In This Selection, Rowe Presents His Own Version of the Argument

question 10

True/False

In this selection, Rowe presents his own version of the argument from evil:
1. There exist instances of intense suffering which an omnipotent, omniscient being could have prevented without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
2. An omniscient, wholly good being would prevent the occurrence of any intense suffering it could, unless it could not do so without thereby losing some greater good or permitting some evil equally bad or worse.
3. [Therefore] there does not exist an omnipotent, omniscient, wholly good being.
Concerning premise 2, Rowe declares, "In light of our experience and knowledge of the variety and scale of human and animal suffering in our world, the idea that none of this suffering could have been prevented by an omnipotent being without thereby losing a greater good or permitting an evil at least as bad seems an extraordinary absurd idea, quite beyond our belief."
-For Rowe, the dying fawn in the forest is a case of unnecessary, unexplained evil in the world.

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Definitions:

Retained Earnings Statement

A financial statement that outlines the changes in retained earnings for a specific period.

Treasury Stock

Treasury stock consists of shares that were issued and subsequently reacquired by the issuing corporation, reducing the amount of outstanding stock on the open market.

Voluntary Restriction

Voluntary restriction refers to limitations or constraints that an organization chooses to impose on itself, often related to its operations or the use of its assets, not mandated by external regulations.

Retained Earnings

The accumulated net income of a company that is retained and not distributed to shareholders as dividends.