Good God... Please answer all four..

Socratic method much...?

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

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God created all, including evil.

I’ll try to answer them in order of ease for me.

4. “Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?”

No, there’s not.

2. Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?

I think that’s a logical impossibility, based on a verse like God “cannot lie.” God’s still free in the sense that He could have made trees purple instead of green or He could’ve put the San Andreas Fault somewhere other than California, but “the good” is the sum of His essential character. So He’s not going to act contrary to His character. Maybe He can and it’s not an impossible thing, rather it’s just something He’s always able to indulge in but never does.

3. Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?

I think that’s a view called voluntarism, which means just because God does something it’s good be default. Like “the good” is grounded in his volition. In that case yeah, you’re right. It’s “rules for thee but not for me.” He’s a very big God and we are very small people. Personally I don’t believe in “the good” being grounded in the volition of God but rather in His essence, that’s essentialism. The qualities that make up Gods perfect character are what we see as “good,” and when people reflect that character and have many of those personality traits we might say that person is a good chap.

1. Could God do evil if he wanted to?

Based on question two I’m not absolutely sure. It’s a toughie but my first instinct was to write no, no He couldn’t and no He couldn’t even want to. So, I’ll stay on that page until I’m convinced otherwise.

God bless you.

“Good God…..please answer all four….”

You know…. like…. we have to at least @ God for Him to answer us.

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

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1. Bogus question —assumes self-contradictory notion
2. Self-contradictory notion
3. Yes
4. No

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

The answer is NO to all questions.

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

1. Nope
2. Nope
3. Everything that God does is good. Without God, we can do no good.
4. Nope

On a side note, it'd be great if we could answer a Christian seeker's questions in a forum made for them without coming across as pompous or angry that they would even ask such questions like we're assuming they have an ulterior motive other than just being curious and asking what's on their mind that they don't understand.. Not sure if that's intended, but some of these answers sure feel that way.

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

God is love. Not just loving ... what He IS. Love and evil are mutually exclusive.

Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God? No.

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

Hi TellyonTellyon

Might I ask what your thinking behind these questions are?

I mean, take #1. He is defined as being pure love. (Divine)Love and evil don't mix. And that brings us to #2. Being pure Divine love, He could never want that. And #3, I'm not sure I get that one. Are you referring to the old Testament? Like where He told the Israelites to go and kill all the people in a certain place, including babies and children? That was actually love. See, those folks were humans interbred with angels, and started corrupting the human race. He didn't want pure humanity to be lost. Good is good evil is evil. No #4 Since God is the highest authority in existence, nothing can transcend Him.

And another thought about evil. God can choose to allow evil in a limited way. Take my life for example. He allowed satan to chase me right into Jesus' arms. He allowed lots of stuff, but we can't say He did it - that was satan's doing. And God has reasons for allowing (in part) evil to affect us. See, He is also fair. He doesn't play favorites. So, if He allows evil to give us a hard time, and we remain faithful, He has a perfectly valid reason to bless us for doing so. Like if your son is perfectly obedient, you'd be happy to reward him, and vice versa.

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

1. No it is not in His Character to "do evil".
2. See #1
3.Everything God creates and does is good. It is through the goodness of God that He made us in His image which includes giving us free will. It is that free will that He so generously gave us that has been corrupted by our evil.
4.I dont understand the question. A power greater than God ?

Maria Billingsley said:

1. No it is not in His Character to "do evil".
2. See #1
3.Everything God creates and does is good. It is through the goodness of God that He made us in His image whi h includes giving us free will. It is that free will that He so generously gave us that has been corrupted by evil.
4.I dont understand the question. A power greater than God ?

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“The LORD hath made all things for himself: Yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.” (Proverbs 16:4)

“Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? Shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it?” (Amos 3:6)

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)

“Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?” (Lamentations 3:38)

“For the inhabitant of Maroth waited carefully for good: But evil came down from the LORD unto the gate of Jerusalem.” (Micah 1:12)

“For thus saith the Lord GOD; How much more when I send my four sore judgments upon Jerusalem, the sword, and the famine, and the noisome beast, and the pestilence, to cut off from it man and beast?” (Ezekiel 14:21)

“There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.

Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke 13:1–5)

“The LORD said to him [Moses], “Who gave a mouth to man, or who makes a person mute or deaf or seeing or blind? Is it not I, the LORD?” (Exodus 4:11)

Dave L said:

God created all, including evil.

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Jezzz... He did not create evil.

Maria Billingsley said:

Jezzz... He did not create evil.

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"Caused that evil be". Dave misspoke, I'm guessing. However, there are verses that need explained away....

Maria Billingsley said:

Jezzz... He did not create evil.

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“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)

Tellyontellyon said:

Could God do evil if he wanted to?
Would it be possible for him to want to do evil?
Is anything God does by definition good.... but if I were to do it then it would be evil?
Is there a principle of right and wrong that transcends God?

Click to expand...

It is probably worth reading some of the old philosophers.

I think it was Duns Scotus who defined evil as an exercise of weakness - i.e. a lack of power and therefore not possible for an omnipotent God.

As such:
No
No
Possibly - but that really ends up with definitions of what God does and doesn't do - e.g. is a miscarriage the same as an abortion
No - you should probably look up responses to Euthyphro

Dave L said:

“I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.” (Isaiah 45:7)

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I get the impression that the actual translation is 'calamity' not evil. So NET : I am the one who forms light and creates darkness; the one who brings about peace and creates calamity.

So God creates calamity or peace as necessary.

Evil is the absence of good, which is why it is so often associated with darkness, the absence of light.

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