"Halloween" and the Problem of Evil

Philosophers have generally settled on the phrase â??problem of evilâ? as a catchall descriptor for a world filled with various kinds of pain and suffering. In North America, this problem is an equal opportunity offender: Theists must deal with the apparent incompatibility posed by the existence of an all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), all-loving (omnibenevolent) God on the one hand, and the existence of evil on the other. Atheists must deal with the apparent incomprehensibility of all moral categories (including evil) in the absence of any objective source of morality. Both believer and non-believer can agree, however, that some forms of evil are more intense than others. A man who misses the nail and accidentally smashes his finger with a hammer is not in as much pain as the mother and father who have lost a child in a car accident. Certain states of affairs, though painful, can readily be explained, addressed, and remedied. The reason for the manâ??s pain is clear. With a little care, his finger will heal. But the mother and father will never heal. Their pain can be addressed, but not appeased. If pressed, it can yield a certain set of circumstances, maybe even some perspective over the years. But it will never yield anything approaching a satisfactory explanation. Through much toil and struggle, these grieving parents may even come to a place of acceptance, but there is no â??solutionâ? to their problem, no full closure, no way of bringing back their child.