Evil in the world and God?

[Steven Knoll]

This is an old problem that I've answered a number of times, but I'm not sure that I have a really good answer. What is the simplest way to answer the question of evil? That is, that God is all-powerful, there is evil in the world, so God must not either be unable or unwilling to promote goodness.

I usually answer that there would be no good if there were no evil, but I'm not sure I can really back that up. Is there a verse in the Bible that relates to any of this? How do you answer these types of questions?

 

[wayseer]

'Simply'?

Essentially I agree.

You might like to have a look at Process Theology. Essential, evil exists otherwise we would have no freedom but forever remain puppets in the hands of God.

You might like to explore the work of John Cobb Jnr, Marjorie Hewitt Suchocki, Charles Hartshorne and C Robert Mesle. This might also be of particular interest.

 

[JackBauer]

I guess the question you have to ask yourself is then what about pointless evils, such as toothaches or just plain uncomfortableness, that don't really serve to counteract some kind of good?

 

[cubinity]

I guess the question you have to ask yourself is then what about pointless evils, such as toothaches or just plain uncomfortableness, that don't really serve to counteract some kind of good?

As it turns out, toothaches and plain uncomfortableness are usually symptoms of problems that need attention, and the discomfort one feels is actually the very GOOD signal to your brain that you need to pay attention to and potentially fix something.

People who cannot feel any pain usually die very early in life from easily preventable complications. Think, for example, about standing in line at the bank. You lean heavily to one side, applying pressure on one leg more than the other. What you aren't aware of is that you've also partially restricted blood flow through your leg. In a few minutes, you feel a slight discomfort--so light that you may only acknowledge it subconsciously--and you thoughtlessly shift your weight into a new position, thereby restoring blood flow.

Without that plain uncomfortableness, you wouldn't have know blood flow was being blocked, and you'd have potentially stayed in that position until it caused some serious damage or killed you.

I wouldn't call these pains "evils," and I certainly wouldn't call them "pointless."

 

[Emmy]

Dear Steven Knoll. God made Man Good, in His image. Adam and Eve our proto-types were good, until the Serpent came and tempted them. They could not resist temptation, and believed the lies of the tempter, and instead of loving God with heart, soul and mind, they succombed, ignored God`s loving warning and paid the consequences: died. They were banned to Earth, and in time they, and all who came after, became selfish and unloving. They (all Mankind) moved farther and farther away from God. God gave His ten Commandments, but they still went their own selfish way. In time Jesus came and showed us what God is really like, our Heavenly Father who wants us back again. God`s Holy Law demanded a guiltless Sacrifice for all the sins and transgressions we had become guilty of, but there was no-one left good enough to do so. In His great Love for us, God gave us another chance. Jesus-God-Son became Man and paid the Prize: He died for us, that we might live again. Jesus became our Saviour. We have to Repent, to exchange our selfish and unloving character for 1) loving God with hearts, souls and minds. And 2) love our neighbour as ourselves. God is Love, Steven, and God loves us. He has proved it again and again, and God made everything in the beginning GOOD. God`s Holy Spirit is in the world to try and redeem Mankind, and we know: " whosoever will may come." Jesus died that we might live, and He is ready and waiting to help and guide us back to God. Who could ever doubt in the slightest, that God has anything to do with all the evil in this world, Steven? I say this with love. Greetings from Emmy, your sister in Christ.

 

[Benevolous]

This is an old problem that I've answered a number of times, but I'm not sure that I have a really good answer. What is the simplest way to answer the question of evil? That is, that God is all-powerful, there is evil in the world, so God must not either be unable or unwilling to promote goodness.

I would simply tell them to read the Book of Romans. It explains this issue in great detail.

I usually answer that there would be no good if there were no evil

Really? So God wasn't good before Adam sinned?

 

[Osage Bluestem]

I believe that God allows evil for a limited time in order to teach his people about good.

Romans 9:22-24
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

 

[daydreamergurl15]

Well, if God gives us a commandment and tells us this is what He wants and the opposite of that is what He does not want, then I think by allowing us choice gives us the option of doing what is wrong or what is "evil". Essentially giving us a choice, gives us the opportunity to doing what is wrong.

Now, simply because evil exists doesn't mean that God isn't all-power, because if I'm not mistaken our all powerful God will reign victorious come judgment day, trumping all the powers of evil. Now, who is so powerful that he can destroy the works of evil? God! God choose to work through His children to be the light of this world but come judgment day, it will all be in God's hand when He will destroy evil.

 

[Hamish MacWolf]

Hi Steve,

Two things I would say. Specificaly to your quote,

What is the simplest way to answer the question of evil? That is, that God is all-powerful, there is evil in the world, so God must not either be unable or unwilling to promote goodness.

I would alter the train of thought slightly. An omnipotent God must either be NOT omnipotent, OR else unwilling to promote good (ie He is a git), OR else He chooses to allow evil for His own reasons.

Then the discussion shifts to, "What reasons must God have to allow evil to exist, and continue?" But that is a whole new can of worms.

Secondly, to the original existence of evil, and your quote

I usually answer that there would be no good if there were no evil, but I'm not sure I can really back that up.

that can be found as the result of a philosophical process.

1) God is absolute goodness. (Note the "absolute")
2) To be distinctly separate from God is to be distinctly separate from absolute goodness
3) Ergo, that which is distinctly separate from what we call goodness is what we then call "evil."

It can be a bit tricky to encompass, but a lot of philosophy is. I could draw a comparison to a chair, and our knowledge of what the chair "is" is defined by everything around it which we call "not chair." We define things by simultaneously defining what things are not. You separate "mother" by simultaneously calling the other six billion humans "not mother".

I really hope this has helped more than it has confused. I suppose that's why rabbis could spend all day discussing concepts in the synagogue.

 

[Thomas222]

I believe that God allows evil for a limited time in order to teach his people about good.

Romans 9:22-24
22 What if God, although choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23 What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24 even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

I agree

 

[Harry3142]

Steven Knoll-

The evil in this world is done with the cooperation nad planning of mankind. So we cannot look at it as some kind of outside force, but rather as the culmination of our own willingness to perform evil acts.

We are the outlet for evil. How much, or how little, evil there is in this world is the direct consequence of our thoughts, words and actions. The old saying, "The devil made me do it," is a falsehood. The devil can't make us do anything that we don't want to do in-and-of ourselves. It is our own desire to do what is evil that causes evil to be done.

There's another old saying which we need to take to heart:

"That there is a devil, there is no doubt. But is he trying to get in, or trying to get out?"