The contemporary problem of evil stems from the atheist argument. Since, the atheist contends, God and evil are incompatible, and evil clearly exists, there is no God. Some, thinking that the claimed incompatibility in the above argument is too strong, argue that even if the existence of God and the existence of evil prove compatible, the existence evil provides us with at least strong evidence that God does not exist (Murray 1). However, in the past there was no argument to the nonexistance of God and the problem of evil was more concerned with how evil could possible exist alongside purity and holiness. Thus evil is separated into three categories of discussion: the evil originated by human beings - moral sin, the physical sensation of pain and anguish, and natural evil - disease, tornado, earthquake. All finally returns to the question "Why has an infinitely powerful and good God allowed pain and suffering in His universe?" (Evil 136).
             The problem of evil was a lifelong preoccupation of Augustine. When he converted to Christianity, he accepted the belief in a good God as a sole ultimate reality. In order to answer that indomitable question of evil's origin, Augustine developed two interlocking lines of thought: the privative and aesthetic conceptions for evil. The privative theory began with the belief that evil has no independent existence. According to him, evil is parasitic off good, which alone has substantial being. Thus, everything that God has created is still good. The phenomenon of evil occurs when beings become corrupted. God, Augustine went on to say, is the most intensely real and good being, and everything that he has brought into existence is good. If a thing ceases to exist, then the evil which is feeding off it must end, also. For this reason, nothing can be completely evil and no wholly evil being can exist. But, how does the corruption of good originate? Augustine stated that evils enters God...