Theodicy solved in Cameron's movie Avatar (2009)

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Last night I revisited Avatar, which I did not review favorably, with my teen aged son and sole control of the DVD remote so I could skip the alien intercourse scene. I still agree with all my earlier criticisms of the movie, however, I thought Cameron makes a case for the solution to the problem of evil made by philosophers such as Alvin Platinga.

The deity, Eywa, of the Na'vi planet, Pandora, is presumed to not take sides in the battle over the planet's resources and people and critters by the Na'vi, as explained by a native Na'vi (Neytiri) to the human avatar (Jake Sully) when he's praying at the tree which represents her seeking help in defeating the invading humans. So he rallies all the Na'vi tribes, formulates a last stand battle plan, and leads the Na'vi people into a massacre. But suddenly all the critters join in on the fight and turn the battle against the humans. Obviously, Eywa stepped in, and could have at any time, and really didn't need Sully's help or battle plan. But, by allowing the evil, a greater good could come from it. Things like unity and courage and valor. This is a form of the solution to the problem of evil described as evil providing a foil for good. The deity is still in control, but permits a lesser evil to provoke a greater good.
Jake's avatar and Neytiri. One of the inspirat...Image via Wikipedia
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