The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel
Week 2: Objection 1 — Since Evil and Suffering Exist, a Loving God Cannot
Read Objection 1 (Chapter 1) of The Case for Faith. Interview with Peter Kreeft. Key passages: Romans 8:28; Job 38–42.
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The existence of evil and suffering is arguably the most emotionally powerful objection to faith — this week, philosopher Peter Kreeft helps Strobel think through why a good and powerful God might permit what breaks our hearts.
Discussion Questions
8 questions1.Kreeft distinguishes between three types of evil: moral evil (caused by human choices), natural evil (earthquakes, disease), and what he calls the 'evil of loss.' How does each type challenge the existence of a good God differently, and do you find his distinctions helpful or overly academic?
2.Kreeft argues that free will is the key to understanding moral evil — that a world with genuine freedom will inevitably include the possibility of great harm. Do you find that answer satisfying? What does it leave unexplained?
3.One of Kreeft's central points is that God can bring good out of suffering without causing the suffering. He points to the cross as the supreme example. How does the cross specifically address the problem of evil — not just philosophically, but personally?
a.In what way does a God who suffers (in Christ) change the emotional force of the objection, even if it doesn't dissolve it logically?
b.Has there been a season of suffering in your own life that, in retrospect, you can see God working through? What makes it hard to see that in the middle of the storm?
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