Why is there evil in the world?

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arunangelo

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God created us, so that we can share His life of unconditional love, and thereby find peace and joy. To love is a decision; it, therefore, needs a choice. Without a choice, we can not love. The choice is to love or not to love. The latter means, selfishness; which is the cause of all evil. Because, God is all knowing, He knew that some people will choose evil. However, in order that we may be able to love, He had to give us a choice. If he had created us in such a fashion, that we would only choose love, then it would not really be a choice and we could never love. Obviously, evil hurts people and destroys life. Fortunately, our life on this earth is not the final story; it is only an infinitesimal part of our life where we finalize our choice. If we choose love, we will have peace and joy for all eternity; so that the hurt and suffering in this life would be nothing compared to the peace and joy for all eternity.

Many a times, when we are hurt by others, we wants to choose hate and selfishness; however, Jesus, who is God in human form, showed us by His life as a human being, that, love and forgiveness are the only positive responses to hate. Furthermore, by rising from the dead he also showed us that, if we choose love, death has no power over us.
 
I think it would be safe to say that there is an assumption that people would be able to do evil things. It is not always a binary situation in good and evil. Selfishness is what keeps us alive by allowing us to take and consume, to do work for ourselves as so we do not perish. If one were to perish in the midst of selfless acts it would be preventative of sustaining these things. Light is only useful if it does not blind us and so selfishness and even to some extent evil and sinfulness are required in this world and are not preventable.

It is not necessary for people suffer under oppressive evil. It is not Gods will for this to happen. He is tolerant; in this world we are meant to learn and that requires mistakes to be made. Without thoughfullness and caring and love and humbleness and selflessness the things we concider “good” we are unable to mediate the “evil”. Thoughtfullness without compassion bolsters evil. Compassion without thoughtfullness buckles under the pressure of evil.

God does not like evil. Neither does Jesus. We are given this world not to make evil but to do beautiful things. It is often times somewhat selfish to think that we are here to suffer into heaven. Whatever is beyond this life should not be a distraction – it cannot even be known. It is God’s will but not on this earth.
 
arunangelo said:
God created us, so that we can share His life of unconditional love, and thereby find peace and joy. To love is a decision; it, therefore, needs a choice. Without a choice, we can not love. The choice is to love or not to love. The latter means, selfishness; which is the cause of all evil. Because, God is all knowing, He knew that some people will choose evil. However, in order that we may be able to love, He had to give us a choice. If he had created us in such a fashion, that we would only choose love, then it would not really be a choice and we could never love. Obviously, evil hurts people and destroys life. Fortunately, our life on this earth is not the final story; it is only an infinitesimal part of our life where we finalize our choice. If we choose love, we will have peace and joy for all eternity; so that the hurt and suffering in this life would be nothing compared to the peace and joy for all eternity.

Many a times, when we are hurt by others, we wants to choose hate and selfishness; however, Jesus, who is God in human form, showed us by His life as a human being, that, love and forgiveness are the only positive responses to hate. Furthermore, by rising from the dead he also showed us that, if we choose love, death has no power over us.
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I recommend a book called “Why Does God Permit Evil?” by Dom Bruno Webb.
 
arunangelo said:
God created us, so that we can share His life of unconditional love, and thereby find peace and joy. To love is a decision; it, therefore, needs a choice. Without a choice, we can not love. The choice is to love or not to love. The latter means, selfishness; which is the cause of all evil. Because, God is all knowing, He knew that some people will choose evil. However, in order that we may be able to love, He had to give us a choice. If he had created us in such a fashion, that we would only choose love, then it would not really be a choice and we could never love. Obviously, evil hurts people and destroys life. Fortunately, our life on this earth is not the final story; it is only an infinitesimal part of our life where we finalize our choice. If we choose love, we will have peace and joy for all eternity; so that the hurt and suffering in this life would be nothing compared to the peace and joy for all eternity.

Many a times, when we are hurt by others, we wants to choose hate and selfishness; however, Jesus, who is God in human form, showed us by His life as a human being, that, love and forgiveness are the only positive responses to hate. Furthermore, by rising from the dead he also showed us that, if we choose love, death has no power over us.
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People have free will, some chose evil
 
I arrange that topic differently. God did not create evil, man did. Man chose the fruit of knowledge. The knowledge begets evil. Man lives with evil as the punishment from original sin. That is the way I see it. Jesus taught us to reject evil while living with original sin.
 
Texas_Roofer said:
God did not create evil, man did.
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**
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Evil: from the Hebrew word Ra

Strong’s Number: 07451

adj
  1. bad, evil
    a. bad, disagreeable, malignant
    b. bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
    c. evil, displeasing
    d. bad (of its kind - land, water, etc)
    e. bad (of value)
    f. worse than, worst (comparison)
    g. sad, unhappy
    h. evil (hurtful)
    i. bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
    j. bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
    1. in general, of persons, of thoughts
    2. deeds, actions n m
  2. evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
    a. evil, distress, adversity
    b. evil, injury, wrong
    c. evil (ethical) n f
    3. evil, misery, distress, injury
    a. evil, misery, distress
    b. evil, injury, wrong
    c. evil (ethical)
**
 
**1 Thessalonians 5:17

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

This would be a redundant statement if Paul was only refering to good circumstances in ones life.

Paul goes on to say that we are to keep the good and refrain from evil (verses 21, 22).

Hence, it is the will of God that brings good and evil into the life of the believer. And the believer is to give thanks for both.
**
 
tabcom said:
**
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil**: I the LORD do all these things.

Evil: from the Hebrew word Ra
Click to expand...
The word Ra can also mean disaster or calamity which God will bring as punishment.

You are only looking at the King James rendering of this passage, Here is a link from the Blue Letter Bible which shows different renderings of this passage. They do not all use the word evil there.

I like what I heard Hank Hanegraaff say one time that God did not create evil, he created the potential for evil.
 
runandsew said:
You are only looking at the King James rendering of this passage,
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**Let me quote from the NAB - USCCB (New American Bible
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops):

Isa 45:7
I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Regardless as to how one wants to label it, calamity, woe, evil,
God says he created it.**
 
But I would contend that He is talking about natural disasters and such, not the evil in the human heart.
 
tabcom said:
**
Isaiah 45:7
I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil**: I the LORD do all these things.

Evil: from the Hebrew word Ra…
Click to expand...
tabcom said:
**1 Thessalonians 5:17

In all circumstances give thanks, for this is the will of God for you in Christ Jesus.

This would be a redundant statement if Paul was only refering to good circumstances in ones life.

Paul goes on to say that we are to keep the good and refrain from evil (verses 21, 22).]***

Hence, it is the will of God that brings good and evil into the life of the believer. And the believer is to give thanks for both.
Click to expand...
tabcom said:
**Let me quote from the NAB - USCCB (New American Bible
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops):

Isa 45:7
I form the light, and create the darkness, I make well-being and create woe; I, the LORD, do all these things.

Regardless as to how one wants to label it, calamity, woe, evil,
God says he created it.**
Click to expand...
tabcom
From previous thread you clearly state you believe in double predestination thus evil in that theory can only be designed testing by God which the participant is pre-designed to overcome. Those of us which reject double predestination can not use your foundation. Please note the forum is for clarifying Catholic questions so your anti Catholic (from previous threads) base renders you at best suspect in opinion in regard to the forum objectives.

However you are always welcome to return to Catholic teaching and the Church.
  • just more proof double predestination is not correct, Paul could not avoid god’s doing
 
runandsew said:
But I would contend that He is talking about natural disasters and such, not the evil in the human heart.
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**I provided the original Hebrew word Ra; and its definition, which is evil, woe, or calamity.

Would you be so kind as to provide Church Doctrine that contridicts this definition?**
 
tabcom said:
**I provided the original Hebrew word Ra; and its definition, which is evil, woe, or calamity.

Would you be so kind as to provide Church Doctrine that contridicts this definition?**
Click to expand...
If you read all of Isaiah in context, you will see that God is talking about being the only God, and talking about His attributes, and He is speaking how broad He reaches, comparing the sun from where it rises to where it sets, and Light and Dark, so He would be comparing peace to “unpeace” or calamity. Not comparing Good and evil.

The meaning Ra in that passage is whatever the word translated from the Hebrew word Ra, which would be the opposite of the Hebrew word, shalowm, or Peace.
That is why I think the other versions do more justice to that passage than the King James does.
And no, I can’t provide a church doctrine that would deal with Isaiah 45:7 right of the top of my head. I would have to do a little research on this.

In Genesis 1:31
And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

God created everything in the beginning, and everything God created was good. Evil is not good, and evil was not “created” later by God, because God only created things in the beginning. The potential for evil was there, and it came about because of the fall in the Garden of Eden, but God did not create it.

Unless the Bible contradicts itself, which it doesn’t, then this passage would show that God did not create evil.
 
Catholics follow the Magisterium, thank you for your alternative teachings.
 
Ever read St. Augustine’s “Privation of Good”? Evil does not exist of itself, but exists because of a lack of good.
Code: 
 The problem of evil is also another example of how we can combine science and religion. Albert Einstein had this to say:

  Can one measure cold? What is the unit of measure for cold? Celsius? No, that is a measure of heat. Cold exists when there is a lack of heat. The less heat, the more cold. Nothing can cause cold, but heat can be caused by many things. Darkness, how do we measure darkness? We can only measure light, in wavelengths. Lack of light=more darkness. Nothing causes darkness except for lack of light. Same with evil. Nothing causes evil except for lack of good, which we sometimes choose to do. Our choice is not "to do good or do bad", but rather "to do good or not do good" for we cannot choose to do something that doesn't exist of itself.
 
dbacks5439 said:
Ever read St. Augustine’s “Privation of Good”? Evil does not exist of itself, but exists because of a lack of good.
Code: 
 The problem of evil is also another example of how we can combine science and religion. Albert Einstein had this to say:

  Can one measure cold? What is the unit of measure for cold? Celsius? No, that is a measure of heat. Cold exists when there is a lack of heat. The less heat, the more cold. Nothing can cause cold, but heat can be caused by many things. Darkness, how do we measure darkness? We can only measure light, in wavelengths. Lack of light=more darkness. Nothing causes darkness except for lack of light. Same with evil. Nothing causes evil except for lack of good, which we sometimes choose to do. Our choice is not "to do good or do bad", but rather "to do good or not do good" for we cannot choose to do something that doesn't exist of itself.
Click to expand...
That would make sense, since when we sin we reject God, and since God is good, in that vacuum of “the rejection of God” in us would be filled with evil, the opposite of God’s goodness.
 
I take a more simplistic view, based, in part, on Scott Hahn’s Our Father’s Plan bible study series.

Why is there evil in the world?
Because good people do nothing.***

This goes all the way back to the beginning. Adam was present when the serpent was talking to Eve. Why was he silent? He could have smashed the serpent’s head. He could have led Eve away from the snake. In the Genesis account, the one thing that strikes me the most is that Adam did nothing to avert Eve from being in contact with the serpent.

Perhaps Adam was called to do spiritual warfare with the serpent, and instead he resigned himself to silence, which then led to the fall.

Why is there evil in the world?

Because good people do nothing to stop it.

Under such a view, one’s perception of “peace” changes as well. True peace is not everyone in the world tolerating evil, holding hands and singing Kumbaya. True peace is the created image of Christ in one’s soul, created through suffering and the process of Justification.

Jesus Christ told us that He would bring peace to his flock, but that He would bring conflict to the world. His Kingdom is not of this World, and so therefore, His Peace is not of this World.

Just something to meditate upon.

God Bless!
 
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