Why did God create evil?

[HumbleUnderdog]

What was His purpose in doing so? I am looking for answers from facts, evidence, and logic and reason. I have heard this question many times: Why did God create Satan and evil, and why did He allow Lucipher (Satan) to betray Him in heaven? And why did He cast Satan down to Earth where He also created Adam afterward? Because He did create Adam in a place where Satan was roaming, did He not expect humans to sin? And if He knew humans were going to sin, then why did God react to the eating of the fruit from the tree with such anger and wrath?

 

[TheTruthinFiction]

What was His purpose in doing so? I am looking for answers from facts, evidence, and logic and reason. I have heard this question many times: Why did God create Satan and evil, and why did He allow Lucipher (Satan) to betray Him in heaven? And why did He cast Satan down to Earth where He also created Adam afterward? Because He did create Adam in a place where Satan was roaming, did He not expect humans to sin? And if He knew humans were going to sin, then why did God react to the eating of the fruit from the tree with such anger and wrath?

Without evil, we wouldn't know, good. That can be shown in everyday. If everyday, nothing bad ever happens in your life, then you will take the good things for granted. If you need any more proof than that, you are talking to the wrong people, since we can only offer you our opinions. But this paragraph is about as much evidence as I would think one would need.

My opinion on reacting to Adam and Eve, because he told them not to? Just like a boss knows that an employee is not perfect, they will still get mad if that employee does something that they told them not to do. I would also think that God didn't expect us to go sin on the first thing we did after creation.

Satan and Lucifer have never been shown to be the same. Some say that Lucifer had a human figure, which sounds right because he was the most beautiful angel. Where as Satan is a spirit. It's my understanding from this view, Lucifer is locked away in, I believe, the second dimension of Heaven, where as Satan roams the Earth. Another piece of proof against the two being the same, there are Satanists and there are Luciferians, kind of interesting, but hopefully, it won't turn into a debate.

So there is some proof of why evil is needed and my opinion on the rest of it.

 

[tapero]

God did not create evil. When satan and his minions fell there evil was; wrongdoing, sin, evil. If Adam and Eve had never fallen there would be no sin in man. There are different beliefs here but that is what I say.

Tapero

 

[DeaconDean]

God did not create evil, the Bible very plainly says:

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." -1 John 1:5

God is inherantly good. During the creation, everything God created was good. (Genesis 1) Sin/evil entered this world when Adam disobeyed God.

"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" -Romans 5:15

Lucifer, was the highest created angel in heaven. A picture of this would be God on His throne, Jesus on the right, the Holy Spirit on the left. To the left of the Holy Spirit was a Cherubim, to the right was a cherubim, behind God and a little above was Lucifer, the highest Cherubim in heaven. He was actually the protector of the throne. Isa. 14:12-17, and Eze. 28:13-15, is what some believe to be a picture of Lucifer and a description of his fall. Vanity, pride, and greed all contributed to Satan's fall. Vanity because he was adorned more splendly than any other angel. Pride because he was not only the highest cherubim of them all, but because he was the only angel to hold two positions in heaven, the highest Cherubim, and music director. Greed because he wanted to exhault his throne above God's, to be "like the most high."

As to the rest of your questions, why create mankind if God knew they were going to sin?"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isa. 55:8-9

We will just have to ask Him when we see Him.

God Bless.

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

Thanks to your reply Truthfiction, and thanks for trying to help me understand the truth.

However I am still questioned. Here is why:

"Without evil, we wouldn't know, good.". True. We humans wouldn't know good from bad since bad wouldn't be in existence if God never created or allowed it. Still, if God is all-powerful, why would He allow us to differeintiate good from bad? We wouldn't know good from bad, but what if God created only everything that was 'good'? Of course if everything that applied to us was 'good', and then I wouldn't have any need to question why there is something else in existence besides was 'good.' We would know only 'good' if God only created 'good' then, because everything that we humans interact with would be 'good.' So there wouldn't be any question as to why 'non-good' or 'evil' existed.

"Just like a boss knows that an employee is not perfect, they will still get mad if that employee does something that they told them not to do. I would also think that God didn't expect us to go sin on the first thing we did after creation."

Like my last post, if God never created 'evil' then there wouldn't be anything that would be able to go against God then. So when a Boss gets mad at something that the employee shouldn't have done, then the Boss shouldn't have created anything that would make any of his/her employees capable of doing something against his/her wishes.

So my question still remains unanswered: why did God/The Boss create and allow people to go against His wishes?



Tapero: thanks as well, as I feel you are trying to help me understand as well. God bless you both for your intentions.

However, Tapero, my question still remains unanswered.

For your answer Tapero I will paraphrase according to my understanding: God, the Almighty all powerful creator of all things-did not create evil. If he is the Creator of EVERYTHING, then how did 'evil' come into existence? And without evil being created to come into existence then how were there able to be Satan and his minions who fell?

Thanks again to you two for responding as well as anyone who responds afterward.

 

[tapero]

"Without evil, we wouldn't know, good

Adam and Eve knew only good before the fall. So good can be understood in the absense of evil.

 

[tapero]

Well satan and all the angels were created good. It was his fall where evil started, for genesis says, about the tree of he knowledge of good and evil. That's because satan had already fallen and God did know about that... They shall be like us, knowing good and evil.

-tapero

 

[TheTruthinFiction]

We are not connecting. God's intentions are not known to anyone, no matter how much they tell you they are known. It would be an opinion that God wouldn't want us to be a group of clones. If you created something would you want it to be a simple thing or a complex thing? Also without putting evil or bad why would you believe in a God? If you woke up everyday, everyone smiled at you, it never rained, you never got sick, why would you want to reach Heaven, where those things are rewarded?

I do believe that evil or bad was created for us to struggle and rise above, by having faith in God.

It's a common, I want to use the word, "misconception" but I don't want to come off as self-righteous either, but it is common for a majority of us Christians to believe that God doesn't create evil. Here is hopefully, a helpful Bible quote.

NIV:
Isaiah 45:5-7: I am the LORD and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of it's setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I the LORD, do all of the these things.

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

Thank you DeaconDean for trying to help me understand the truth!

My question however still remains unanswered. Here is why.


"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." -1 John 1:5

Obviously there is nothing IN HIM that is 'dark.' But that doesn't explain where 'dark' came from, nor does that verse explain that 'dark' once WAS in him.

"God is inherantly good. During the creation, everything God created was good. (Genesis 1) Sin/evil entered this world when Adam disobeyed God."

If evil wasn't inherited by God, then that still doesn't explain where EVIL came from. If God is the CREATOR if ALL, then where did evil COME FROM and HOW DID IT COME INTO EXISTENCE?



"Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:" -Romans 5:15"

This verse doesn;t explain why or how sin ENTERED this world. It's clear that sin ENTERED this world because of Adam accepting what the DEVIL told him, but it doesn't explain WHY GOD ALLOWED that devil to exist.

"Lucifer, was the highest created angel in heaven. A picture of this would be God on His throne, Jesus on the right, the Holy Spirit on the left. To the left of the Holy Spirit was a Cherubim, to the right was a cherubim, behind God and a little above was Lucifer, the highest Cherubim in heaven. He was actually the protector of the throne. Isa. 14:12-17, and Eze. 28:13-15, is what some believe to be a picture of Lucifer and a description of his fall. Vanity, pride, and greed all contributed to Satan's fall. Vanity because he was adorned more splendly than any other angel. Pride because he was not only the highest cherubim of them all, but because he was the only angel to hold two positions in heaven, the highest Cherubim, and music director. Greed because he wanted to exhault his throne above God's, to be "like the most high."

I am aware of how Satan was COMPARED amongst the FATHER, SON, and HOLY SPIRIT. But this still doesn't answer why God allowed BETRAYAL AMONGST HIS KINGDOM, and if BETRAYAL existed, the THE CREATOR must have CREATED BETRAYAL.


"As to the rest of your questions, why create mankind if God knew they were going to sin?"

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." -Isa. 55:8-9

We will just have to ask Him when we see Him. "


Obviosuly we can't think or be the same way as someone or something who is higher above us humans.
However, if we humans are able to see that God has created and accepted evil in this 'humanly' world, then I'm sure that we can accept an answer as to the answer, no?

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

"God did not create evil. When satan and his minions fell there evil was; wrongdoing, sin, evil. If Adam and Eve had never fallen there would be no sin in man. There are different beliefs here but that is what I say."

So if God did not create Evil, and if God was there in the beginning and end (the Alpha and Omega), then Evil must be as powerful as Holiness right?

I'm not sure I agree. But if God was the CREATOR of "ALL" and I MEAN EVERY SINGLE FREAKING THING, then He must have CREATED EVIL.

 

[tapero]

"This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all." -1 John 1:5

Obviously there is nothing IN HIM that is 'dark.' But that doesn't explain where 'dark' came from, nor does that verse explain that 'dark' once WAS in him.

"God is inherantly good. During the creation, everything God created was good. (Genesis 1) Sin/evil entered this world when Adam disobeyed God."

If evil wasn't inherited by God, then that still doesn't explain where EVIL came from. If God is the CREATOR if ALL, then where did evil COME FROM and HOW DID IT COME INTO EXISTENCE?

Darkness is the absence of light. Satan was evil and evil originated with satan. There is no darkness in God.

Tapero

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

"Adam and Eve knew only good before the fall. So good can be understood in the absense of evil."

The fall must have come then, because the absence if evil must have been there then. Agree with that fact?

 

[tapero]

"God did not create evil. When satan and his minions fell there evil was; wrongdoing, sin, evil. If Adam and Eve had never fallen there would be no sin in man. There are different beliefs here but that is what I say."

So if God did not create Evil, and if God was there in the beginning and end (the Alpha and Omega), then Evil must be as powerful as Holiness right?

I'm not sure I agree. But if God was the CREATOR of "ALL" and I MEAN EVERY SINGLE FREAKING THING, then He must have CREATED EVIL.

The only way that you can say that God created evil (which he did not) is that he created satan, an angel of light.

Evil is not as powerful as good. Greater is He that is in you(God the Holy Spirit) than he (satan) who is in the world.

 

[tapero]

"Adam and Eve knew only good before the fall. So good can be understood in the absense of evil."

The fall must have come then, because the absence if evil must have been there then. Agree with that fact?

Not sure I understand your question. Can you rephrase it? Thanks.

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

Well satan and all the angels were created good. It was his fall where evil started, for genesis says, about the tree of he knowledge of good and evil. That's because satan had already fallen and God did know about that... They shall be like us, knowing good and evil.

-tapero

I can't seem to understand that if God was all-powerful that he "didn't know about" Satan being 'already fallen'-or that God creates Satan as 'fallible' therefore He had creates a 'fallible being.'

If God wasn't even powerful enough to know that he had created a fallible being, then why did He ALLOW such fallible being to CONTINUE his sinfulness?

 

[tapero]

I can't seem to understand that if God was all-powerful that he "didn't know about" Satan being 'already fallen'-or that God creates Satan as 'fallible' therefore He had creates a 'fallible being.'

If God wasn't even powerful enough to know that he had created a fallible being, then why did He ALLOW such fallible being to CONTINUE his sinfulness?

I suppose He knowingly created fallible beings because He chose to. You've probably heard the arguments that why would he create robots to worship and serve Him. He wants us fallible creatures to worship Him by own free will or choice.

He allows things to continue, because He has a plan. Satan will one day meet his end as will all others who don't choose to believe in Christ; his offering to mankind.

 

[TheTruthinFiction]

Tapero, I asked that this not become a debate between Christians, we have a non-Christian who is trying to understand the Bible.

You picked part of the quoted scripture out, about creating darkness, right after that there was the word calamity, which is destruction, earthquakes, wars and so on. To think that God didn't create evil only makes it seem that Satan has more power than God.

 

[tapero]

Tapero, I asked that this not become a debate between Christians, we have a non-Christian who is trying to understand the Bible.

You picked part of the quoted scripture out, about creating darkness, right after that there was the word calamity, which is destruction, earthquakes, wars and so on. To think that God didn't create evil only makes it seem that Satan has more power than God.

Dear Truth in Fiction,
I am merely answering his questions. I can't help that when I quote his answer that another verse is contained in there. And because we differ on whether God created evil or not doesn't mean we are in a debate about it. If you believe God created evil than more power to you. BTW, this is Nimbos' thread, and I am answering only his questions.

Tapero

 

[HumbleUnderdog]

" Also without putting evil or bad why would you believe in a God? If you woke up everyday, everyone smiled at you, it never rained, you never got sick, why would you want to reach Heaven, where those things are rewarded?

I do believe that evil or bad was created for us to struggle and rise above, by having faith in God.

It's a common, I want to use the word, "misconception" but I don't want to come off as self-righteous either, but it is common for a majority of us Christians to believe that God doesn't create evil. Here is hopefully, a helpful Bible quote.

NIV:
Isaiah 45:5-7: I am the LORD and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of it's setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I the LORD, do all of the these things."
Well if you only created Good, then you'd have no choice to believe in Good and therefore God. If you only created 'heaven' then there would only be 'rewards.' Why would God create something else that would lead us to be someplace where there WOULDN'T be REWARDS? And why would God create a place for us to STRUGGLE, especially since GOD IS LOVE?

So there is a Lord and no other. He formed the light and CREATED THE DARKNESS. Again, WHY?

 

[tapero]

" Also without putting evil or bad why would you believe in a God? If you woke up everyday, everyone smiled at you, it never rained, you never got sick, why would you want to reach Heaven, where those things are rewarded?

I do believe that evil or bad was created for us to struggle and rise above, by having faith in God.

It's a common, I want to use the word, "misconception" but I don't want to come off as self-righteous either, but it is common for a majority of us Christians to believe that God doesn't create evil. Here is hopefully, a helpful Bible quote.

NIV:
Isaiah 45:5-7: I am the LORD and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of it's setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other. I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster, I the LORD, do all of the these things."
Well if you only created Good, then you'd have no choice to believe in Good and therefore God. If you only created 'heaven' then there would only be 'rewards.' Why would God create something else that would lead us to be someplace where there WOULDN'T be REWARDS? And why would God create a place for us to STRUGGLE, especially since GOD IS LOVE?

So there is a Lord and no other. He formed the light and CREATED THE DARKNESS. Again, WHY?

Adam and Eve were known by God. They knew God and lived in paradise. We too would live in that paradise were it not for sin. But God uses things to his purpose. He uses things to bring them about for his glory. He does no evil; that is clear. When someone say hurts me in an evil way he somehow will turn that out for my good. He will bless me throught it somehow. That is His promise to us. But remember that had not adam and eve sinned we wouldn't be in this mess. And evil does not lead all men to God, for if that were true then all men would believe.

I appreciate the verse you gave, especially about God creating darkness. Blessings, Tapero