Why does God allow evil?

[Quintessence]

I made no particular assumption.

Perhaps not deliberately. At a minimum, the OP assumes dualism, or that reality can be broken down in to categories of "good" and "evil." There are those who reject this dualistic thinking. In this case, the question should not be about the gods, but humans. Why do humans choose to label things "evil?" And, more importantly, what are the consequences of doing so?

The OP also seems to assume classical monotheism (Abrahamic god-concepts) given the use of the term "God" (which, in proper case like that and singular, designates the one-god of Abrahamic religions in common parlance). The problem of evil is pretty nonexistent outside of classical monotheisms, because they do not posit omniscience, omnipresence, or omnibenevolence. As a polytheist, my gods not only "allow" for "evil," some of them are "evil" or the cause of things labeled evil!

 

[Skwim]

Question:

Why does God allow evil (or the "privation or absence of good")?

Answer:

"God allows evil to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom." - St. Thomas Aquinas

Yeah, a nice little restructuring of Romans 5:20; just clever enough to satisfy the unquestioning masses. An admittance by god that he can't bring about everything we call good with introducing evil. Hardly speaks well of his omnipotence, but then this is one of those incongruencies no good Christian should bother themselves with.

 

[McBell]

Perhaps God doesn't know what Good and Evil are......

Or is it that what God considers Good and Evil is different than what humans consider good and evil.

OASN:
Do you think cats are evil?
I bet mice do.

 

[McBell]

I employed the term "God," not "god." There's a difference.

Only in the semantics.

I wonder if your "G"od is as concerned with it as you seem to be?

 

[McBell]

Evil (Satan and his allies) are creatures.

That is debatable.

 

[noh950]

"Evil" is a creature? It's not a label of the actions of something or the things happening, but just a character/person? That would be kind'a mind-twisting in the other thread where "evil = absence of good". So... absence of good produces a creature... hmm...

Sorry, it's Devil not Evil. I've corrected it.

 

[Pegg]

Question:

Why does God allow evil (or the "privation or absence of good")?

Answer:

"God allows evil to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom." - St. Thomas Aquinas

There is a good reason why God allows suffering. Its also comforting to know that he is NEVER the cause of it as Job 4:10 says “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!”

the cause of the suffering and evil we see in the world is 3 fold
1. Satan the devil influences the world of mankind and controls this world, he is its ruler and it is a reflection of him 1John 5:19
2. Mankind is imperfect and sinful and choose to do bad things and cause others to suffer Eccl 8:9
3. Sometimes terrible accidents just happen and its no ones fault Eccl 9:11

Why does God allow this situation? He has allowed for a few reasons
1. because Satan raised an issue about mankind and accuses us of being selfish and unworthy of life
2. because man chose to follow Satan in a course of independence from Gods rulership
3. because he wants to settle the issue of whos rulership mankind need to be under

God created mankind at the end of the 6th day, then he rested on the 7th day to allow all his purpose regarding mankind to come to fruition. And it was early in the 7th day that mankind rebelled.... and by the end of the 7th day, God will have settled the issue of their rebellion once and for all and mankind will certainly know that Gods rulership and authority is what they need and they will most certainly want it because they will come to see this world for what it is. Many are already coming to the realisation that we need God... and the good news is that God has not abandoned mankind... he will act very soon to end the suffering and evil which exists.

You can find more information about this question in the book "What does the bible really teach?"

 

[9-10ths_Penguin]

Question:

Why does God allow evil (or the "privation or absence of good")?

Answer:

"God allows evil to happen in order to bring a greater good therefrom." - St. Thomas Aquinas

If this means that God can't bring about greater good without allowing evil, then you're contradicting one of the premises of the Problem of Evil: God's omnipotence.

If it doesn't mean that, then you haven't addressed the problem.

 

[Parsimony]

I don't know. I guess that's why they call it faith. Some people have it; some people don't.

If you don't know what the greater good is that is accomplished by allowing evil to exist, then how do you even know that the explanation offered by Aquinas is the correct one?

 

[Ouroboros]

There is a good reason why God allows suffering. Its also comforting to know that he is NEVER the cause of it as Job 4:10 says “Far be it from the true God to act wickedly, and the Almighty to act unjustly!”

I see multiple synonymous words for "evil". Suffering, wickedness, injustice, ... A lot of definitions and words for something that doesn't exist but is just a hole, absence of something else. The donut hole as many names.

If God isn't the cause of suffering or wickedness, then who is the "First Cause" of all things that exist? God has no responsibility or accountability for creating the world with wickedness?

the cause of the suffering and evil we see in the world is 3 fold
1. Satan the devil influences the world of mankind and controls this world, he is its ruler and it is a reflection of him 1John 5:19

If Satan controls this world, why is there good in this world? Wouldn't Satan remove and destroy all good? If this world is a reflection of Satan, I don't see how there can be good things.

2. Mankind is imperfect and sinful and choose to do bad things and cause others to suffer Eccl 8:9

Well, it's a perfect world after all, or is it?

3. Sometimes terrible accidents just happen and its no ones fault Eccl 9:11

That's how God made it. To create a world where uncontrolled accidents can cause trauma and suffering... no, wait, God isn't the source of suffering, so he didn't create the world... no wait... which way is it? Did God create a world with suffering, and is the ultimate cause of it or not?

Why does God allow this situation? He has allowed for a few reasons
1. because Satan raised an issue about mankind and accuses us of being selfish and unworthy of life

Therefore God punishes mankind. Called capital punishment. Punish everyone for one person's actions.

2. because man chose to follow Satan in a course of independence from Gods rulership

God gave us free will because he wanted us to have independence. Hence, independence is good.

3. because he wants to settle the issue of whos rulership mankind need to be under

God can settle any issue with a snap of his fingers. There's no need for suffering to accomplish that.

God created mankind at the end of the 6th day, then he rested on the 7th day to allow all his purpose regarding mankind to come to fruition. And it was early in the 7th day that mankind rebelled....

But in between the 6th and the 7th day, Adam had all 10 million species of animals presented to him to give them names. One animal per second is about 115 days, non-stop, each second, so how did he accomplish that?

and by the end of the 7th day,

Oh. I see. You're talking about 7000 days. No, that can't be right either. You mean the last 7 million years is the last day in the week?

God will have settled the issue of their rebellion once and for all and mankind will certainly know that Gods rulership and authority is what they need and they will most certainly want it because they will come to see this world for what it is. Many are already coming to the realisation that we need God... and the good news is that God has not abandoned mankind... he will act very soon to end the suffering and evil which exists.

Sure. But we can't get rid of evil since it's part of the Greater Good.

 

[Gambit]

Perhaps not deliberately. At a minimum, the OP assumes dualism, or that reality can be broken down in to categories of "good" and "evil." There are those who reject this dualistic thinking. In this case, the question should not be about the gods, but humans. Why do humans choose to label things "evil?" And, more importantly, what are the consequences of doing so?

The OP also seems to assume classical monotheism (Abrahamic god-concepts) given the use of the term "God" (which, in proper case like that and singular, designates the one-god of Abrahamic religions in common parlance). The problem of evil is pretty nonexistent outside of classical monotheisms, because they do not posit omniscience, omnipresence, or omnibenevolence. As a polytheist, my gods not only "allow" for "evil," some of them are "evil" or the cause of things labeled evil!

Yes, my question assumes monotheism. But no one is forcing you or anyone else here to participate on this thread. If you would like to discuss why humans choose to label things "evil," then I suggest you start your own thread.

 

[Gambit]

Ah, fair enough.
I apologize, I'm just being a grumpy arse. I am tired, and when I am tired, I end up putting my foot in my mouth.

Apology accepted.

 

[George-ananda]

Here's my eastern thinking answer to your OP question that I posted before in another thread. Just food for thought.

I look at life from the perspective that life is eternal and we are in the process of learning that. We live as individuals for eons and not one life. We all return to godhead in the end. If one could see one's life from separation from godhead through the eons to return to godhead then things and temporary sufferings make more sense. What we see as evil are very short temporary events in the grand scheme of things where each individual story ends in success; return to peace/bliss/awareness of godhead.

Plus Problem of Evil proponents look at good/bad events as happening randomly to people. Eastern thinkers believe a long series of cause/events (karma) causes things to be the way they are.

I also use the analogy of creation as some grand expansive multi-dimensional artwork. And human problem of evil proponents view from their little speck and dimensional perspective of the artwork and try to judge the entire artwork. Their view is too limited to be meaningful.

 

[Gambit]

Plus Problem of Evil proponents look at good/bad events as happening randomly to people. Eastern thinkers believe a long series of cause/events (karma) causes things to be the way they are.

Do you believe in determinism?

 

[Noel]

God allows evil because that is the price of free will, and because humans have brought evil and suffering onto themselves by sinning.

 

[Ouroboros]

God allows evil because that is the price of free will, and because humans have brought evil and suffering onto themselves by sinning.

Will there be free win and sin in heaven?

 

[George-ananda]

Do you believe in determinism?

Probably yes but not physical determinism as it's generally understood. There are more realms involved than just the physical realm. And these realms have interactions.

 

[Gambit]

God allows evil because that is the price of free will, and because humans have brought evil and suffering onto themselves by sinning.

What does natural evil have to do with human free will?

 

[Glaurung]

Therefore, it is not man's fault, if evil (or the absence of good) exists. Correct?

Nope, man is accountable for his moral decisions and his failure to align himself with what is good.

For, how can you call "fault" something which necessarily brings a greater good?

God does not allow evil as a means to bring about the greatest good in of itself (God's will is not dependant on evil) but in his foresight, he is able to bring about the greatest good despite evil. He allows evil because his will cannot disturbed by whatever evil he permits to occur. And his will is ultimately the greatest good.

So, if I load a gun and shoot the first child I see, the logical consequence is that this act will bring a greater good. He did not stop my hand, did He?

No, because you are misrepresenting the nature of God's permission of evil. An evil act in isolation, may not have any prospect of a greater good in of itself. It's the allowance of evil as a reality that he allows as it will not prevent God's will coming to ultimate fruition which is the greater good. He will allow you to shoot the child because he permits you free moral agency. But of course, just because you're free to do something doesn't mean you won't have to answer for it when standing before God.

Why are you condemning me, then (if you condemn me), since by not shooting that child I would have reduced the amount of greater good that would follow?

I think this is already answered. God permits evil because he allows moral agency, and despite all the evil that will occur, he will nonetheless bring about the greatest good with and despite it. You still hold complete accountability for your life and your decisions.

 

[Gambit]

Probably yes but not physical determinism as it's generally understood. There are more realms involved than just the physical realm. And these realms have interactions.

Do subscribe to fatalism? (A belief in determinism would seem to imply fatalism.)