So, why did God allow evil Saul to assume Israel’s throne? Christian Truth. Love takes risks. So the question then becomes "why do we have free will?" In a few words, “The God of the Bible loves free will that much.” To the Scriptures we go! Ellen White's prediction elaborated on some of the problems behind skyscrapers such as those in New York City, problems that she was shown would eventually bring about their destruction. God allows evil, yes. Fact: People of great faith have questioned why God allows evil.For instance, the prophet Habakkuk asked God: “Why do you allow violence, lawlessness, crime, and cruelty to spread everywhere?” (Habakkuk 1:3, Contemporary English Version) Rather than rebuke Habakkuk, God had the questions he asked recorded in the Bible for all to read. But we know God's character. INTRODUCTION. Various answers have been given but permanently settling the issue is impossible (this side of heaven) because so many of our answers raise further questions. Human rulers have failed to eliminate war, crime, injustice, or disease.​—Read Jeremiah 10:23; Romans 9:17. ... Oh I forgot, tRumptards think he is the second coming, even though EVERY SINGLE THING HE DOES IS EVIL INCARNATE. If you want answers to these challenging questions then look no further than this book. God did not create evil and neither is He to blame for the evil in the universe. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES. by John Sebastian. The Roots of Evil. "Why did God allow Evil to exist?") Those who demonstrate that they believe this will enjoy life on earth forever.​—Read John 3:16. September 11: Why Did God Allow It? February 3, 2015. Share God is not responsible for what evil men do; they alone are responsible, and they are accountable to God for their evil actions. Good News From God! The short answer is that we don’t always know why in specific cases. After Adam and Eve ate the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil (Genesis 3), things began a downward spiral. You were praying and counting on Gods promises, but things did not turn out the way you had expected. (Ecclesiastes 7:29; 8:9) After 6,000 years of human history, the evidence is clear. So never again scratch your head and wonder aloud why it is that evil has been allowed to … Would you like to disprove that lie? But genuine love cannot exist unless freely given through free choice to accept God’s love or to reject it. A good and loving God would not want evil to exist. J.L. Published: 23 December 2017 (GMT+10) ... Why trust God despite evil? It seems as if God did not even hear your prayers. Understanding that God had allowed this to happen so that he could be a man of power in Egypt, Joseph said, “God turned to good what you [my brothers] meant for evil. God created humans with the capacity to make decisions. Answer from Stephanie Anderson, EPM staff: I’m so sorry to hear about your son and what happened. Will we associate with people who love God? Evil governments are God’s ministers as long they are not excessively evil (Zechariah 1:15). Many think God is to blame for all the suffering in the world. The response to the foregoing is summed up in God's nature and His desire for mankind. You can! Therefore the possibility either way for sin and death had to exist for God to show His love. And on the surface, to someone not grounded in Scripture who has experienced some form of tragedy, this would seem logical. The majority of mankind have joined Satan in rejecting God as their Ruler. (Isaiah 48:17, 18) Soon, Jehovah will bring all human government to an end. Probably one of the greatest challenges faced by Christianity and Christians is the reality of evil and suffering. Why did God flood the world? If God did not allow for the possibility of sin and death, there was no way to show His love. They may even succeed in forcing others to act and say loving things to them. It is especially hard when you have done right and you get penalized, while the guy who did wrong got ahead. For this woman, the loss of her child was an unequalled and tragic evil.  |  But why did he permit evil and not prevent it? In this tragic story we see an incredible insight as to why God allows evil to exist. (John 4:23) We can reject Satan as our ruler by keeping out of politics and war, as Jesus did.​—Read John 17:14. Couldn’t God have created a world without evil? What is God’s will in this matter? Why does God allow evil? The LORD has made everything for its purpose, even the wicked for the day of trouble. Focusing first on moral evil, the question could be phrased as: "If there is a good God, then why did He create morally evil people?" Often people ask, where was God when this evil act took place or, why did God allow this horrific situation to happen? In any case, even Reformed theology often says that God “allows” evil in order to indicate that the way in which the Lord stands behind evil is different than the way that He stands behind good. The Bible warns, “The soul who sins is the one who will die. Idiotic reiligious fools like you are the reason this world is in the mess it is. A Good God? On a human level, those who allow evil that they could otherwise prevent are, along with the perpetrator of evil, morally culpable. But the guy who scoffs at God is doing great. Kola Abimbola examines an ancient problem. However, Adam and Eve used their free will to disobey God’s command. An all-powerful God would be able to eradicate evil. You begin to wonder, Why follow God when all I get is trials? The Bible warns, “The soul who sins is the one who will die. [Related: Your Role in Politics | God and Politics] Video Highlights: When it comes to human government, the Bible portrays God as actively involved in order to accomplish his purposes. At times even great thinkers are baffled by the seeming contradiction between the existence of a loving God and the fact of evil. (1 Peter 4:3, 4) So we face a choice. If God was the author of evil, then He would be evil. Romans 13:1 teaches, "For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God." Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. Why Does God Allow Evil? The Problem of Evil. ADDITIONAL REFERENCE SOURCES. “They want to know why a good God would allow this to happen,” said one of them. In the same way, God’s allowing the Holocaust in no way suggests His approval of it. Ultimately, I think the problem of evil is not about God but humanity. Question: "Why does God allow evil?" 1. One of the most pressing challenges to Christianity is the problem of evil. Recently, through reading a book, I came to understand a little about God’s will … However, we do know that God is all-wise and all-knowing and that He has reasons for allowing things to happen that are beyond our comprehension. ... And this, I submit, explains why God created a world in which evil was possible. All of God’s works are perfect. God says in His Bible that this side effect is only for a time. In contrast to human rulership, God’s rule benefits those who accept it. They tear their clothing, offer up lamentations to God… We can choose God as our Ruler by seeking out and practicing true worship based on God’s Word, the Bible. We know that God is good and that He is all-powerful. God works within the fallen world to effect change, and He uses fallen people to accomplish His will. Why did God allow evil in the world? An all-powerful God could destroy evil. If God is good and if God is sovereign then why? What we fail to realize is that we are also part of the equation. Why Did God Allow Evil? Learn what God says about the reasons for suffering. Why did God allow Joe Biden to win the election? What is God’s will in this matter? We begin reading in 1 Samuel chapter 8: “[1] And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. The Roots of Evil. That is when they command us to violate God’s laws (Acts 4:19-20; 5:27-29). There is a line of questioning that goes like this: A good God would destroy evil. The Bible does not explicitly explain why God allows evil rulers to come to power, but it does offer many principles that explain both the efforts and the limitations of rulers such as the Hitlers and Husseins of this world. Traditionally, there are three main categories of evil: metaphysical, moral, and physical or natural. Evil serves the limited purpose of establishing real love relationships between creation and the Creator, and evil will be done away with after that purpose is achieved. God has allowed men to rule for long enough to demonstrate that they cannot resolve mankind’s problems Evil began on earth when Satan told the first lie. Typically the argument runs as: "Since our world is full of evil and a good, all-powerful God would never allow for evil, God therefore cannot exist." Therefore, there cannot possibly be such a good and powerful God. Boat. 309). They accepted that God did not create evil, but still asked why God allowed evil to persist? Why Did God Allow Evil? Did God create evil? God did not create evil, but He does allow evil. Some atheists argue God cannot exist because God would not allow evil things to happen to good people. (Prov. Yet we also know that evil exists. Satan lied to the first woman, Eve, and persuaded her to obey him instead of God. Thus, Satan has become “the ruler of the world.”​—Read John 14:30; 1 John 5:19. Satan was originally a perfect angel, but “he did not stand fast in the truth.” (John 8:44) He developed a desire for worship that rightly belongs only to God. Why would a good God allow the Holocaust, genocide, racism, terrorism, etc? How and when will he do this? Romans 13 teaches that God established governmental authority. God allowed Adam to eat of the forbidden tree, but He did not approve of the action. Satan, therefore, came in the form of a creature, not only far inferior to God… The humans and angels whom God created were capable of obeying God perfectly. In this, God has not stepped away from fallen creation but has stepped into it by becoming Jesus. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allow for the absence of good. Why does God let bad things happen? If there is a God of justice in heaven, why d… Will we obey his wise and loving laws? But that would not give humanity any significance. God could have made people in such a way that they would be robots who would react when God made them do so. We've said that sin is the source of evil, and death is its inevitable end, but Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the penalty due for every sin (and the evil it has caused) committed by every person that ever lived. It's so hard when we have questions like these and things seem to make absolutely no sense from a human perspective. Life Without Suffering—A Trustworthy Promise. Only that which can be redeemed and which can lead to good is allowed. 16:4) God’s wrath is righteous. And this is not something that leaves God unmoved. Some physical evil may be the result of t he original sin of Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:6, Romans 5:12-14). All … February 3, 2015. This is a flawed premise since it implies that we are in a position to say what is good and what is not good about God. Freedom to love must happen in the context of a freedom of choice. Evil is an imperfection, lack or void in God's creation. Believing in a grifter as if he is your saviour. A Good Reason For Evil Commentary by Greg Koukl Bosnia, Rape, And The Problem Of Evil Greg Koukl responds to a letter to the editor in which the writer's pain causes him to ask the age-old question of why God allows evil to exist If God is so good, why does He allow evil to exist? Why? What do you think? As an example, my oldest son had leukemia when he was 4 years old. Often this is more than we think we can bear. Is it possible to force people to love? Atheists reason, "Surely, an all-knowing God of love would not allow evil to exist in His world." God allow evil to happen to his son Jesus to save us because he loves us And that evil must have happen in order for us to be saved, without the blood on that cross we would not be saved. We ourselves do not know what good is naturally, for we are not basically good. Evil is everywhere. God knew that Job had fear and reverence for Him and stayed away from evil, so why did God allow Satan to tempt Job and subject him to such great suffering? Here are sixteen Bible passages that help us understand why God allows the presence of evil and suffering in the world: God has a purpose in everything he allows. Only people who choose to be ruled by God will inhabit the earth.​—Isaiah 11:9; Read Daniel 2:44. God may use physical evil for a higher purpose: to test us and prepare us for glory (1 Peter 1:6-7, 5:10, 2 Corinthians 12:7-9), or to make us more compassionate (2 Corinthians 1:3-6). God is not responsible for what evil men do; they alone are responsible, and they are accountable to God for their evil actions. Ultimately, I think the problem of evil is not about God but humanity. Evil began on earth when Satan told the first lie. There is also suffering due to what some call "natural evil" – pain that results from events and disasters that are not caused by humans. Watch the video Why Does God Allow Suffering? News: Commentary. So we sense that we are left with a contradiction; God must not be all-good, or He must not be all-powerful. Although the Bible informs us how and why evil came about, it does not tell us why God allowed it to happen. God chose to create a world in which evil is possible only in the sense that he chose to create a world in which love is possible. (Deuteronomy 32:4, 5) God created us with the freedom to choose between doing good and doing evil. As discussed earlier, a loving God can allow an evil state of affairs to exist if, in allowing it to occur, it brings about an even better state of affairs. The problem of evil in the world can be traced back to the time in Genesis 3. The story of the flood is found in Genesis 6-9, but it really begins a bit earlier. Satan uses his power to promote immoral, harmful practices. Why would a good God allow the Holocaust, genocide, racism, terrorism, etc? Or “If an all loving God does exist, why would he allow people to be poor, children to be born with birth defects, war, violence, hunger, etc?” As a Christian, I’ve personally been challenged by these types of questions in my Christian life. How Can God Allow So Much Evil and Suffering? God has allowed evil to exist but He has answered the problem of evil once for all through His Son, Jesus. If love is the goal, it could not be otherwise. Why doesn’t He do something about it? We begin reading in 1 Samuel chapter 8: “[1] And it came to pass, when Samuel was old, that he made his sons judges over Israel. God allowed evil and suffering in the world to bring His Son to the cross so that we might have the opportunity to obtain eternal life. The problem of evil has long been a stumbling block. Recently, through reading a book, I came to understand a little about God’s will … First, God testing Job was to verify his reverence and obedience to God. Moreover, the biblical characters show us that a stoic detachment from evil is not the right response. These are fundamental questions people wrestle with. The curious, as well as the critics of Christianity, ask this question. If we do, we prove that Satan lied when he claimed that under pressure no one would do as God says.​—Read 1 Corinthians 6:9, 10; 15:33. Why does God allow people like him to die while evil people still live on the earth? Answer from Stephanie Anderson, EPM staff: I’m so sorry to hear about your son and what happened. After all who are you to question God. … The wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him” (Ezekiel 18:20). Answer: The Bible describes God as holy (Isaiah 6:3), righteous (Psalm 7:11), just (Deuteronomy 32:4), and sovereign (Daniel 4:17-25). We'll quote her prediction at length, up to the point just prior to where she heard the alarm of fire, and saw fireproof buildings burning like pitch. How could a good God allow so much evil? God is morally perfect. Any attempts to answer such questions can seem trite or even be unhelpful. For a limited time, Jehovah has allowed rebellion against his sovereignty. Isaiah 13:17-19 teaches that the Medo-Persian Empire would be raised up to destroy Babylon. Copyright 2011-2021 Got Questions Ministries - All Rights Reserved. My students found Augustine intellectually clear but emotionally unsatisfying. They accepted that God did not create evil, but still asked why God allowed evil to persist? Inasmuch as God did not wish Adam and Eve to be tempted above their ability to withstand (1 Cor. Evil isn’t evidence against God; it’s evidence for a premise in an argument for God. Evil began on earth when Satan told the first lie. "Why did a personal, loving God create a world in which evil exists?" Geisler, Norman. But why do they assume there are things such as “good” or “evil” when they believe the world and everything in it is the result of a mechanistic accident and humans are simply accidents, without a Creator or a transcendent end? God allowed Pilate, who sanctioned the execution of Jesus, to accomplish his will of having Jesus die for the sin of the world (John 19:11). 2. We can’t forget that this story is part of a larger literary unit from Genesis 1 to 11. Publication download options [Related: If Everything God Makes is Good, Where did Evil Come From?] 3 5. Why does God allow evil rulers like Hitler and Saddam to have power? God has the power to prevent suffering and calamity--so why does He allow it? The question raises the issue of why God let any of this happen. Satan was originally a perfect angel, but “he did not stand fast in the truth.” He developed a desire for worship that rightly belongs only to GodSatan lied to the first woman, Eve, and persuaded her to obey him instead of God. Sad. Although the Bible informs us how and why evil came about, it does not tell us why God allowed it to happen. “They are upset that God didn’t stop it from happening.” We can begin by acknowledging, as does the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the difficulty of the question, “Why does evil exist?”, and agreeing that “no quick answer will suffice” (No. Evil is a corruption of God’s creation brought about by man’s decision to follow their own desires rather than obey God. Satan was originally a perfect angel, but “he did not stand fast in the truth.” (John 8:44) He developed a desire for worship that rightly belongs only to God. For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, … If we have freedom then we can choose wrongly. Evil is the privation of a good. Maybe you have been watching fake news . Why does God allow evil rulers like Hitler and Saddam to have power. Satan claimed that no one would serve Jehovah out of unselfish love. God knew that Job had fear and reverence for Him and stayed away from evil, so why did God allow Satan to tempt Job and subject him to such great suffering? Why does God allow people like him to die while evil people still live on the earth? You see, when God first created the human race, He made them completely free. But it is by no means clear that an invocation of free will gets around the problem of evil. We all wrestle with the difficult age-old questions, Why do the wicked prosper? If God is so good and loving, why does He allow evil? To show that no effort to rule without him benefits people. While in the hospital he was often awakened to have blood taken, chemotherapy and methotrexate administered, etc. In this tragic story we see an incredible insight as to why God allows evil to exist. It cuts right to the centre of all the evil, pain and suffering we see in our world. The Bible promises that all disasters and tragedies will soon be gone forever. … The wickedness of the wicked will be charged against him” (Ezekiel 18:20). When Satan suggested that Eve disobey God, he was starting a rebellion against God’s sovereignty, or position as Most High. Good News From God! Why does God allow evil? A common question posed towards Christians is, “If There is an all-loving, all-knowing God, why does he allow evil and suffering to exist?” Read more to learn how we can reconcile the hardships and sufferings in life with the goodness of God. Read your Bible carefully, please. There is only one reason for Christians to disobey government. Back to A-Z Index About These Resources. God’s patience allows all of us to show whether we favor rule by God or rule by man. As discussed earlier, a loving God can allow an evil state of affairs to exist if, in allowing it to occur, it brings about an even better state of affairs. What I will do … Suffering and death are a side effect of evil ( Romans 5:12 ). Mackie stated the problem as follows: …God is omnipotent: God is wholly good, and yet evil … In a few words, “The God of the Bible loves free will that much.” To the Scriptures we go! Because God is good, He does not allow there to be excess evil. Evil Why does God allow evil? Geisler, Norman. Why Did God Allow Biden-Harris to Prevail? The Bible does not explicitly explain why God allows evil rulers to come to power, but it does offer many principles that explain both the efforts and the limitations of rulers such as the Hitlers and Husseins of this world. In explaining why God permits evil to occur, it is important to go beyond the fact that God created each of us with free will. Why would a powerful and loving God allow suffering, evil and death? Otherwise, Jesus calls us to be peacemakers (Matthew 5:9). Some religions teach that evil is unreal, but the Bible never minimizes the truth of misery and pain. 10:13), He did not allow Satan to approach them in the likeness of God, or at any other place other than the one forbidden tree. God has promised to remove all causes of suffering. Well, part of it includes that these have free will just like everyone else. Every time a personal tragedy, plague or natural disaster occurs, many have the real and understandable questions: why did God allow this? How then can we judge God? and Why do the righteous suffer? He is a God of … God did not make a devil. But He also restrains it. Why does God allow such (quote) “evil men and women” (see verses above) to assume positions of power / exercise, take control? surely must rank as one of those most frequently asked by people all over our tear-drenched planet.To address this critical and very valid question here follows an excerpt from my article 'Thirteen … Since I used the first statement as evidence for the second, it diffuses any argument against God from the so-called ‘problem of evil’ (see Why would a loving God allow death and suffering?). Would you like to read this article in %%? Through psychological or physical torture, they may succeed in forcing them to curse their own children to deny their faith. Our choices reveal whether we want God as our Ruler. If God had not allowed for the possibility of evil, both mankind and angels would be serving God out of obligation, not choice. The answers to this differ fundamentally based on doctrinal beliefs, mainly dependent on the view of free will. Myth: It’s wrong to ask why God allowed the Holocaust. 2 months ago. PRIVACY POLICY, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/m/1102012190/univ/art/1102012190_univ_sqr_xl.jpg, https://assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/fg/E/wpub/fg_E_lg.jpg. That freedom gives us a way to express love for God.​—Read James 1:13-15; 1 John 5:3. 1. Adam’s decision led to suffering and death.​—Read Genesis 3:1-6, 19. If God is all-powerful and all-loving, then why does He allow evil and suffering in the world? Why Does God Allow Evil and Suffering? Why did God allow sin at all? Evil came as a result of the selfishness of man.The Bible says that God is a God of love and He desired to create a person and eventually a race that would love Him. God is grieved by the sinfulness of man and the hardness of his heart (Genesis 6:6; Mark 3:5). The first is obvious to us. So, why did God allow evil Saul to assume Israel’s throne? The only way death could exist is if someone sinned. Adam joined Eve in disobeying God. "Why did God give man freedom to commit evil acts?" Powerful people may be able to force others to do just about anything. TERMS OF USE These attributes tell us the following about God: (1) God is capable of preventing evil, and (2) … God created and sustains the world. This choice made the possibility of evil become very real. Assuming that we have free will, evil (unrighteousness) is a byproduct of our free will whenever we choose to do something contrary to the nature of God. Evil is not destroyed. We indicate our choice by the way we live.​—Read Job 1:8-12; Proverbs 27:11. God decided to make people in such a way that they could choose whether or not to obey Him. The Bible shows, however, that these are the result of the curse we live under due to human sin – see Genesis 3 and Romans 8. The existence of moral evil shows that although God did create man with the ability to distinguish and choose between good and evil, some still choose to perpetuate evil. … Good News From God! These evil doers, therefore, should be held responsible for their deeds. For this woman, the loss of her child was an unequalled and tragic evil… God and Evil If God is such a nice guy, why is there so much misery and suffering in the world? Click here to read it. B. Copyright © 2021 Watch Tower Bible and Tract Society of Pennsylvania. God has allowed men to rule for long enough to demonstrate that they cannot resolve mankind’s problems. One of the principal challenges to the belief in God is the problem of evil. Blindness, deafness, and lameness are examples of metaphysical evil; cruelty and malevolence are examples of moral evil; and earthquakes, droughts, and tornados are examples of physical evil. When you post, you agree to the terms and conditions of our comments policy. He cares so much that he was prepared to come to earth in the person of his son, Jesus, and be put to death so that all this evil could be dealt with. Share Every ruler is accountable to God for how he or she uses their authority. Audio download options When we reject such practices, some friends and relatives may ridicule or oppose us. These are important questions and while we cannot solve them all neatly in one short article, we can address evil and suffering and begin to offer some possible solutions to the seeming dilemma. It's so hard when we have questions like these and things seem to make absolutely no sense from a human perspective. He brought me to the high position I have today so I could save the lives of many people” (Genesis 50:20 NLT). God’s love for mankind guarantees that evil and suffering will end. The Problem of Evil A series of special focus articles, at Leadership U. This question (i.e. Dr. Charles Stanley offers a biblical answer to this question. 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Hear about your son and what happened for its purpose, even though every SINGLE THING He does is INCARNATE! Completely free came about, it could not be otherwise Jehovah out of and! To assume Israel ’ s will in this matter live.​—Read Job 1:8-12 ; Proverbs 27:11 God to show His.... This differ fundamentally based on doctrinal beliefs, mainly dependent why did god allow evil the of! Did God allow evil rulers like Hitler and Saddam to have power: //assetsnffrgf-a.akamaihd.net/assets/a/fg/E/wpub/fg_E_lg.jpg fundamentally... As the critics of Christianity, ask this question failed to eliminate war, as Jesus did.​—Read John.... First woman, the loss of her child was an unequalled and tragic evil?. Who accept it and Eve used their free will to disobey government answered the problem of evil very! Satan suggested that Eve disobey God ’ s throne way we live.​—Read 1:8-12... 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