The Problem of Evil (2)

Notes

I guess I should start by admitting that there is real evil in the world. The moral relativist has a hard time making that point, but the Christian doesn’t because the Christian believes in good; specifically he believes in a God who is good.

But this might be precisely the problem for the Christian. How can a good God allow so much evil? He created the world and said it was good but then put a tree in the middle of his creation and told Adam not to eat of it or he would introduce death into the good world. Of course, Adam ate of the forbidden tree and death was introduced, but this can’t be the origin of evil. Where did the evil impulse to disobey God in Adam and Eve’s hearts come from? Go back one step and we could ask, where did the evil impulse in Satan’s heart to rebel against God come from? These question gets at the origin of evil. Why would God even allow evil to have an origin?

Furthermore, why does God allow to continue if he has the power to stop it? I must admit that I’m not thinking about this question in primarily logical, philosophical, or even theological terms, although those are all very important perspectives to consider on this question. I’m think of this problem in compassionate terms. Here’s what I mean: Imagine you’re having a conversation with someone who says to that their father brutally molested them from the crib to college. Only when they escaped the house did they escape the abuse. Now imagine that someone asks you, “Is God good?” You say yes. She asks, “How can a good God allow something like that to happen?” You say something about God giving people freewill or God working all things together for good or sending Jesus to step into our suffering and deliver us from the power of sin and death or how a world with atrocities like she experienced must glorify God more than a world without them. Are any of those answers satisfying to one who has experienced such terribleness?

But perhaps there aren’t answers that would justify such terribleness. Perhaps all we can do is punish the perpetrator, help the victim, and have faith that all the wrongs will be undone when Jesus comes. Still, I think the one who has suffered like this may be angry with God, “If he is good and if he is powerful and if he knew about my abuse, why didn’t he do something to help me?” That’s the question that bothers me. That’s the question that I don’t have an answer for.