Reference no: EM132895257

The Problem of Animal Suffering

Most discussions of the problem of evil focus on the suffering of human beings, Antony follows William Rowe in emphasizing the suffering of animals as well. Rowe's example:

• Suppose in some distant forest lightning strikes a dead tree, resulting in a forest fire. In the fire a fawn [baby deer] is trapped, horribly burned, and lies in terrible agony for several days before death relives its suffering. So far as we can see, the fawn's suffering is pointless. (Rowe, "The Problem of Evil and Some Varieties of Atheism," American Philosophical Quarterly 16 [1979]: 338)
• Rowe's example has the advantage of blocking most of the usual responses to the problem. Animal suffering cannot be justified on the ground that it is a consequence of the exercise of free will or because it serves to bring animals closer to God, since according to most theological traditions, animals do not possess free will and are incapable of union with God.

Question 1: Construct a response to the argument from animal suffering on the behalf of the theist. Any such response must point to a believable, morally sufficient reason for God to allow animals to suffer.