YOU do not have to look far to see that evil and suffering abound. Wars kill civilians as well as soldiers. Crime and violence are commonplace. Perhaps you have recently been a victim of prejudice or injustice. In view of what you have seen and experienced, you have very likely asked, ‘Why does God permit wickedness?’

That question is not a new one. A loyal servant of God named Job asked: “Why is it that the wicked themselves keep living?” (Job 21:7) Troubled by the evil deeds of his countrymen, the prophet Jeremiah of the seventh century B.C.E. asked: “Why is it that the way of wicked ones is what has succeeded, that all those who are committing treachery are the unworried ones?” (Jeremiah 12:1) Both Job and Jeremiah knew that God is righteous. Yet, they wondered why there was so much wickedness. Perhaps you too are puzzled by this.

A victim of assault

Some people blame God for wickedness and suffering. Others wonder: ‘If God is all-powerful, just, and loving, why does he not put an end to evil and suffering? Why has he allowed evil to continue until our day?’ The following article considers answers to these and other vital questions.

“GOD" is righteous in all his ways,” says the Bible. (Psalm 145:17; Revelation 15:3) Concerning him, the prophet Moses declared: “Perfect is his activity, for all his ways are justice. A God of faithfulness, with whom there is no injustice; righteous and upright is he.” (Deuteronomy 32:4) “Jehovah is very tender in affection and merciful,” says James 5:11. God cannot and does not cause wickedness.

The disciple James wrote: “When under trial, let no one say: ‘I am being tried by God.’ For with evil things God cannot be tried nor does he himself try anyone.” (James 1:13) Jehovah God neither tempts people with wickedness nor entices them to commit vile deeds. Who, then, is to blame for wickedness and the suffering it causes?

Where Does the Blame Lie?

The Bible writer James puts part of the blame for wickedness on humans. He states: “Each one is tried by being drawn out and enticed by his own desire. Then the desire, when it has become fertile, gives birth to sin; in turn, sin, when it has been accomplished, brings forth death.” (James 1:14, 15) Individuals may act according to their improper desires. Consider, too, man’s inherited sin. The power of sin can amplify wrong cravings and bring about very bad consequences. (Romans 7:21-23) Indeed, inherited sin has “ruled as king” over mankind, enslaving humans with wicked works that cause great suffering. (Romans 5:21) Moreover, wicked men can influence others to become corrupt.—Proverbs 1:10-16.

The primary cause of wickedness, though, is Satan the Devil. He brought wickedness into the world. Jesus Christ called Satan “the wicked one” and “the ruler of the world,” or unrighteous human society. Mankind in general obeys Satan by heeding his urgings to ignore the good ways of God. (Matthew 6:13; John 14:30; 1 John 2:15-17) “The whole world is lying in the power of the wicked one,” says 1 John 5:19. In fact, Satan and his angels are “misleading the entire inhabited earth,” causing nothing but “woe.” (Revelation 12:9, 12) Thus, the major part of the blame for wickedness has to be placed squarely on Satan the Devil.

Revealing another cause of affliction or suffering, Ecclesiastes 9:11 states: “Time and unforeseen occurrence befall [us] all.” Jesus Christ spoke of a certain calamity involving 18 people who were killed when a tower fell on them. (Luke 13:4) They suffered because they were in the wrong place at the wrong time. Similar things happen today. For example, a brick may break loose from the top of a high building and strike a pedestrian. Is God to blame? No. It was an unplanned and unforeseen occurrence. The same may often be said when sickness invades a household or sudden death leaves behind orphans and widows.

Clearly, then, God is not responsible for wickedness; nor does he cause suffering. On the contrary, it is GOD'S purpose to eliminate wickedness and those who cause it. (Proverbs 2:22) In fact, he will do more than that. The Scriptures declare that God’s purpose through Christ is “to break up the works of the Devil.” (1 John 3:8) The present system of things—based on greed, hatred, and wicked deeds—will then be gone. God will even “wipe out every tear from [all] eyes,” thus bringing an end to suffering. (Revelation 21:4) But you may ask: ‘Why has God not already done this? Why has he allowed wickedness and suffering to continue until our day?’ A key to the answer is found in the Bible account of Adam and Eve.

A Vital Issue Is Raised

The reason why God has permitted wickedness to exist until our day is related to events that happened early in human history. An incident that took place back then raised an important issue concerning the Creator himself—a question that could not be settled quickly or easily. Let us take a close look at what happened.

God created the first man and woman perfect and placed them in Paradise. They were endowed with a gift that distinguished them from animals—the gift of free will. (Genesis 1:28; 2:15, 19) As free moral agents, Adam and Eve could use their intellect to choose to love, serve, and obey their Creator. Or they could select a course of independence from God and deliberately disobey him.

To give Adam and Eve an opportunity to demonstrate their love for him, the true God placed one restriction upon them. He commanded Adam: “From every tree of the garden you may eat to satisfaction. But as for the tree of the knowledge of good and bad you must not eat from it, for in the day you eat from it you will positively die.” (Genesis 2:16, 17) To remain in God’s favor, to their own benefit and that of their future family, Adam and Eve would have to refrain from eating the fruit of that one particular tree. Would they?

The Bible tells us what happened. Using a serpent as his mouthpiece, Satan the Devil approached Eve and said: “Is it really so that God said you must not eat from every tree of the garden?” When Eve repeated God’s command, Satan said to her: “You positively will not die. For God knows that in the very day of your eating from it your eyes are bound to be opened and you are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” Consequently, the tree seemed so desirable to Eve that “she began taking of its fruit and eating it.” The account continues: “Afterward she gave some also to her husband when with her and he began eating it.” (Genesis 3:1-6) Both Adam and Eve thus misused their free will and sinned by disobeying God.

Do you see the seriousness of what transpired? The Devil contradicted what God had said to Adam. Satan’s words implied that Adam and Eve would not need God in order to decide what was good and what was bad for them. Satan’s challenge therefore brought into question the right and validity of God's rulership over man. The all-important issue that Satan raised, then, was that of the rightfulness of God's sovereignty. How did the true God answer the challenge?

The Need for Sufficient Time

God had the power to destroy the three rebels—Satan, Adam, and Eve. God was unquestionably stronger than they were. But Satan did not question God’s power. Instead, he questioned God's right to rule. The issue affected all creatures having free will. They needed to see that the gift of free will must be used properly—within the bounds of physical, moral, and spiritual guidelines from God. Otherwise, harm results, just as surely as injury will occur when a man jumps off the roof of a tall building without regard for the law of gravity. (Galatians 6:7, 8) All intelligent creatures could benefit from observing for themselves the bad fruitage of choosing a course of independence from God. This required time.

The fact that it requires time to settle some issues can be illustrated this way: Suppose the father of one family challenges the father of another to a contest that will prove which man is stronger. That issue could be decided quickly. Strength could be measured by lifting rocks. The father who lifted the heaviest rock would be the stronger man. But suppose the challenge involved which father truly loves his sons and daughters and whether they love him in return. Or what if the challenge raises the question of which father manages his family in the best way? Neither a display of strength no mere words would be adequate. Sufficient time would have to pass, careful observation would be required, and right conclusions would have to be drawn in order for the issue to be settled.
What the Passing of Time Has Shown

Time has passed since Satan questioned God’s right to rule. What has history revealed? Consider two aspects of Satan’s allegation against God. Satan boldly told Eve: “You positively will not die.” (Genesis 3:4) By saying that Adam and Eve would not die if they partook of the forbidden fruit, Satan was in effect calling God a liar. A serious charge indeed! If God were not truthful in this matter, how could he be trusted in anything else? However, what has the elapsed time shown?

Adam and Eve became subject to sickness, pain, aging and, finally, death. “All the days of Adam that he lived amounted to nine hundred and thirty years and he died,” states the Bible. (Genesis 3:19; 5:5) And from Adam, this sad legacy has been transmitted to all mankind. (Romans 5:12) The passing of time has proved Satan to be “a liar and the father of the lie” and has shown that God is “the God of truth.”—John 8:44; Psalm 31:5.

Satan also told Eve: “God knows that in the very day of your eating from [the forbidden tree] your eyes are bound to be opened and you [both Eve and Adam] are bound to be like God, knowing good and bad.” (Genesis 3:5) With those cunning words, Satan presented humans with a sham opportunity to be self-governed. Deceptively, Satan implied that humans would be better off independent of God. Has this proved true?

Throughout the course of history, empires have come and gone. Every conceivable form of human government has been tried. Time and again, however, dreadful things have happened to the human family. “Man has dominated man to his injury,” a Bible writer wisely concluded (Ecclesiastes 8:9) “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step,” wrote the prophet Jeremiah. (Jeremiah 10:23) Even scientific and technological achievements of recent years have not negated the truth of these statements. The passage of time has only proved these observations to be true.

What Will You Do?

The time allowed by God has proved Satan wrong on the issue of the rightfulness of God’s sovereignty. God is the absolute Sovereign of the universe. He has the right to rule over his creation, and his way of ruling is the best. Acknowledging this fact, heavenly creatures who have intimately experienced life under God’s rule declare: “You are worthy, God, even our God, to receive the glory and the honor and the power, because you created all things, and because of your will they existed and were created.”—Revelation 4:11.

Where do you stand on the question of God’s rulership? Do you agree that God is worthy to rule over you? If you do, you must recognize God’s sovereignty. You can do this by applying the marvelous truths and counsel found in his Word, the Bible, in every aspect of your life. “God is love,” and his laws and commandments spring from his love for his creatures. (1 John 4:8) God does not deprive any of us of what is for our good. You can therefore take to heart the Bible’s admonition: “Trust in God with all your heart and do not lean upon your own understanding. In all your ways take notice of him, and he himself will make your paths straight.”—Proverbs 3:5, 6.

God gave us free will.

God does not allow wickedness, it's just the opposite side of the force, where there is ultimate good, there must be ultimate evil, and all variations therein. Just like in nature, there is amazing beauty, and terrible violence, it's part of the balance of the "force" (haha, star wars reference there).

Wonderful subject.
and yes, our free will is the key to dealing with evil. We can not control the will of others but we can protect ourself from harm from their evil through our own faith. Our spirit can not be overtaken by the darkness of others as long as we cling tightly to the Truth.

Life is what it is. Emergent is a good word, evolve is another, but no matter the word there must be action, motion, change.

Humans tend to fight change rather than embrace it. We are a species of life and no life is independent of Universal laws, nor is any life separate from any other matter. It is only perception of the physical, that allows us to comprehend the events we experience; the empirical.

So, like life, the universe is what it is; constantly in flux, emergent.

Good and bad are just designations we give in response to the degrees of our empirical experiences; having no real meaning in the natural world.

Whatever designation we apply to an event; good or bad, it makes no difference to the natural world because every event is both a cause and an effect.

Cause and effect is the power that enables the emergent qualities of universe and as long as natural law exists, there will be life; I guess that means that life is good, and bad is simply mans refusal to embrace the change.

Of course there will always be those who FIGHT change, who see the world as black and white, god and evil, opposing forces and from their separatist believe system they feel they are wronged or tested, but always superior to all other living matter.

For these people life is devastating and thier only line to sanity (in their own mind) is to cling to the same believe structure that makes them see only black and white, good and evil.

Agree

"Is god willing to prevent evil but not able?
Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him god."
- Epicurus

Our God loves us, and he gives us trials to endure to ensure our focus upon him. The devil tempted Jesus in His walk in the wilderness, just as the devil tempts us. The only difference, Jesus is pure perfection, and we are not. That is why He had to die for us to be forgiven for the trials and temptations in which we gave in to. We may not understand why certain things happen, but we must trust in His will and ultimate plan. Having faith that someone you cannot physically see is very difficult. But just think, we must be pretty special. God made the planets and placed each star in the sky in just one day, but He is still working in our lives.

The Word Of Truth

For the Word that God speaks is alive and full of power [making it active, operative, energizing, and effective]; it is sharper than any two-edged sword, penetrating to the dividing line of the breath of life (soul) and [the immortal] spirit, and of joints and marrow [of the deepest parts of our nature], exposing and sifting and analyzing and judging the very thoughts and purposes of the heart. ~ Hebrews 4:12


Nothing compares to the Word of God. It is Active, Operative, Energizing and Effective.

The work that the Word of God does is like no other. There is something about God’s Word that reaches into the unreachable places of our spirits and exposes what needs exposing. God’s Word brings into alignment our thoughts, actions and our plans - with His truth.

Whatever there is within us contrary to the Word of Truth, it will be exposed so we can make changes. Sometimes this can be a painful time, if it is a past hurt or a painful memory we have long before buried deep within. We often don't want to revisit the past, when it brings us so much pain.

God’s Word can bring healing, restoration, comfort and hope. It builds up our faith to be able to stand firm. We need to allow God’s word to do a thorough work within, and align our lives to God’s truth.

The world disguises lies as truth, but God’s Word will stand and expose it for what it is. Don’t get caught up in what the world says, but measure it up with what God’s Word of Truth says.


Lord I thank you for your word
That penetrates deep within
Help me to allow you Lord
Expose what I have hidden

I don't believe in egotistical Gods that lust to rule over other beings.



I wouldn't consider any entity that lusts to rule over anyone as being divine.

Thus any so-called "God" that has an egotistical need to rule over other people has already exhibited an extreme flaw and weakness of character. Not to mention that such a God would clearly be a needy God.

What makes a God a God?

Merely the ability to be a bully?

An all-powerful demon would still be a demon.

To earn the right to be called a 'God' an all-powerful entity needs to be 'divine'.

It is divinity that makes a God a God. Not power.

Any entity that lusts to control other beings is not divine, and therefore is no God.

It's pretty simple.

He created us thus...he already does

And no matter how you want to logic that to fit your needs it won't change what is darling.


No you do have the freewill to say I don't believe any of it...that I would by....but to change it or mold it to fit what "You" think it should be never.

What mold are you talking about?

Are you trying to fit God into a mold?

I have no problem with God Feral, but the Bible is an insult to any God.

If you want to worship the Bible, be my guest. But why push that dogma in the face of others?

Surely you can see that it's a dismal picture of God. According to the Bible humans have all failed God, and God had to have his son nailed to pole because of the failure of humans.

It's truly a sick picture of both man and God.

What kind of a God would have his son nailed to a pole to fix a problem?

Clearly that could only be the act of a desperate limited God who had no other choices available.

But that flies in the face of said God to be all-wise, and all-powerful.

You were looking for contraditions in another thread, where there you God.

If God had better choices open to him and he chose to have his son nailed to a pole, that would be a pretty miserable God.

But on the other hand if he had no other choice then it might be excusable, but that would imply that he's not all powerful.

So it's a lose/lose situation.

Clearly this picture of God can't possibly be true.

...because God is compassionate & slow to anger (patient), not wanting that ANY should perish & that ALL should come to the saving knowledge of His wonderful grace.

You want to take God and mold him into what you think "He" should be. If it doesn't fit what abra thinks or feels is the right way then. If you don't believe in the Sovereign's God's word (Bible) your choice but for you to be arrogant enough to think "you" can discount something that many more believe in then don't.

Again abra I will worship the Lord and only the Lord but I believe the Bible cover to cover Genesis to Revelation.
And no darling frankly I don't look at it at as dismal in the least. It's a guide from God on how people messed up living their lives and through Christ how we should live our lives.

Humans did fail God and still do but Christ is the hope for every single one of them. And freewill is what will or won't bring them to the Lord. And please get it right if your going to write about it. Christ was nailed to a cross not a pole, and very significant for the time....And he died so that all could have everlasting life.

His ultimate sacrafice (Jesus Christ on the Cross) shows the Love God had for mankind abra.

. . . except for all the people he killed in the bible. . .

Well, Jehova witnesses just came to my door last week and left their paperwork. They have a picture of Christ nailed to a pole.

Very definitely. They had both his hand directly over his head and a single spike driven through both his hands. So clearly all Christians are not obcessed with the shape of the pole Christ was supposedly nailed to.

I'm not impressed by any God that lusts for blood sacrifices.

I've read what the Mediterranean authors wrote and the God they described is neither as wise, nor as compassionate as myself.

I see no reason why I should believe in a story about a God that's less intelligent and less compassionate than myself.

It just seems to me that God should be superior to me, but clearly the biblical God is not by its own proclamation.

I didn't write the book. I'm just saying that it isn't a picture of a very intelligent God, IMHO.

So my conclusion is that the book was written by mortal idiots who had an agenda and were clearly trying to excuse their own bigotry and prejudices by trying to claim that God told them to do the terrible and stupid things that they did.

I don't believe that the creator of this unvierse ever told anyone to murder heathens or stone their children to death.

If you believe that God is like that more power to you.

I don't believe that nonsense.

Now study why it happen.

Yeah really. Clearly the Bible doesn't agree with the idea that God is compassionate and slow to anger.

If God is so loving why are Christians so anxious to make it out like God hates eveyone who believes that God is nicer than the biblical picture.

God should be thrilled by anyone who rejects the biblical picture because they believe that God is nicer than the Bible says.

But the Christians aren't thrilled with anyone who believes that God is actually nice.

I have studied Mediterranean mythology and I find it to be totally unjustified.

It's clearly an attempt by the men who wrote it to try to justify their own biogtry and hatred toward others. I see no justification for any of it.

It's clearly an ungodly mythology not warranting any more merit than Greek mythology.

Just look at how hateful the religions are that are based on this jealous God.

Judaism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism are all the same religion. To think that any one of their doctines holds any more merit than any other is ludicous.

They are all based on precisly the same folklore.

Okay there needs to be a better understanding of the "cross" and what it represented during biblical times.

The Roman centurions were building these wooden crosses. Many of them were carpenters by trade or had those skills and a cross was fairly quick and easy for them to assemble and they were building them by the hundreds. It wasnt just Christians being crucified here. The custom of crucifixion in Ancient Rome may have developed out of a primitive custom of arbori suspendere, dedicated to the gods of the nether world. The Romans appear to have learned of crucifixion from the Carthaginians. Crucifixion was used for slaves, rebels, pirates and especially-despised enemies and criminals. The Christians of course simply adopted it as their official symbol. Not so much the Protestants but of course the Catholics embrace it even to this day.