This document contains a summary of a Christian worldview workshop on the problem of evil in the world. It discusses how sin entered the world when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, resulting in suffering, pain and death. It examines two types of evil: natural evils like disasters, and moral evils caused by human free will and sin. While evil poses challenges to faith, Christianity maintains that God respects human freedom and has a plan for redemption through Jesus Christ. The workshop also addresses philosophical responses to the problem of evil from naturalism, transcendentalism, and Christianity.

1. Defending
The Faith
The Impact of a
Christian Worldview
REL 228 -
Workshop 3
How Did Things Get So Bad?
Glenn Johnson

2. Biblical Wisdom and Prayer
1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt,
their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. 2 The Lord
looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are
any who understand, any who seek God. 3 All have turned aside,
they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does
good, not even one.
4 Will evildoers never learn-- those who devour my people as men
eat bread and who do not call on the Lord? 5 There they are,
overwhelmed with dread, for God is present in the company of the
righteous. 6 You evildoers frustrate the plans of the poor, but the
Lord is their refuge. 7 Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out
of Zion! When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let
Jacob rejoice and Israel be glad!

3. Defending The Faith:
The Impact of a Christian
Worldview
OVERVIEW
WS 1: What is Truth?
WS 2: How Did We Get Here?
WS 3: What Has Gone Wrong With The World?
WS 4: What Can We Do To Fix Things?
WS 5: How Now Shall We Live?

4. Defending The Faith:
The Impact of a Christian
TONIGHT’S
Worldview of naturalOBJECTIVES in the revelation
1. Explain the concept
law and its role
of sin and salvation.
2. Describe the results of sin because of the effect of the natural
law.
3. Explain the role of the Holy Spirit in convicting people of their
sin.
4. Compare and contrast the alternatives to God’s salvation that
are conceived by the non-Christians.
5. Describe the plan of salvation that is provided through the
redemptive sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
6. Provide several historical proofs for the existence of Jesus
Christ and the truth of New Testament accounts.

5. Defending The Faith:
Individual Movie Analysis Presentations
EACH PRESENTATION= 5
Minutes
PRESENTATION
BREAKDOWN:
1) 2 Minute Summary of Film
2) 3 Minute Worldview Analysis

6. WHAT HAS
GONE WRONG
WITH THE
WORLD? The
Problem of
Evil
THEODICY
The Problem Of
Evil
Theos=“God”
Dike=“Justice”

7. WHAT HAS GONE WRONG
WITH THE WORLD? The
Problem of Evil
-ISSUE: How can we justify what we believe about God in relation
to evil in the world?
-2 Kinds of Evil
-Both Types Highlighted in Luke 13:1-5
Now there were some present at that time who told Jesus about the Galileans
whose blood Pilate had mixed with their sacrifices.
Jesus answered, "Do you think that these Galileans were worse sinners than all the
other Galileans because they suffered this way?
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish.
Or those eighteen who died when the tower in Siloam fell on them--do you think they
were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?
I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

8. WHAT HAS
GONE WRONG
WITH THE
WORLD? The
Problem of
Evil
THEOLOGICAL UNDERSTANDING…What Do We Mean When
We Say……..
OMNIPOTENCE?
GOODNESS?

9. WHAT HAS
GONE WRONG
WITH THE
WORLD? The
Problem of
Evil
NATURAL EVIL
“Active Will vs. Passive Will”
Limited Creatures
Live In Violent Energy System
Chance Factors
God’s Purposes Elsewhere…
Not A Hedonistic Paradise
Redemptive Possibilities….
Christian Hope…..
Moore, OK 1999 Tornado

10. WHAT HAS
GONE WRONG
WITH THE
WORLD? The
Problem of
Evil
MORAL EVIL
-Genuine Free Choice Required
-God Respects Freedom
-God Does Not Create/Will Moral
Evil
-God CONCURS in the Natural…..
-Demonic Influence?
Civil Warfare in Darfur
Region

11. WHAT HAS GONE WRONG
WITH THE WORLD? The
Problem of Evil
HUMANS & MORAL EVIL
Freedom Required for
Goodness to be Possible
Human Guilt
Individual Sin
Intensifies Impact of Natural
Evil
Civil Warfare in Darfur
Region

12. WHAT HAS GONE WRONG
WITH THE WORLD? The
Problem of Evil
REDEMPTION & MORAL EVIL
CROSS OF CHRIST: Solution
CROSS & RESURRECTION (Romans 8:28)
And we know that in all things God works for the good of
those who love him, who have been called according to
his purpose.
HOPE: In The End
WE ONLY SEE IN PART….

13. Defending The
Christian Faith: The
Impact of A
Christian
Worldview
BREAK

14. Understanding Creation
• God created all things
John 1:3 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was
made that has been made.
• God created man & woman in his own image – Imago Dei
Genesis 1:27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God
he created him; male and female he created them.
• God gave man “free will” to decide how to behave
Genesis 2: And the LORD God commanded the man, "You are free to eat
from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the
knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die."
• God gave humans dominion over all creation
Genesis 1:28 God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and
increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the
sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on
the ground."
• God created a perfect or “good” world
Genesis 1:31 God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. And
there was evening, and there was morning-the sixth day.

15. God’s Creation is Good! Right?
1. As you look at the world is it still good?
2. What examples prove your point?
3. Do the problems in the world cause people
to doubt the existence of God?

16. Why?

17. Struggle Between Good
and Evil
Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
Luke, Darth Vader and the Emperor

18. Struggle Between Good and
Evil of the Jedi
Star Wars: Return

19. Naturalism's Answers
• Good & evil are human fiction designed for behavior
we want
• Evil is whatever discourages survival of human
species
• Encourage behavior to provide security of people
• Stuff just happens
• Doesn’t explain glories of goodness
• Doesn’t explain shamefulness of badness

20. Transcendentalism’s Answer
• Evil is an illusion
• Material world doesn’t exist
• What happens to our bodies is unimportant
• Every person is divine
• Can’t explain selfishness & separateness
• Can’t explain why people should do good

21. Christianity’s Answer
The Fall
• Adam & Eve choose to disobey God
Genesis 3:6 When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree
was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave
some to her husband,who was with her, and he ate it.
• They aspired to be “like God”
Genesis 3:5 "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened,
and
you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
• They became aware of good and evil
Genesis 3:7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they
were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for
themselves.
• The world was cursed because of Adam & Eve
Genesis 3:17 "Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will
eat of it all the days of your life.
• Sin, pain, suffering, and death entered the world

22. Skeptics Response to Evil
•
An all powerful God could destroy evil
•
A holy and loving God would destroy evil
•
Evil is not destroyed
•
Therefore, there must not be a good and powerful
God

23. Christian View of Evil
• Evil is not a thing but a wrong choice and damage done
by the result of a wrong choice
• Not the result of the Creator but the result of humanity ’s
selfishness & sin
• God cannot be blamed as an unloving God for allowing evil
because he gave the ultimate sacrifice to fight it
• We are not “good” people that deserve to be spared from evil
• An assumption that suffering produces no good is fallacious
• We cannot totally understand the “why” of evil
• Even hell is the result of evil —meaning choice

24. Fallacies About Human Nature &
Evil
• People are basically good
•There are no absolute moral values
(LOR: Return of the King)
• It is possible to humanly overcome evil
• Social engineering can make people better
• Evil is obvious to detect
• The human race is gradually making things better
• There is no personal responsibility
• Everyone goes to heaven
• There is no Satan or Devil

25. Providence of God
• An intelligent & wise God continues to govern the
world
he created
• An omnipotent God intervenes in His creation
• An omnipresent God chooses to take an active part in
his creation
• A just God refuses to abandon His creation to fate or
chance
• A merciful God intervenes when evil overwhelms
people

26. James 1
Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever
you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you
know that the testing of your faith develops
perseverance. 4 Perseverance must finish its
work so that you may be mature and complete,
not lacking anything. 5 If any of you lacks
wisdom, he should ask God, who gives
generously to all without finding fault, and it
will be given to him. 6 But when he asks, he
must believe and not doubt, because he who
doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and
tossed by the wind. 7 That man should not think
he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a
double-minded man, unstable in all he does.
2

27. Romans 5
Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man,
and death through sin, and in this way death came to all
men, because all sinned-- 13 for before the law was given,
sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when
there is no law. 14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time
of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not
sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a
pattern of the one to come.
15
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died
by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God's
grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man,
Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! 16 Again, the gift of God
is not like the result of the one man's sin: The judgment
followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift
12

28. followed many trespasses and brought justification.
17
For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned
through that one man, how much more will those who
receive God's abundant provision of grace and of the
gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man,
Jesus Christ.
18
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was
condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act
of righteousness was justification that brings life for all
men. 19 For just as through the disobedience of the one
man the many were made sinners, so also through the
obedience of the one man the many will be made
righteous.
20
The law was added so that the trespass might
increase. But where sin increased, grace increased all
the more, 21 so that, just as sin reigned in death, so also
grace might reign through righteousness to bring
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.

29. Defending The Christian Faith: The
Impact of A Christian Worldview
TIME WITH LEWIS
BOOK 3
•3 Parts To Morality (Fair Play; Harmonizing; Purpose of Life)
•The Cardinal Virtues
•Social Morality (X preached “nothing new” re:morality)
•Sexual Morality (Unchastity: the supreme Xn vice?)
•Christian Marriage (one flesh, divorce)
•Forgiveness (love for enemies)

30. Defending The Christian Faith: The
Impact of A Christian Worldview
TIME WITH LEWIS
BOOK 3
STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS
Chapters 1-3

31. Defending The Christian Faith: The
Impact of A Christian Worldview
BREAK

32. Defending The Christian Faith: The
Impact of A Christian Worldview
TIME WITH LEWIS
BOOK 3
STUDENT-LED DISCUSSIONS
Chapters 4-6

33. Defending The Faith:
The Impact of a Christian
Worldview
INDIVIDUAL NEWS ARTICLE PRESENTATIONS
Include In Your Presentation:
-Article Title and Where You Found It
-Brief Summary
-Why You Think It Supports/Attacks A Christian Worldview
-Not Everyone Will Be Called Upon To Present In Each Workshop

34. Workshop 4…Next Week
WS 4: How Do We Make Things
Better?
Salvation
1. News article: What can we do to fix things?
2. Review progress on Worldview Interview paper
3. Read How Now Shall We Live: Chapters 22-29
4. Read Mere Christianity: Book3 Chapters 7-12
-TURN IN ASSIGNMENTS FOR TONIGHT!