Belief Through Hardship, Essay Example

The idea of evil makes it difficult to support belief in God.  If there were a God, and if God were worth veneration, then God wouldn’t allow evil to exist in the world.  Faith, however, is something that should be based in a deeper understanding of the nature of God and his relationship with good and evil.  Faith should not be based on the good or the bad things that happen in life.

Evil probably best refers to that which causes suffering, therefore it is a vague subject.  “God is said to be operative within the structure of the universe, taking a vital part in its processes and in human life.” (Brummer)  In this sense, there is nothing that can exist without God having played a crucial role.  For God to have created evil would mean that the ‘goodness’ ascribed to him was done so falsely.

However, the definition of faith is also important.  “Contrary to what the world’s philosophers would tell us, true faith is not based on an irrational leap rooted in feeling or the heart.”  Defining faith in this way would mean that any religion that believed or felt hard enough would be correct in their beliefs.  In this sense, faith in God is considered a knowledge or understanding.  Faith is a truth that isn’t dependent upon what happens in the world.

Works Cited

Beckwith, Francis. Philosophy and Belief in God: The Resurgence of Faith in Philosophical Circles. University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

Brummer, V. Belief in God. The Nature of god.  University Press of Kansas. 1992.

Loeffler, John. What is Truth? The Unforgiving Watershed. Knowing the Basis of Faith. Khouse. 2001.

Plantinga, Alvin. Faith and Rationality. Reason and Belief in God. University of Notre Dame Press. 2003.