The Problem of Evil

        Murder, rape and other violent crimes, as well as hurricanes and other natural disasters, are more frequent today than in the near past. This being the case, many people are asking, if God is all loving and all powerful, why does He allow evil to exist? To address this issue, since it is directed at God, the most logical place to look is with God Himself. He speaks to man through His word, the Bible. 

        The first step would be to look at the problem of evil. In the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, it states, “There is no one problem, because there are various kinds of problems of evil, and all are different.”[1] It goes on to say that, from a theological standpoint, known as a theodicy, the view, in question, must not contradict itself; not that it cannot contradict the questioner’s views or the beliefs of another theistic system.[2] Therefore, the questioner has to weigh the theodicy and then evaluate whether there is any contradiction.

        The Bible says that God created everything that was created, including man and He made man in His image (Gen. 1:27; Gen. 5:1; Deut. 4:32; Eph. 4:24, NKJV). He gave man an inherent knowledge of right and wrong and he gave this man, Adam, one command, “Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Gen. 2:16-17, NKJV). Adam had a personal relationship with God; yet he disobeyed Him. This is where the first problem of evil begins (for mankind).

        According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, there are two types of evil: moral and natural.[3] However, while different, you cannot separate them. Moral evil is the act whereby man breaks God’s law; while natural evil, hurricanes, etc., are a result of man’s sinfulness.[4] When Adam chose to willfully disobey God, he brought God’s curse, not only upon mankind but on the earth itself. God created perfection; man invited sin and corruption.

        There are various theodicies; one is that of Gottfried Leibniz. His theodicy is based on metaphysics. He states that God, if He indeed is good, would have to put man in the absolute best environment and under the best conditions for him to thrive.[5] He also reasons that “God always operates on the basis of sufficient reason.”[6] Summed up, if man can best thrive in a world that contains both moral good and moral evil, God would have to provide this environment for Him (God) to be just and good. While Leibniz does not contradict himself, the questioner may not agree with him. 

        Other theodicies, “rest upon a modified rationalistic theology.”[7] Basic points of these theodicies are: (1) God is not under obligation to create any world because His existence is the supreme good; (2) creating a world is a good thing but not the only good thing He could do and whatever He does is based on reason but these reasons are not necessarily universal law; (3) there are a limitless number of worlds He could create but some are inherently evil by nature, therefore He could not create them but there are other good worlds He could create. There is no such thing as a best possible world. (4) Lastly, God had the choice to create or not, as He so chose.[8]  

        According to the Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, the problem of evil arises in this theodicy. One such problem is whether this world is one of the good worlds; another problem is the sinful acts carried out by creatures that God created for this world, supposing that God created a world where evil did not exist.[9]    

        A theodicy, to have merit, must be internally consistent. It must show that God is good, while not removing evil from the world. As an act of perfect love, God gave man the free will to choose or reject Him. Anything less and man would not have the freedom to choose and that would not be perfect love. As a further act of perfect love, God prepared a plan of redemption for fallen man, the perfect sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. God gave man the option to choose but provides a way back into fellowship with Him for eternity (John 1:1-14; Acts 3:13-26).

        Sin separates man from God and an unrepentant man cannot be in fellowship with God because God is holy. He must first repent and confess his sin; then God will hear him and abide with him and give him eternal life. A believer may have questions for or about God, Job and his friends did. Although they all disputed certain beliefs about God, He showed His great mercy and forgave them. (Job 2:11-42:17). The believer is expected to pray and study God’s word; if he does, God will reveal His truths to that person; however, if a person chooses to believe a thing based on convenience or selfish motivation, God will deal with him.   

         

Bibliography

Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, 2001.

What is the problem of evil?

Define moral evil and natural evil, and illustrate them with examples.

Seek to explain why there is sin among mankind (the philosophical problem of moral evil) and why bad things happen in nature (the philosophical problem of natural evil). Consider the various theodicies presented in the reading, and address the merits and faults of each one.

Briefly explain why a theodicy must be internally consistent, and defend the internal consistency of your explanation of evil’s existence.

Consider how personal experience of evil may affect one’s relationship with God (the religious problem of evil).  Do you believe someone can dispute a certain belief about God without actually attacking God Himself?

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        [1].  Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, 2001), 414.

        [2]. Ibid., 414.

        [3]. Walter A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House Company, 2001), 412.

        [4]. Ibid., 412

        [5]. Ibid., 1185.

        [6]. Ibid., 1185.

        [7]. Ibid., 1185.

      

        [8]. Ibid., 1185.

        [9]. Ibid., 1185.

“Johnny, My Beloved Son”

Some time ago, I wrote about my brother Johnny who had Down Syndrome. This week, Joni Ericson Tada aired his story on her program, “Joni and Friends.” For those who don’t realize the atrocities done to the less fortunate or unwanted, this will open your eyes. While this occurrence took place in the 1940’s, things haven’t changed much, with the exception that thousands of children are being aborted because it is possible they have some type of disorder, based on test that were not available back then.  

You can listen by clicking on the following link:

http://www.joniandfriends.org/radio/

Click on, “Johnny, My Beloved Son”

Many Americans are asking “where is GOD?” We kicked Him out of our schools, our court rooms, our government institutions and we kill our children (among other things).

Every child is of value, and as King David said,

For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb.
I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well. My frame was not hidden from You, When I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed. And in Your book they all were written, the days fashioned for me, when as yet there were none of them. How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You. 

                                                                                               –Psalm 139:13-18, NKJV 

Our children are precious unto the Lord. If you are considering an abortion or placing your child in an institution, please prayerfully reconsider. If you have already done so and you are living with the pain of regret, it’s not too late. Cry out to God and He will hear you and receive you. He will forgive your sins and heal your broken heart. All of us need to support the rights of the mentally and physically challenged, as well as all unborn babies.

God bless~

Smith K. H.

When I went into the Marines, I did my basic training, or “Boot Camp,” at Parris Island; a lovely little island off the coast of South Carolina. Of course I say this with much sarcasm; but I digress.

One of the first things we were issued was a name stamp. It came in this little metal container that had a stamp, ink pad, and little rubber letters and punctuation marks that you tore off and attached to the stamp so you could mark everything you now owned (which wasn’t much). You stamped your cammies (camouflage uniforms), your boots, socks and skivvies (underwear). There was even a proper way to fold your uniform items so that if anyone opened your footlocker, they would see your “stuff” with your name staring back at them. Having your items clearly marked this way would insure no-one could steal your stuff or that it could get mixed up with someone else’s in the laundry.   

Mine read: “SMITH  K. H.”

While I was in the Philippines, some of the guys had uniforms to come up missing. We had “house boys” (odd name because they were all men older than us) that we paid to wash our uniforms and help do some of the things we didn’t have time to do. It was protested that the house boys were stealing the uniforms to sell on the black market. Our First Sgt. Vehemently denied that this was the case but a few months later, one of the platoon commanders was in a city several miles away and browsing an open market. He was looking at some uniforms they had on a table and low and behold, there was the name of one of his troops, stamped right in the collar where you couldn’t miss it. This lost piece of clothing, so far from home, was found. There was no arguing the rightful owner.

Who’s stamp is on you?

Whether you know it or not, there is a stamp on you. You either belong to Jesus Christ or the devil.

“And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” –Eph. 4:30

^“Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherub, where it had been, to the threshold of the temple. And He called to the man clothed with linen, who had the writer’s inkhorn at his side; and the Lord said to him, “Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the foreheads of the men who sigh and cry over all the abominations that are done within it.”  -Ezek. 9:3-4

^“And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” –Rev. 20:4

Then a third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, “If anyone worships the beast and his image, and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand, he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out full strength into the cup of His indignation. He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb. And the smoke of their torment ascends forever and ever; and they have no rest day or night, who worship the beast and his image, and whoever receives the mark of his name.” -Rev. 14:9-11

If you have not received Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you have the stamp of Satan on you. Why not receive the Lord Jesus and receive His stamp of ownership today? Once you have His stamp, it can never be washed away. No one can pluck you out of His hand.

“My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. I and My Father are one.” –John 10:27-30

I am praying that you would make this choice if you have not already done so.

God bless~