Reading Response #4 is due April 24th for the Thursday night class, and April 30th for the Wednesday night class. The assignment is to write a one- to two-page (250- to 500-word) response on the following:
Explain and critically evaluate the ethical theory of relativism. First, briefly explain the theory in your own words. Then spend most of your response evaluating the theory. Discuss objections to the theory, and tell me your opinion on whether you think it's a good or bad theory. Be sure to defend your opinion with reasons.
2 comments:
Why God allows pain and suffering that we have seen...
A man went to a barbershop to have his hair cut and his beard trimmed. As the barber began to work, they began to have a good conversation.
They talked about so many things and various subjects. When they eventually touched on the subject of God, the barber said: 'I don't believe that God exists.'
"Why do you say that?" asked the customer.
"Well, you just have to go out in the street to realize that God doesn't exist. Tell me, if God exists, would there be so many sick people?
Would there be abandoned children?"
"If God existed, there would be neither suffering nor pain. I can't imagine a loving God who would allow all of these things."
The customer thought for a moment, but didn't respond because he didn't want to start an argument.
The barber finished his job and the customer left the shop.
Just after he left the barbershop, he saw a man in the street with long, stringy, dirty hair and an untrimmed beard. He looked dirty and unkempt.
The customer turned back and entered the barber shop again and he said to the barber,
"You know what? Barbers do not exist."
"How can you say that?' asked the surprised barber. "I am here, and I am a barber. And I just worked on you!"
"No!" the customer exclaimed. "Barbers don't exist because if they did, there would be no people with dirty long hair and untrimmed beards, like that man outside."
"Ah, but barbers DO exist! That's what happens when people do not come to me."
"Exactly!" affirmed the customer. "That's the point! God, too, DOES exist! That's what happens when people do not go to Him and don't look to Him for help. That's why there's so much pain and suffering in the world."
BE BLESSED & BE A BLESSING TO OTHERS!!!!!!!
Hi, anonymous! Your comment contains a version of the free will response to the problem of evil: Humans freely choose to ignore God, and this causes them to suffer.
Here are some of the criticisms of this response that we discussed in class.
(1) Why would God create humans with free will? Why create creatures with the ability to turn away from God?
(2) Is it really true that all instances of suffering are a result of someone turning her back on God? What about good, faithful people who suffer? Why do bad things happen to good people?
(3) What about natural evil, such as hurricanes and cancer? Is this God directly punishing those who turn their back on God? That seems unlikely. Again, why do good people get cancer?
Thanks for the parable!
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