hebrew
understands of God is frankly authromorphics. He promised and
threatened. He could be angry and Attributes were righteousness,
justice, mercy truth and Faithfulness. He binds himself by covenant to
his people And thus limit himself3
Suffice to note that the idea of
God in the New Testament and that of the Old Testament varies. They are
not exact synonyms. The God of the New Testament popularly called the
Christian God is a universal God and all loving God that is essentially
omniscience. In as much as this idea is subject to different
interpretation, this God is cast in the form of trinity of God the son,
God the father and God the Holy Spirit. Christians teach that God is
almighty and is in dominion over all that is in heaven and earth,
righteous in judgment over good and evil beyond time and space and
change, but over all they teach that "God is love"4 . He is love
personified. The creation of the world out of nothing and the creation
of the human race were expression of that love and so was the coming of
Christ5. This God is a miracle working God. He is invisible or
incorporeal.
Brooke Noel and Kenneth Bruder, Philosophy: The Power of Ideas (Columbus: Me Graw Hill 2001) p. 363.
Dale Jacguette, Philosophical Entrees (Columbus: Mc Graw Hill 2001) p. 427
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