ABSTRACT
A basic distinction widely employed in discussions of the problem of evil is that between moral evil and natural evil. An evidential argument seeks to show that the variety and profusion of evil found in the world is strong evidence that God does not exist. The evidential argument first appeared on the philosophical stage with the publication of Hume's Dialogues Concerning Natural Religion in 1779. Critics of Hume's argument and other versions of the evidential argument often contend that the premises of the argument are false, or lack supporting evidence. Skeptical theism, if plausible, presents a compelling objection to the evidential argument. The most discussed contemporary version of the evidential argument is that of William Rowe. The empirical premise of Rowe's argument has been the focus of most of the criticism directed toward the argument.
