A Question Of Philosophy Poem by Pete Crowther

A Question Of Philosophy

Rating: 4.8


When evil strikes
In fire and flood
Or untimely death by dread disease
We sometimes wonder “What of God? ”

The ancient Greeks
Long before us
On this very same question reflected.
Wise Epicurus put it thus:

“If God is willing but not able
Such evil to prevent,
Call Him ‘God’ still, if you will,
He cannot be omnipotent.”

“And if He’s able but not willing
Such evil to prevent,
God He may be, but I say
He is malevolent.”

“If God is able and willing, too,
All evil to prevent,
Why in the world should pain and death
Afflict the young and innocent? ”

COMMENTS OF THE POEM
Rita El Khoury 05 May 2005

Nice thought... Sometimes occurs to me. Guess I'm not THAT weird then...

1 0 Reply
A. B. 23 May 2005

Good one peter. I sometimes ask the same question too, , . Stuff like that, , , makes me a lill skeptic on God's existence.

0 0 Reply
RoJa Mitchell 13 July 2005

your poem was a good technique and it´s true what you wrotte.... i used to ask the same question, but know i know why there´s pain and sorrow and poberty for many young and inocent people..... have you heard that God it´s saint and we are all sinners? ? well sin (huge sin like killing someone and 'small' sins, like telling a lie or gossiping) they all have consequences, so pain and poberty is the consequence of ona men´s sin (desobedience: Adam) and our own sins......

0 0 Reply
Liz Munro 04 November 2005

I'm not a churchie person re: God and stuff. But a very good poem. Liz.

0 0 Reply
Andy Konisberg 17 April 2005

we've all shared this process with Epicurus at some stage, Peter. good work.

0 0 Reply
Marcondes P 25 June 2016

Your poem is beautilf and reflexive! I guess that neither God knows what he can does with his own liberty. He is eternal, but sometimes, due to the world's happenings, he is more confuse than us humans beings.

0 0 Reply
Ben Gieske 21 November 2007

Very nicely phrased. I think that living means always pursuing the answers to the questions we keep on asking.

0 0 Reply
Robert Howard 26 July 2007

The problem of evil clearly stated. Perhaps there are multiple Gods; some of which are good and some evil. I think when people talk of Satan or the Devil they are really talking polytheism even if they recite the Nicene creed.

0 0 Reply
Linda Ori 24 March 2006

I agree - read my poem 'Compassion'. Makes you wonder - but I guess it's for God to know and for us to learn the lesson. Linda

0 0 Reply
Anna Russell 22 February 2006

Lovely to read and great subject. For those of us who are not blessed/cursed with unerring faith, this just says it all. Hugs Anna xxx

0 0 Reply
READ THIS POEM IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Pete Crowther

Pete Crowther

Hull, East Yorkshire, England
Close
Error Success