Natural evil
Natural evil is evil for which "no non-divine agent can be held morally responsible" and is chiefly derived from the operation of the laws of nature.[1] It is defined in contrast to moral evil, which is directly "caused by human activity".[2] In Christian theology, natural evil is often discussed as a rebuttal to the free will defense against the theological problem of evil.[3] The argument goes that the free will defense can only justify the presence of moral evil in light of an omnibenevolent god, and that natural evil remains unaccounted for. Hence, some atheists argue that the existence of natural evil challenges belief in the existence, omnibenevolence, or omnipotence of God or any deity.[4]
Some Christian theologians respond that natural evil is the indirect result of original sin just as moral evils are.[2] Other theologians even argue that natural evil is directly perpetrated by demonic agents.[5]
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Challenge to religious belief[edit]
Natural evil (also non-moral or surd evil) is a term generally used in discussions of the problem of evil and theodicy that refers to states of affairs which, considered in themselves, are those that are part of the natural world, and so are independent of the intervention of a human agent. Many atheists claim that natural evil is proof that there is no God, at least not an omnipotent, omnibenevolent one, as such a being would not allow such evil to happen to his/her creation. However, the deist position states that intervention by God to prevent such actions (or any intervention) is not an attribute of God.