So, what is one burning question that has troubled human beings since seemingly forever?
I think it must be along the lines of “why doesn’t a loving God prevent evil, suffering and tragedy?”
This question about God has caused more people to falter, lose faith, hate God, renounce the existence of God, than any other question I can imagine.
Attributed to Epicurus, writing and teaching in about 300 BC, the problem was voiced this way-
Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then God is not all powerful.
Is God able, but not willing? Then God is malicious.
Is God both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is God neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?” Epicurus
This problem of evil and God’s seeming inability or unwillingness to do anything about it, yet still maintain God’s loving kindness, is known in theology as “theodicy”- or the act of Justifying God.
It’s not just atheists who use this issue to argue for the non-existence of God, but even believers have at one time or another wondered the whys and wherefores of this paradox.
‘I feel ceaselessly and increasingly torn, both in my intelligence and in the depth of my heart, by my inability to conceive simultaneously and in truth of the affliction of humans, the perfection of God, and the relation between the two.’ Simone Weil, Seventy Letters, Dec. 1942
This is such an important, complicated and divisive matter, that it will continue to be addressed in some future posts. But for now, let’s consider a couple of important points.
EVIL DEFINED
How do we define evil? Seemingly a simple question, but there are umpteen schools of thought concerning what can be deemed evil.
Simplifying the matter and pulling together various thoughts, evil is often defined as:
- Anything causing willful harm to others, society or the environment.
- That which brings about adverse and hurtful consequences
- An act motivated by an intent to cause injury, and pain.
- That which arouses emotional responses of resistance, horror, and repulsion.
- Existing only as a corruption of good.
How would you define evil?
The very fact that we can call something evil or corrupt indicates the reality of some sort of universal human moral sense, otherwise we would not even start to struggle with the problem of evil.
And the very fact that we have this innate moral sense of right and wrong, or conscience if you will, is an indicator that- that which created us also has a moral sense.
“Evil can only be known and measured against a standard of good. Apart from God and the morality that flows from Him there is no standard – and therefore no evil either. But we know in our hearts – it’s inescapable – that evil is real.”…When we say, ‘that was wrong‘…we’re betraying the fact that we know there is a higher standard – one that goes beyond people’s preferences of even society’s self-imposed laws. This innate knowledge of morality standards points to the existence of a Moral Lawgiver.” Mark Mittelberg
Evil falls into two categories- natural evil and moral evil.
Natural evil has to do with bad things that happen that do not involve a person’s neglect or intent. It includes such things as floods, tidal waves, mud slides, hurricanes, cancer, genetic defects, detached retina, etc.
Moral evil, on the other hand, involves the decision of a person and those actions which involve intent or neglect. These include murder, terrorism, domestic abuse, lying, kidnapping, libel, slander, and so forth.
There’s a lot to discuss about each category, but for today let’s consider moral evil.
MORAL EVIL AND ITS EXAMPLES
Moral evil is a result of someone’s choice to commit some act, or neglect to perform a vital duty that results in harm, suffering, tragedy and pain.
Pick up the newspaper, or listen to the nightly news, and you will find multiple examples of moral evil.
It seems to be everywhere, committed by people who seem to have no moral compass or inner integrity, to govern or control their selfish impulses.
Murder over a fight about a parking space.
Fist fights among parents at a children’s game.
Driving vehicles into crowds or firing guns at concerts, and randomly slaying innocent people.
Fastening bombs to children, women and young adults to die harming others, and for what? What is accomplished?
Taking drugs while pregnant and birthing a drug dependent infant.
Children shooting other children.
Rioting and looting.
Where does it end?
There appear to be no boundaries or limits any more. Anything goes.
And when something horrific, like 9/11, or almost a whole first grade class of vivacious 6 year olds is gunned down, people ask the age-old question- If God could have prevented such a tragedy, why didn’t God?
How could any loving God stand by and allow such a thing to happen?
It was said about the Holocaust, and the Irish potato famine, and the sinking of the Titanic. Where was God, and why did God not intervene?
And to understand some of the answer, we need to go back in time to one of the greatest freedoms granted to humans.
FREE WILL- GIFT OR CURSE?
How do you feel when you have no choice about some issue?
What if we were mandated to love God and follow God’s laws, and we had no other option but to obey?
Kings, Emperors, dictators, and Shahs, all have found that loyalty and devotion cannot be commanded and they were eventually disposed.
But Love? AH! That involves Choice. You can’t force someone to love you.
You cannot mandate or demand honest love. Real love always involves free choice, even against all odds.
Look at Romeo and Juliet.
DIVINE DECISION
Knowing that any kind of real relationship humans would have with the Divine had to include the freedom of choice, otherwise we would be like marionettes manipulated into a forced intimacy, we were given free will.
Consequently, for us as humans to experience love, God bestowed on us the freedom to make choices. Which means that we have the freedom to choose good, or evil, constructive or destructive practices, love or hate.
Did God know that free will was both a gift and a curse? But of course. Just as each one of us knows it. And just as God was aware that some humans would opt out of any relationship, yet still chose to grant us free will. Ultimately, we are individually responsible for our decisions and actions.
“In every single thing you do, you are choosing a direction. Your life is a product of choices.” – Dr. Kathleen Hall
It was an awesome Divine decision, because it meant many can choose to reject God and walk away.
AND THE RESULT?
I refer you again to today’s newspaper to see just how many have taken that option of turning away from God.
- The speeding car that rams into a van killing a whole extended family? Chose to speed.
- The drunk who drives over two children in a crosswalk? Choice- drunk driving.
- The apartment fire where several elderly residents perish? Choice- arson
- The peaceful protest that turns into a melee? Choice- reactions on both sides
- The disgruntled, fired employee returning with a gun and killing workers? Choice- he chose violence and harm.
And if you are reading the newspaper, it’s hard to find news of the good choices, but they are there. Unfortunately, they just don’t sell newspapers!
Never believe that a few caring people can’t change the world. For, indeed, that’s all who ever have. – Margaret Mead
DOES FREE WILL EXONERATE GOD FROM NON-INTERVENTION ?
God doesn’t create evil. We do just fine all by ourselves, thank you!
How many times- do you think- in 24 hours in one city in one state in the USA would God have to intervene to prevent bad choices resulting in harm, pain, suffering and death from happening?
Now multiply that by every town and city in the USA, and then add all the other places in the world. And what would we have?
We’d be over-run with people who accepted no responsibility for their own decisions, behavior and actions. They’d expect to be extracted from every adverse situation. Society would remain at a toddler mentality.
Free will is a double-edged sword! It gives each of us decision-making powers and abilities, but it doesn’t protect us from making wrong choices.
“You always do what you want to do. This is true with every act. You may say that you had to do something, or that you were forced to, but actually, whatever you do, you do by choice. Only you have the power to choose for yourself.” – W. Clement Stone
Learning the difference between good, life-enhancing choices and irresponsible, life-defeating choices is part of why we are here in the first place.
It is our choices … that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities.
– J. K. RowlinIg (Harry Potter and The Chamber of Secrets)
CALL TO ACTION
The tension produced by choice is what causes the soul to grow and mature .
“What I allow into my head finds its way to my heart, which is a porthole to my soul. Therefore, I might be wise to consider the state of my soul, and then walk this process backwards.”― Craig D. Lounsbrough
“For every choice you make, there is a consequence to face. Choose wisely!”― Kemi Sogunle
Might I suggest you watch the 2 short videos below where Free Will is discussed. There are many who wish to dismiss free will as not actually existing. Noam Chomsky, on the other hand, argues that they cannot prove that and so far- how free will works is unknown.
NOAM CHOMSKY 
