Why does God allow Evil?

[Artfuldodger]

I truly believe that God did not create Evil and despises Evil.
Now i'm trying to figure out why he allows evil.
This verse makes me think God doesn't like evil and that the Devil has something to do with it.
1 John 3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might – destroy the works of the devil.
God created everything in perfect harmony. There was no sin, no sickness, no depression and no poverty that was a result of His creation. Man was perfect and presumably, he would have lived forever in this condition had not sin come into the world through Adam’s treason.
Satan enters the garden:
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle, [cunning (in a bad sense):--crafty], than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The following article says God couldn't do anything about it because of covenants & agreements.
http://www.tgm.org/DoesGodAllowEvil.html

I Believe the devil influences our evil side and God influences our good side. Just like in the cartoons with the devil & angel on each shoulder. I believe the choice to listen to God or the devil is ours. I believe the Holy Ghost helps Christians to overcome the devil. something we have over non-Christians. Sometimes though the devil wins and we do wrong. Sometimes we do wrong without the devils help.
Excerpt from the above link;
The Father has already done all that He needs to do.
Jesus has already done all that He needs to do.
And the Holy Spirit is here now, doing all that He needs to do.
So now it comes down to us!

 

[Artfuldodger]

I Believe in the following article from The Church of Christ.

James 1:12-18 explains that sin comes from people making the wrong choice. Sin comes from man and not from God. We all have desires that are necessary for us to live. Satan uses these natural tendencies to put us in situations where the satisfaction of our desire would cause us to break a command of God. It is a trap, but it is a snare that we willingly walk into because we want what is offered.
http://lavistachurchofchrist.org/LVarticles/WhyDoesGodAllowEvil.htm

 

[Rich Kaminski]

If you believe that God always walks with you, then you will make the correct moral choices. Man might not agree, but come judgement day, you should be ok.

 

[bullethead]

I truly believe that God did not create Evil and despises Evil.
Now i'm trying to figure out why he allows evil.
This verse makes me think God doesn't like evil and that the Devil has something to do with it.
1 John 3:8 He that commits sin is of the devil; for the devil sinned from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might – destroy the works of the devil.
God created everything in perfect harmony. There was no sin, no sickness, no depression and no poverty that was a result of His creation. Man was perfect and presumably, he would have lived forever in this condition had not sin come into the world through Adam’s treason.
Satan enters the garden:
Gen 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtle, [cunning (in a bad sense):--crafty], than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, has God said, You shall not eat of every tree of the garden?
The following article says God couldn't do anything about it because of covenants & agreements.
http://www.tgm.org/DoesGodAllowEvil.html

I Believe the devil influences our evil side and God influences our good side. Just like in the cartoons with the devil & angel on each shoulder. I believe the choice to listen to God or the devil is ours. I believe the Holy Ghost helps Christians to overcome the devil. something we have over non-Christians. Sometimes though the devil wins and we do wrong. Sometimes we do wrong without the devils help.
Excerpt from the above link;
The Father has already done all that He needs to do.
Jesus has already done all that He needs to do.
And the Holy Spirit is here now, doing all that He needs to do.
So now it comes down to us!

Maybe you could post this a few forums down. I am sure you would get some in depth replies. Seems like a great topic.

 

[StriperAddict]

Adam went on his own to eat the forbidden, getting his needs met of his own way, his own choice. Missing the mark is all about loosing one's dependence on the Giver of life. So begins evil. So begins the story

Story.

Everything in the culmination of life leads to a story.

Good guys vs bad guys, like right on the big screen. It gets us rooting for the underdog when he/they are struck down... that part of us that wants revenge/vindication wells up within us and we start rooting for him, hoping the writers of the tale on screen don't disappoint us. We long for his victory, his honor returned, the bad guys hung from the gallows. (Where have you gone John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Chuck Connors, etc. ???)

We have One who roots for us from above, who took on the blows and ravages of all of that darkens in the bigger story of our life. He bids us come. Not that all evil will vaporize around us, but thru it all we will see Him work the great fabric of His love while the story goes on. He fights for us, in us, thru us. In Him was life and the Light of men. Men of story.

And so some join in His "fight", taking up the cross in the battle against the forces of darkness, knowing that the true Victor wins against all evil in the end. Sneak a peek at the end of this story if you will. The outcome is breathtaking!

 

[gemcgrew]

Nothing happens that God did not purpose in eternity. He does not have "oops" and "uh-oh" moments in his divine purpose and design.

 

[bullethead]

King James Version (KJV)

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

 

[1gr8bldr]

The biblical principle is that we, yes we, mankind, what Adam means, were kicked out of our original purpose. We were created eternal, to live in a world where everything was provided for, protected from all sorts of evil, such as disease, famine, terroist,etc. Jesus, having been raised from the dead, is no longer under the curse "you will surely die". Speaking as the "second Adam" he says something like "glorigy me with the glory I had with you before the world began". This glory he is speaking of is the glory that Adam lost. We are in a fallen world, biblically speaking, we are supposed to be protected. "I know the plans I have for you,...." yet we see the plagues of the egyptians Deut 28:58-60.So why, don't know. Watching closely this thread to figure out

 

[Ronnie T]

King James Version (KJV)

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

The New American Standard Bible provides a more accurate look of the Hebrew words used:

The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.

 

[Ronnie T]

Nothing happens that God did not purpose in eternity. He does not have "oops" and "uh-oh" moments in his divine purpose and design.

Nothing?
You believe God micro-manages, through His Devine control, every act, motive, and movement in life?
You believe ever act and thought of every man, from the moment of birth until death itself, is directed by God?

 

[Ronnie T]

Why does God allow Evil?

Don't know.

 

[gemcgrew]

The New American Standard Bible provides a more accurate look of the Hebrew words used:

Ronnie, am I allowed to respond to or challenge this comment?

 

[gemcgrew]

Nothing?
You believe God micro-manages, through His Devine control, every act, motive, and movement in life?

Absolutely

You believe ever act and thought of every man, from the moment of birth until death itself, is directed by God?

Absolutely purposed by God.

 

[hobbs27]

Why does God allow Evil?

Don't know.

I can't think of anything being evil that man isn't involved in, or has a choice in. Satan can tempt us or persuade us, but it takes us doing it to cause the evil....
Evil is....because we have free will. Imagine that.

 

[gemcgrew]

I can't think of anything being evil that man isn't involved in, or has a choice in. Satan can tempt us or persuade us, but it takes us doing it to cause the evil....
Evil is....because we have free will. Imagine that.

And who is Lord over evil? Lord over all things?

 

[gemcgrew]

"But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive." (Genesis 50:20)

This sinful action was decreed by and purposed by God. That is how we know "that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose."

That does not mean that man is not responsible for the sinful action. God declares man responsible.

 

[Artfuldodger]

I found this article that I liked:
Let us consider the nature of love and its consequences. I cannot experience love from you unless you have the capacity to do otherwise. If you have the capacity to not love me, and you choose instead to love me, then that choice has validity. It has meaning. You cannot have a love relationship with a computer. It is pre-programmed to serve you. Love requires choice: unencumbered choice. And that's where the problem lies.

When God created mankind, He too had a choice. If He created us as beings that were pre-programmed to follow and serve Him, there could be no love. But, if He created us with the capacity of choice, the capacity to love and serve Him, and the capacity not to do so, then there is the possibility of relationship: the possibility of real love. As a personal being with the capability of creating us in the first place, it makes sense that He would want to create us as personal beings with the capability of choice (free will) and, thus, the capability of love. But where there is choice and the capability of love, there is also the capability to choose wrong and to do great evil.

http://www.fillthevoid.org/Apologetics/EastmanWhydoesGodallowevil.html

 

[gemcgrew]

I found this article that I liked:
Let us consider the nature of love and its consequences. I cannot experience love from you unless you have the capacity to do otherwise. If you have the capacity to not love me, and you choose instead to love me, then that choice has validity. It has meaning. You cannot have a love relationship with a computer. It is pre-programmed to serve you. Love requires choice: unencumbered choice. And that's where the problem lies.

When God created mankind, He too had a choice. If He created us as beings that were pre-programmed to follow and serve Him, there could be no love. But, if He created us with the capacity of choice, the capacity to love and serve Him, and the capacity not to do so, then there is the possibility of relationship: the possibility of real love. As a personal being with the capability of creating us in the first place, it makes sense that He would want to create us as personal beings with the capability of choice (free will) and, thus, the capability of love. But where there is choice and the capability of love, there is also the capability to choose wrong and to do great evil.

To say that God needs us to love him and to have a relationship with him, is to say that God is not self sustaining, self sufficient, self existent.

He needs nothing. He has the right to be God and he exercises his right. "Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places." (Psalm 135:6) "But our God is in the heavens: he hath done whatsoever he hath pleased." (Psalm 115:3)

 

[gtparts]

King James Version (KJV)

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

The New American Standard Bible provides a more accurate look of the Hebrew words used:

The One forming light and creating darkness, Causing well-being and creating calamity; I am the LORD who does all these.

I cannot for the life of me understand why some believe evil is the creation of God, but leave it to some to read more into Scripture than was ever intended. One of the principles regarding accurate interpretation is that we be exceedingly careful about doing so. It is rare that his Word is not succinct and to the point. The chief example is parables, designed to convey primary truth concealed within a common or simple story.

This passage from Isaiah is one such case. What God is explaining through the prophet is that his creation of any positive situation or reality has, as its consequence, "created" the antithesis or perhaps in a more correct sense, allowed the possibility for a position to arise that opposes that thing which He declares to be positive or good.

Darkness, then, is the absence of light. Where light has limited manifestation there is darkness. Where light has unlimited manifestation there is no darkness. The definition and nature is that they are mutually exclusive and diametrically opposed. God's goodness (well-being) is his hallmark, his nature. Wherever and whenever He chooses to restrain his goodness (here is probably where we will hear the accusation that God is not good), evil fills that void. The answer to those who bring up the notion that God is not good fail to accept the sovereignty of God or even if lacks sovereignty, He is nonetheless obligated to only allow us to experience goodness. We should be spared the consequences of our rebellion.

But nothing could be further from the truth. In this life, according to his purpose, we each may receive mercy, grace, ...... or neither. Mercy and grace are not poured out on individuals because they deserve such consideration. No one deserves either. The only thing He will not do violate his promises based on his perfect nature. Everything He says He will do, is done according to His nature, is his timing, in his manner.

 

[hobbs27]

And who is Lord over evil?

In the OT Church
Satan as prince of this world, God allowed Satan to do evil unto Job, to prove to Satan that Jobs faith was strong enough that he would not break his free will and say evil against God.
The NT Church
Is a team effort Satan and man together, since Satan is bound like a mean dog on a chain, man has to wonder in close enough to allow him to bite.

Lord over all things?

God The Father, The Son, The Holy Ghost.
He spoke this place into existence, He can speak evil out of it, but He doesn't ...why? I dont think we know yet.