The Nature of Evil (WJEC Eduqas GCSE Religious Studies): Revision Note

What is evil?

• Evil is a cause of human suffering. It is defined as that which is considered extremely immoral, wicked and wrong

• There are two main types of evil

• The acts of humans cause moral evil 

  • Examples include:

    • Theft

    • Violence

    • Discrimination

    • Cruelty

  • These types of evil are caused by humans using their free will to harm others; religious believers call this sin

• Natural evil is suffering caused by natural disasters that humans cannot control

  • Examples include earthquakes, tsunamis, floods or diseases

• These two types of evil can overlap. A natural disaster can cause suffering, but human evil can make the situation worse

  • For example, a drought may cause crops to fail, but unfair government policies or corrupt people can make the situation worse by increasing starvation and hardship

• Religions differ in what they teach about the origins of evil

  • Some consider evil to have been present in the world from the beginning as the work of evil forces

  • Some believe it is part of God's creation and may have a purpose that humans cannot understand

  • Some consider it to be the outcome of ignorance and to have no beginning

• Most religions teach that:

  • Moral evil should be opposed

  • People have a duty to minimise the impact of natural evil

Christian attitudes to evil

• Christians agree that evil causes suffering, but some differ in their understanding of where evil comes from and why God allows it

• Most Christians believe God created humans with free will, so people can choose to do good or evil. When people choose evil, suffering is the consequence

Original sin

• Many Christians, especially Catholics, teach that evil entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God in the Garden of Eden

• This act is known as original sin, and Catholics believe that:

  • All humans inherit the state of original sin

  • Every person is born with a tendency to sin

  • Humans must choose whether to follow God’s guidance or turn away from it

Although Genesis describes the first sin, Christians believe people still misuse free will today, which is why evil continues

Evil as “soul-making”

• Some Christians believe that God allows evil to exist to help people develop morally and spiritually

• This view, known as soul-making, teaches that:

  • Humans were created to be imperfect

  • Suffering helps people grow in character, for example, in compassion, courage and patience

  • Free will is essential for this development

• St Irenaeus (130–202 AD) taught that humans could grow towards the likeness of God through this process

  • Humans were created as imperfect so that they could grow spiritually

  • Evil and suffering give people opportunities to develop virtues such as compassion, courage, patience and empathy

  • This can also happen through following God’s laws and teachings; suffering is not essential for the process

  • God does not intervene in human affairs to stop evil because that would mean interfering with free will

  • This idea is known as the Irenaean theodicy

• John Hick (1922–2012) expanded this by saying that without challenges such as hardship, people would never develop real goodness

  • He said that God created humans with the potential for spiritual growth

  • The process of “soul-making” is a response to evil in the world

  • If moral evils, such as murder, and natural evils, such as earthquakes, did not exist, people would not have the opportunities to develop and perfect themselves spiritually 

  • He thought that humans are born with a great distance between themselves and God, and that the process of soul-making is a long one that also involves the struggle to find religious faith

Evil as a test of faith

• Some Christians believe life is a test and that part of the test is enduring suffering and evil while keeping faith in God

  • Those who remain faithful will be rewarded in heaven

  • Wrong choices have consequences, as shown when Adam and Eve were sent out of Eden

• The story of Job is often used to support this belief. Job was described as righteous, yet he suffered greatly. He questioned God, but still kept his faith. His story teaches Christians that:

  • Suffering can happen to anyone, even the most holy people

  • Humans may not understand the reasons

  • Staying faithful is what matters and is what God will reward

Evil and suffering as beyond human understanding

• The story of Job also shows that humans should not expect to understand God’s purposes

• Many Christians believe that “God works in mysterious ways”, meaning that:

  • He may allow evil and suffering for reasons people cannot understand

  • God’s knowledge is far greater than human knowledge

  • God is compassionate, so he will never give more suffering than a person can cope with

  • People have to accept suffering if that is what God has chosen for them

Suffering helps Christians understand Jesus

• Christians have the example of Jesus to help them understand suffering

• Jesus suffered and died on the cross for everyone’s salvation

• Many believe that they can understand the suffering of Jesus if they experience evil and suffering themselves, which can deepen their faith

Other Christian explanations

• Christians also use other ideas to explain the existence of evil

  • Evil as the absence of good: Some Christians argue evil is not a thing in itself, but a lack of goodness when people turn away from God

  • Evil caused by Satan: Some Christians believe Satan tempts people, leading them to choose moral evil

  • A flawed world: Some believe evil exists because the world is not perfect, and that suffering happens naturally as part of life

Muslim attitudes to evil

• Muslims believe that nothing happens outside the knowledge and will of Allah; this belief is called Al-Qadr (predestination)

• Islam teaches that earthly life is a test from Allah

• Muslims will experience challenges, fear, loss and hardship. All these difficulties are understood to be part of Allah’s wider plan

• Although humans cannot fully understand the purpose behind suffering, they trust that Allah is wise and just

• Enduring evil and suffering reveals a person’s faith, patience and character

• Islam teaches that Shaytan is the source of temptation and evil influence

  • Shaytan refused to obey Allah’s command to honour Adam and was cast out of heaven

  • His aim is to lead people away from Allah and encourage sinful behaviour

  • Muslims must resist Shaytan by following the Qur’an and the Sunnah. Doing so will strengthen their faith and bring great reward in the afterlife

• Allah is Ar-Rahman (the Merciful) and Ar-Rahim (the Compassionate), so he will treat kindly those who stay faithful and resist Shaytan

• Muslims believe that two angels record every person’s actions throughout their life

  • Good and bad deeds are written down

  • On the Day of Judgment, these records will be used to determine a person’s final destination: paradise (Jannah) or hell (Jahannam)

• Although Allah knows everything that will happen, humans still choose their actions using free will

  • Choosing good brings reward

  • Choosing evil brings consequences

• The Prophet Muhammad’s (pbuh) example guides Muslims to act in the right way and resist evil

• The Qur’an warns Muslims to beware of those who might try to corrupt them and to resist temptation