Question: "Why does God allow evil?"

Answer: The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) God desires to rid the universe of evil. So, if both of these are true, why does God allow evil? If God has the power to prevent evil and desires to prevent evil, why does He still allow evil? Perhaps a practical way to look at this question would be to consider some alternative ways people might have God run the world:

1) God could change everyone’s personality so that they cannot sin. This would also mean that we would not have a free will. We would not be able to choose right or wrong because we would be “programmed” to only do right. Had God chosen to do this, there would be no meaningful relationships between Him and His creation.

Instead, God made Adam and Eve innocent but with the ability to choose good or evil. Because of this, they could respond to His love and trust Him or choose to disobey. They chose to disobey. Because we live in a real world where we can choose our actions but not their consequences, their sin affected those who came after them (us). Similarly, our decisions to sin have an impact on us and those around us and those who will come after us.

2) God could compensate for people’s evil actions through supernatural intervention 100 percent of the time. God would stop a drunk driver from causing an automobile accident. God would stop a lazy construction worker from doing a substandard job on a house that would later cause grief to the homeowners. God would stop a father who is addicted to drugs or alcohol from doing any harm to his wife, children, or extended family. God would stop gunmen from robbing convenience stores. God would stop high school bullies from tormenting the brainy kids. God would stop thieves from shoplifting. And, yes, God would stop terrorists from flying airplanes into buildings.

While this solution sounds attractive, it would lose its attractiveness as soon as God’s intervention infringed on something we wanted to do. We want God to prevent horribly evil actions, but we are willing to let "lesser-evil" actions slide—not realising that those "lesser-evil" actions are what usually lead to the "greater-evil" actions. Should God only stop actual sexual-ity affairs, or should He also block our access to pornographic materials or end any inappropriate, but not yet sexual-ity, relationships? Should God stop "true" thieves, or should He also stop us from cheating on our taxes? Should God only stop murder, or should He also stop the "lesser-evil" actions done to people that lead them to commit murder? Should God only stop acts of terrorism, or should He also stop the indoctrination that transformed a person into a terrorist?

3) Another choice would be for God to judge and remove those who choose to commit evil acts. The problem with this possibility is that there would be no one left, for God would have to remove us all. We all sin and commit evil acts (Romans 3:23; Ecclesiastes 7:20; 1 John 1:8.) While some people are more evil than others, where would God draw the line? Ultimately, all evil causes harm to others.

Instead of these options, God has chosen to create a "real" world in which real choices have real consequences. In this real world of ours, our actions affect others. Because of Adam’s choice to sin, the world now lives under the curse, and we are all born with a sin nature (Romans 5:12). There will one day come a time when God will judge the sin in this world and make all things new, but He is purposely "delaying" in order to allow more time for people to repent so that He will not need to condemn them (2 Peter 3:9). Until then, He IS concerned about evil. When He created the Old Testament laws, the goal was to discourage and punish evil. He judges nations and rulers who disregard justice and pursue evil. Likewise, in the New Testament, God states that it is the government’s responsibility to provide justice in order to protect the innocent from evil (Romans 13). He also promises severe consequences for those who commit evil acts, especially against the "innocent" (Mark 9:36-42).

In summary, we live in a real world where our good and evil actions have direct consequences and indirect consequences upon us and those around us. God’s desire is that for all of our sakes we would obey Him that it might be well with us (Deuteronomy 5:29). Instead, what happens is that we choose our own way, and then we blame God for not doing anything about it. Such is the heart of sinful man. But Jesus came to change men’s hearts through the power of the Holy Spirit, and He does this for those who will turn from evil and call on Him to save them from their sin and its consequences (2 Corinthians 5:17). God does prevent and restrain some acts of evil. This world would be MUCH WORSE were not God restraining evil. At the same time, God has given us the ability to choose good and evil, and when we choose evil, He allows us, and those around us, to suffer the consequences of evil. Rather than blaming God and questioning God on why He does not prevent all evil, we should be about the business of proclaiming the cure for evil and its consequences—Jesus Christ!

Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/God-allow-evil.html#ixzz3DDNZCZ00

The bible also says also god does evil. . .The passage below has god doing evil and apologizing for it. . .

And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.-Jeremiah 42:9-10

From the passage above the bible god is evil that's why he allows evil in the world. . .

If there is God their won't be evil,so it's simple.....there isn't any God.it was created by our abstract's mind...that's y nobody has ever seen it.

"They" chose to disobey by eating of the evil tree "god" planted itself...."all-good" "god" gives the option of evil...what type of parent would i be if i left poison close to my toddlers' food and not take responsibility should he ingest it?

Perhaps God allows evil because he does not mind evil.

diamondpaul:

If there is God their won't be evil,so it's simple.....there isn't any God.it was created by our abstract's mind...that's y nobody has ever seen it.

Is there evil?

Oh yea, there is evil...due to the negativity of mindset's evil is conceived. Evil is not physical thing to start with, but can be a mindset's filled with negativity which produces bad output eg why would war even be in the first place, the prusso-japanese war,the chinese japanese war,the world war 1 nd 2 etc #enough said...guess u v'e gotten the point or here in nigeria the kidnaping's nd killing's .

In other words, where free will exists, evil must exist. Why then is there no evil in Hell?!

diamondpaul: Oh yea, there is evil...due to the negativity of mindset's evil is conceived. Evil is not physical thing to start with, but can be a mindset's filled with negativity which produces bad output eg why would war even be in the first place, the prusso-japanese war,the chinese japanese war,the world war 1 nd 2 etc #enough said...guess u v'e gotten the point or here in nigeria the kidnaping's nd killing's .

But can something be FORCED to wear such garment when IT doesn't exist? Basically, theists are systematically offing each other to see who's got the better IMAGINARY friend. Now, can such actions be termed "evil" or "good?" Nothing is that simple, my friend.

diamondpaul:

Oh yea, there is evil...due to the negativity of mindset's evil is conceived. Evil is not physical thing to start with, but can be a mindset's filled with negativity which produces bad output eg why would war even be in the first place, the prusso-japanese war,the chinese japanese war,the world war 1 nd 2 etc #enough said...guess u v'e gotten the point or here in nigeria the kidnaping's nd killing's .

For you to admit that there is evil then that means there is good. What is the source of evil?

God allows evil because he created it.

I wonder why God would do such a thing...why create evil while there was none ?
God himself created the end from the beginning ALL FOR HIS GLORY.
I really don't like that because God has programmed EXISTENCE already...many were brought into existence for destruction.

Sorry if your name isn't written in the Lamb's book of life since/from the foundation of the world...because you are doomed already. That is the way of our Almighty Father.

mazaje:

The bible also says also god does evil. . .The passage below has god doing evil and apologizing for it. . .

And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.-Jeremiah 42:9-10

From the passage above the bible god is evil that's why he allows evil in the world. . .

In the passage you quoted above, God simply gave the conditions for blessings. We have the freedom to choose to be blessed and the consequences of a wrong choice is curses. The absence of good is evil, in the absence of Goodness in your life is evil, the absence of God is the devil, the absence of righteousness in your life is unrighteousness. The ball is therefore in your court.

diamondpaul:

If there is God their won't be evil,so it's simple.....there isn't any God.it was created by our abstract's mind...that's y nobody has ever seen it.

You are wrong. The mere fact that there is evil proves that there is good. God is the source of goodness while the devil is the source of evil. If you say there is no evil you are saying there is no good, which is not true.

Kay17:

In other words, where free will exists, evil must exist. Why then is there no evil in Hell?!

Rather, where free will exists, responsibilities exist and as a result there are consequences.

TheIndustrialist:

God allows evil because he created it.

I wonder why God would do such a thing...why create evil while there was none ?
God himself created the end from the beginning ALL FOR HIS GLORY.
I really don't like that because God has programmed EXISTENCE already...many were brought into existence for destruction.

Sorry if your name isn't written in the Lamb's book of life since/from the foundation of the world...because you are doomed already. That is the way of our Almighty Father.

God is good, holy and perfect. Evil came into the devil's heart when he chose evil over good and stopped glorifying the Almighty God who created him. The devil's rebellion was his own choice when he decided to turn against God as the so called atheists are doing on this forum. Because our first parents, Adam and Eve listened to the devil instead of the Creator God, evil was brought into God's good and perfect creation.

The amazing thing is that God uses our sin to show us how good and loving He is to us. He stepped out of eternity into history to become a man, to die on the Cross, rose from the dead and to save us from the punishment for sin. He forgave our sin and paved the way for us to get to heaven. If we believe in Him and trust Him as our Lord and personal Saviour, we will go to heaven because Jesus paid the fine for our sins.

OLAADEGBU:
You are wrong. The mere fact that there is evil proves that there is good. God is the source of goodness while the devil is the source of evil.

Who is the source of the devil?

OLAADEGBU:
God is good, holy and perfect. Evil came into the devil's heart when he chose evil over good and stopped glorifying the Almighty God who created him.

If god is good, holy and perfect, is it right to say evil created itself?

OLAADEGBU:
Because our first parents, Adam and Eve listened to the devil instead of the Creator God, evil was brought into God's good and perfect creation.

Adam and Eve were not our first parents because of Gen 1:26-29, which says

26 Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals,[a] and over all the creatures that move along the ground.”

27 So God created mankind in his own image,
in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

28 God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”

29 Then God said, “I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds in the sky and all the creatures that move along the ground—everything that has the breath of life in it—I give every green plant for food.” And it was so.

What happened to the people?

Reincarnation is the perfect explanation of/for evil.

Reincarnation is the perfect explanation of/for evil. God is just and will do no wrong, HE recompenses justly.

Job 8:8-9
8 For enquire, I pray thee, of the former age, and prepare thyself to the search of their fathers:
9 (For we are but of yesterday, and know nothing, because our days upon earth are a shadow:

OLAADEGBU:

God is good, holy and perfect. Evil came into the devil's heart when he chose evil over good and stopped glorifying the Almighty God who created him. The devil's rebellion was his own choice when he decided to turn against God as the so called atheists are doing on this forum. Because our first parents, Adam and Eve listened to the devil instead of the Creator God, evil was brought into God's good and perfect creation.

The amazing thing is that God uses our sin to show us how good and loving He is to us. He stepped out of eternity into history to become a man, to die on the Cross, rose from the dead and to save us from the punishment for sin. He forgave our sin and paved the way for us to get to heaven. If we believe in Him and trust Him as our Lord and personal Saviour, we will go to heaven because Jesus paid the fine for our sins.

Stories that never seem to make any sense.
God wanted all what is in EXISTENCE existing today all to his GLORY.
If you should counter that, why would
GOD after creating everything he saw as good then planted a tree that would cause one to be wisely evil ?

Please read my previous comment again...
God allows evil because he
created it.
I wonder why God would do such
a thing...why create evil while
there was none ?
God himself created the end from
the beginning ALL FOR HIS
GLORY.
I really don't like that because
God has programmed
EXISTENCE already...many were
brought into existence for
destruction.
Sorry if your name isn't written in
the Lamb's book of life since/
from the foundation of the
world...because you are doomed
already. That is the way of our
Almighty Father.
Thanks

TheIndustrialist: God allows evil because he created it.

I wonder why God would do such a thing...why create evil while there was none ?
God himself created the end from the beginning ALL FOR HIS GLORY.
I really don't like that because God has programmed EXISTENCE already...many were brought into existence for destruction.

Sorry if your name isn't written in the Lamb's book of life since/from the foundation of the world...because you are doomed already. That is the way of our Almighty Father.

God cannot create evil, because everything he does is good.

It's impossible for him to do evil.

Evil came as a result of sin.

Good and evil is not chair and table that someone can create. It's an abstract term that can only exist with the existence of the other. Meaning, without good, there can't be evil and vice versa.

Your question should be, 'why did God create sin'?

God did not create sin, he created freewill instead. God simply allowed the condition to exist where sin was possible.

*Why did God create freewill*

According to C.S Lewis, Freewill is the the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating.

The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water.

Basically, God made an investment in freewill and the risk of that business is sin.

BananaBender:
God cannot create evil, because everything he does is good.

It's impossible for him to do evil.

Evil came as a result of sin.

Good and evil is not chair and table that someone can create. It's an abstract term that can only exist with the existence of the other. Meaning, without good, there can't be evil and vice versa.

Your question should be, 'why did God create sin'?

God did not create sin, he created freewill instead. God simply allowed the condition to exist where sin was possible.

*Why did God create freewill*

According to C.S Lewis, Freewill is the the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating.

The happiness which God designs for His higher creatures is the happiness of being freely, voluntarily united to Him and to each other in an ecstasy of love and delight compared with which the most rapturous love between a man and a woman on this earth is mere milk and water.

Basically, God made an investment in freewill and the risk of that business is sin.

Isaiah 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace,

and create evil

: I the LORD do all these things.


You have to read my previous comments again.
Yahweh, made all these THINGS so to/for his own glory.
He programmed EXISTENCE. Everything you see is God's program.

TheIndustrialist:

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


You have to read my previous comments again.
Yahweh, made all these THINGS so to/for his own glory.
He programmed EXISTENCE. Everything you see is God's program.

KAI! It is so hard to defend the Christian God, I tire.

"You are wrong".....that phrase mean's I am not right..right? What even allow u to think that am wrong ? Guess is because of ur perspective's of the good and the bad..to consider something as wrong or bad depend on ur sorrounding,environment..what u felt toward's it...devil? Do u even think there is anything call devil..simply because of bad thing's happening which we should consider as unfortunate circumstance shouldn't be linked with the work of the devil...as a result of our inneptitude thing's we didn't expect may happen sometime's..am so sorry I should have been here earlier today for me to break down different analy's,y we re being chained and padored under the slavocratice mentality of religion which has backwarded our progress, in africa nd asia nd religiou's chained nation's any nation's who even give less attention to religion are our nowaday's modernised nation's look around u.....russia,usa,germany...tho some ppeo may still tryna pull some string of religion fanatism nature...but majority give's less attention to it.is simple the mere fact that we say evil is as a result of devil and good is as a result of God..is simply our mindset's sorrounding. What God stand for and what devil stand for...this two are olden day's phylosophy about good and bad in which ppeo give's regard's to good thing's in acclimatise with God and bad thing in acclimitise with devil.....eg y don't u not read and fail and say...is because of devil handwork or y didn't u just not try something out and expect God to come do it for u, see am not being biased I was fortunate to experience a christian background,I saw the good thing about being a part of the western peaceful culture,which can be linked to the 30 year's old war in europe..this religion are put in place to connote peace,nd to allow someone stand as the devination from God which is the pope.but not too blind to see this is neo colonialism. Which mean's in disguise is they are colonising us in a modern era...I wouldn't have to talk much on this..cause my finger's ache.but if we happened to sit face to face ..then we re gonna argue the fact's about being good,bad how it has being linked with God and devil etc.enough said.

Hello, I read what u wrote.am admiting there is evil in my already answered question's is simply because there is the possiblity of the mindset's to imagine a lot of thing's so look around u,if not because of imagination's do u think there would be anything created,in the course of creativity there is possible for the anger distrust,nd greed to fall in.so think about it for u to attain an height naturally any obstruction would be taken away by u..is simply the begining of evil when the interest of one clash with another's...pl's I need to rest my finger's...would need to see and say much tho.

BananaBender:
*Why did God create freewill*

According to C.S Lewis, Freewill is the the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having. A world of automata -of creatures that worked like machines- would hardly be worth creating.

first of all, let me asnwer the C.S Lewis' question. Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?

Answer: Lying lunatic who is called "lord". That's if the clown even existed in the first place.

As for yahwey, freewill and automata; wasn't it yahwey's initial plan for the adam and eve to be simpletons?
the story book says,

Gen2:25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame
Gen 3:6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Wasn't it yahweh's plan for the two n#ked halfwits to frolic in the garden before the talking snake convinced them otherwise? Basically, yahweh wanted some zoo animals. His perfect plan was automata or, at the most, freewill and perpetual ignorance.

[RayMcBlue]
am not an atheist firstly, I just thought is not necessary am under the canopy of any religion's...I just wana be free I don't wana be enchanted to be led under any life prescribed by the meaning of good and bad differences thank's.

OLAADEGBU:

In the passage you quoted above, God simply gave the conditions for blessings. We have the freedom to choose to be blessed and the consequences of a wrong choice is curses. The absence of good is evil, in the absence of Goodness in your life is evil, the absence of God is the devil, the absence of righteousness in your life is unrighteousness. The ball is therefore in your court.

What has the nonsense you wrote god to do with the passage that says god committed evil and apologized for it?. . .

Martian:

first of all, let me asnwer the C.S Lewis' question. Jesus: Liar, Lunatic, or Lord?

Answer: Lying lunatic who is called "lord". That's if the clown even existed in the first place.

As for yahwey, freewill and automata; wasn't it yahwey's initial plan for the adam and eve to be simpletons?
the story book says,

Gen2:25 Adam and his wife were both naked, and they felt no shame
Gen 3:6. When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

Wasn't it yahweh's plan for the two n#ked halfwits to frolic in the garden before the talking snake convinced them otherwise? Basically, yahweh wanted some zoo animals. His perfect plan was automata or, at the most, freewill and perpetual ignorance.

How does the ability to choose(freewill) depict wisdom?? If eating the fruit gained them *wisdom*, wouldn't humans be making the right decision by avoiding sin??

You have made no sense, my brother.

BananaBender:

How does the ability to choose(freewill) depict wisdom?? If eating the fruit gained them *wisdom*, wouldn't humans be making the right decision by avoiding sin??
You have made no sense, my brother

I didn't say that the ability to choose depicts wisdom and I don't understand the second question.

Your post makes no sense, but it's corollary when what you're trying to defend makes no sense.

And just so we are clear, the story we are talking about is as real to me as Zeus' shenanigans on mount olympus.

Martian:

I didn't say that the ability to choose depicts wisdom and I don't understand the second question.

You were trying to debunk my initial post my posing that God did not create/intend freewill. The bible verses you posted as an evidence for your claim does not prove that.

That's why your post made no sense.