God permitting evil

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If I kill someone, God can raise them to a greater good life after death, no matter what I do on Earth, God can put it right.

God sent you, me and everyone else to be a part of the solution here on Earth. If we don’t succeed then God will.
 
@Inbonum @EricPH I am fixated because I get the impression that this goes against “the end does not justify the means”

God might permit a rape for a greater good but why can I not let a rape happen. You might say because it might be a case where it is not for the greater good but there is also the chance that it is.

disclaimer: I am not finding a way to rape someone and I am not atheist. Just trying to unknot some tricky questions I have in my head
 
JJO said:
I am fixated because I get the impression that this goes against “the end does not justify the means”
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God is perfect judge and after death everyone is judged by their work.
You can let it but your conscience will warn you about that. Your conscience is God’s voice in your soul and your inner moral law given by God. You have a choice. Not all choices are good.
 
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JJO said:
Hi guys,

We know evil exists and God permits it to happen for a good reason, probably free will.
Why then can I not excuse myself with the same reason so that I myself do not have to prevent evil.

i.e. why do I have to help someone being verbally abused if I, like God, am preserving free will?
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Evil has no being but is a deprivation. Evil entered the world through the will of man so is a condition not a nature. Goodness is not imposed by the Holy Trinity on angels and mankind because it would undermine the free will – necessary to express love.
 
JJO said:
God might permit a rape for a greater good but why can I not let a rape happen.
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You might watch the news and see what happens in the world. Imagine what God must feel, he knows and sees in graphic detail everything that goes on in this world.

God must look down in despair, he gave us the greatest commandments to love God and neighbour, it shouldn’t be difficult. I guess even if we live to a hundred; we will still be like infants with our thoughts and actions.
 
JJO said:
I am supposed to stop the will to rape from being actualised into the act of rape but God doesn’t stop that because he is the one who provides free will? But why should that mean He cannot stop the actualisation and respect the will itself?
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Think of it this way: suppose that God provided free will, but prevented sinful application of free will into sinful acts. Then, each time you would will the good, you’d be able to do it. But, each time you would will evil, your act would be thwarted. How long would it take you to realize that you cannot do what you wish?

So, I’d grant you that you’d technically have “free will”, but it would be illusory. Kinda like Charlie Brown and Lucy and field goal kicking.
JJO said:
And sometimes God does stop an evil will being actualised
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For instance…? 🤔
 
JJO said:
But God is the origin of goodness and morality and He wants to help others so surely He would desire to
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I think you’re looking at the divine will in a way that’s too anthropomorphic.
 
JJO said:
We know evil exists and God permits it to happen for a good reason, probably free will
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Never blame God for Evil.
Blame DisObedience from others - to His Command
Were everyone Obedient to e.g., Love One Another!
Then we could all sing, “What a Wonderful World”

Free Will? Is essential to become actual Children of God - as opposed to beasts and/or puppets

People? Can choose to not choose to be with God

)
 
I know, but let’s say that for example God kills many wicked people as He did with the great flood. Is that not 1. God intervening (yet sometimes He doesn’t) and 2. a possible excuse for someone to kill several immoral people.
 
Ok, so you’re saying For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways
 
Ok but suppose we set up a society with an excellent police force and they prevented every will to murder an innocent person from being actualised. Why would that not be a problem then because it discourages bad behaviour yet doesn’t take away your free will.

God for example stopping the Egyptians from killing Moses by manipulating the Red Sea
 
But if someone disobeys the command to love by murder, if I am a policeman, I have to arrest him before he kills more people.
Why does God not apparently have the same obligation as the policeman?
 
Bible should be read in right spirit and intrepretation.
You must realise that OT shouldn’t be interpret on our own and in modern way of thinking but in spirit of age and circumstances in which described things happened.
Don’t fall into trap of just trying to get answers in way you want them to be, it doesn’t always mean that they are right ones.
Ask Holy Spirit to help you understand Bible because He is the one who inspired the writer.

These could help you to understand better questions you ask



And I recommend you this book by Dr. Tim Gray
https://www.amazon.com/Walking-God-Journey-Through-Bible/dp/1945179430
 
JJO said:
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JJO:
i.e. why do I have to help someone being verbally abused if I, like God, am preserving free will?
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back to this question though
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God does not do what is uncharitable, that is, God does not sin.

Angels and humans are responsible for wrong choices made through free will only when “it is failure in genuine love for God and neighbor caused by a perverse attachment to certain goods” (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No. 1849), or from love of oneself even (Same, No. 1853). This could amount to an offense and wound (slight sin) or a complete turning away (serious sin) from charity.

Sin may be only interior, that is, without an exterior uncharitable commission or omission.
 
EricPH said:
You might watch the news and see what happens in the world. Imagine what God must feel, he knows and sees in graphic detail everything that goes on in this world.
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I believe God doesn’t like evil and sin in this world, and if God would will He could instantly stop every act of evil and sin in this world.
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The heart of the matter is, God permits evil and sin in this world for the reason, and one reason only, to convert our sins (every one of them) into GREATER GOOD.
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CCC 311 For almighty God. . ., because he is supremely good, would never allow any evil whatsoever to exist in his works if he were not so all-powerful and good as to cause good to emerge from evil itself.177
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CCC 324 Faith gives us the certainty that God would not permit an evil if he did not cause a good to come from that very evil, by ways that we shall fully know only in eternal life.
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As we see above, every sin we commit, God converts them into GREATER GOOD, THIS IS THE KEY POINT OF EVERY SIN WE COMMIT.
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If God would willed, He even could create this world where evil and sin would have no place.
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God bless
 
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JJO said:
So why does God sometimes intervene, sometimes not?
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Well that is speculation. It could be a function of prayer or mercy or to contribute to the direction of human affairs. Because we are talking about a Being here and His actions, it would depend entirely on the thinking of that Being.
 
JJO said:
Ok but suppose we set up a society with an excellent police force and they prevented every will to murder an innocent person from being actualised. Why would that not be a problem then because it discourages bad behaviour yet doesn’t take away your free will.
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Four words for you: Orwell. 1984. Big Brother.

Is that the society you’re recommending we embrace? Is that the nature of the God whom we follow?
 
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