According to the "problem of evil" argument, the existence of evil in the world shows that there can't be an all-good and all-powerful God. Here's a more precise formulation:If God doesn't want to prevent evil, he isn't all-good.
Believers generally dispute the first premise. They claim that God, even though he is all-good, has reasons for not wanting to prevent evil.
If God isn't able to prevent evil, he isn't all-powerful.
Either God doesn't want to prevent evil, or he isn't able.
So either God isn't all-powerful, or he isn't all-good.Plantinga tries to show that it's consistent to admit the existence of evil in the world and yet still believe in an all-good and all-powerful God.
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