It just makes me kinda sad and angry to see horrible things happening idk. I just want to know why this happens like what's the point.
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Why does god allow evil?? (moved from Struggles by Non-Christians
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Dialogist
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Here a couple things I believe, for what it is worth:
First, if God tolerates evil and evil people in the world, this is not because He cannot annihilate evil, but because he has given freedom to spiritual beings and directs them so they might freely, of their own will, reject evil and turn to good.
Second, evil is not some kind of moral essence which as any actual independent existence. Evil is a deviation of living beings from the original creation in which God placed them in Creation - a deviation into a condition that is opposed to this. Evil proceeds from creatures themselves, who have deviated from the conformity of their will with God's. The essence of evil consists in a violation of God's will - both as expressed in His commandments and in our own consciences. This violation is the essence of sin.
Although God created the world pure, perfect and free from evil, evil entered the world as a consequence of the fall - a fall which occurred originally with some angels, then with the human race. That fall is now reflected in all of nature.
As a result of the evil around us which our ancestors, for their part, are responsible for bringing into the world and we (humankind), for our part, are responsible for sustaining through our sins, we nonetheless lament the injustices of life, especially when we see virtuous people suffer while non-virtuous people prosper. This preoccupation prevents us from what should be our real focus - namely, our Salvation.
John Chrysostom wrote the following in one of his homilies:
First, if God tolerates evil and evil people in the world, this is not because He cannot annihilate evil, but because he has given freedom to spiritual beings and directs them so they might freely, of their own will, reject evil and turn to good.
Second, evil is not some kind of moral essence which as any actual independent existence. Evil is a deviation of living beings from the original creation in which God placed them in Creation - a deviation into a condition that is opposed to this. Evil proceeds from creatures themselves, who have deviated from the conformity of their will with God's. The essence of evil consists in a violation of God's will - both as expressed in His commandments and in our own consciences. This violation is the essence of sin.
Although God created the world pure, perfect and free from evil, evil entered the world as a consequence of the fall - a fall which occurred originally with some angels, then with the human race. That fall is now reflected in all of nature.
As a result of the evil around us which our ancestors, for their part, are responsible for bringing into the world and we (humankind), for our part, are responsible for sustaining through our sins, we nonetheless lament the injustices of life, especially when we see virtuous people suffer while non-virtuous people prosper. This preoccupation prevents us from what should be our real focus - namely, our Salvation.
John Chrysostom wrote the following in one of his homilies:
If the Kingdom of Heaven is open to us and a reward is shown to us in the future life, then it is not worth investigating why the righteous endure sorrows here while the evil live in comfort. If a reward is waiting there for everyone, according to their just deserts, why should we be disturbed by present events, whether they are fortunate or unfortunate? By these misfortunes God exercises those who are submissive to Him as manful warriors; and the weaker, negligent ones, and those unable to bear anything difficult, He exhorts ahead of time to do good deeds.
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Gordon Wright
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Different people have different notions of good and evil. You can't please everyone.
Distrust theological interpretations. Read the Bible, then try to see things from God's point of view. That will help far more than all the clever theodicy in the world.
Distrust theological interpretations. Read the Bible, then try to see things from God's point of view. That will help far more than all the clever theodicy in the world.
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There are some things that we just cannot understand or rationalize. God is God and we aren't. Only He knows why he created beings with free will knowing some would fall. I always thought that He wanted some who would choose to love Him for Who He is. I decided to not turn my faith into philosophy or argue theology. When I have questions, I read what Jesus said and let the Holy Spirit guide me.
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LoveJesusAndLive
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har har har.. He doesn't.. and the closer you are to Him the more you will suffer for bad, or evil, decisions. Because He loves you believe it or not. Your suffering will bring you back to Him, live and learn the hard way. This is reality. From my experience anyway.
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oi_antz
Opposed to Untruth.
First, I need to ask you a question. How do you imagine it is possible for Him to not allow evil? Do you imagine a world with different laws of physics? Do you imagine that if someone is going to do evil, their body will freeze so that they can't actually do it? It always puzzles me when I hear this question, because I just can't imagine how life can be possible any other way, in this sort of world.
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What do you mean the closer to god the more bad there is
did you word that wrong because I thought it was the opposite no offense???
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How is allowing evil merciful though? And without evil wouldn't be here forever and In peace or no?
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An clean aquarium can only be built with the existence of a filter. Your complaint here is about why the filter is dirty.
Earth is a place for freewill to be expressed such that the bad will not be allowed to enter heaven. So earth acts as a filter for the clean heaven.
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FlyingTurtle
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The answer is found in Matthew 13:24-30
24 Another parable He put forth to them, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a man who sowed good seed in his field; 25 but while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat and went his way. 26 But when the grain had sprouted and produced a crop, then the tares also appeared. 27 So the servants of the owner came and said to him, ‘Sir, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have tares?’ 28 He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ The servants said to him, ‘Do you want us then to go and gather them up?’ 29 But he said, ‘No, lest while you gather up the tares you also uproot the wheat with them. 30 Let both grow together until the harvest, and at the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, “First gather together the tares and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”
Basically, God allows evil because He loves us. God could judge evil in its entirety, yes, but He would harm us as well in doing it too soon. If we have a friend we love but that friend is stuck in some bad habbits, aND God decided to judge that friend while we're trying to help them, we would be hurt by it. We all have people we love and God wants to save as many of them before the end. The ones He wants to save aren't the good people, but the evil people. That's why Christ died. To call sinners to Himself. He allows evil because if He didnt, He wouldn't have an opportunity to reach out to them.
Bad things happen because the world we live in is bad. It's not God's doing. Bad things happen because people do bad things. But Romans 8:28 shows God's promise to look after His children in the middle of hard times and evil things, because He promised that for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose, all things will work out for good. That doesn't mean bad things won't happen. Doesn't mean that we won't experience loss. It doesn't mean we won't lose loved ones to disease. What it means is that, when it does happen, we have God to comfort us and strengthen us. The world doesn't have this promise because the world rejects God's help, but for those who call Him Father, they have His unrelenting support through the hardest difficulties.
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