Is it possible that evil actually presents a powerful argument for the very existence of God? Can the existence of evil be used, in the words of Anselm, “to shatter the rigid resistance of unbelievers?” Philosopher Gregory Ganssle acknowledges that evil seems to supply evidence against the existence of God, but further argues that “it is also the case that the existence and nature of evil provides evidence for the existence of God.” Philosopher R. Douglas Geivett correctly points out that “it is difficult to even give a rough characterization of what evil is without implying God’s existence.”

As an extension of the moral argument, I contend in this thesis paper with an abductive argument that evil necessitates the existence of God, concluding that a transcendent God is required for the resolution of evil. (Abductive reasoning works backward from a present set of conditions to the most likely explanation.) While we cannot reasonably expect to be able to justify or explain all instances of evil, the very existence of evil necessitates the existence of God who alone can bring ultimate resolution to the problem of evil. The consolidated evidence to be evaluated consists of the metaphysical analysis of evil, historical references, contemporary philosophers and theologians, and the Biblical data—all of which will forcefully argue that the existence of evil necessitates the existence of God. The presence of evil is ultimately powerful evidence for the existence of God and the argument most often raised against Christianity backfires on its proponents. The starting point will be a metaphysical analysis of evil, followed by an exploration of gratuitous evil and the doctrine of skeptical theism. The argument then logically proceeds, presenting evil as evidence for the existence of God, reinforced by the impact of Natural Law. Finally, the theology of Christus Victor contends that the resolution to evil requires God.