There exist many debates concerning the existence of God. Atheists argue that there is no actual evidence of God’s existence. To prove their point of view, they say that He would have never allowed evil to happen if He existed. Thus, taking into consideration how many happens in the world every day, how innocent people and creatures suffer, this statement might be quite reasonable. However, John Hick, a philosopher of religion and theologian, believes that evil can be justified by the great value of the soul-making process.
John Hick supports his point of view by explaining that God created men not as perfect creatures who already possess all the virtues similar to His, but rather free, self-directing individuals. In Hick’s opinion, men’s actions, reactions, struggles, and inner suffering build their character, allowing them to become strong and wise on their own, as it is in their nature to develop and evolve independently (Vaughn, 2019). This process is referred to by Hick as “soul-making,” and it involves the individual’s growth through suffering. The philosopher believes that no personal development is possible in a perfect world with no evil in it, as men would never have to challenge their character otherwise.
To conclude, the soul-making process is what brings men closer to God, and this process is impossible without hardships and struggling. Men must embrace evil as a part of becoming complete individuals that fulfill God’s purpose. In the end, this suffering will pay off after physical death when God resurrects human personality, and all rejoice together on God’s kind invitation. This will be the apogee of men’s existence, which is the very purpose of human life.
References
Vaughn, L. (2019). Philosophy here and now: Powerful ideas in everyday life. Oxford University Press.