Evil

EVIL

Tough Issues Series Lesson I Part I

"Did God make evil?"

To begin our study on evil, we must lay the proper foundation. Let us lay this foundation by defining evil.

Evil-When good that should be there is missing from something, that is evil. After all, if I am missing a wart on my nose, that is not evil because the wart should not have been there in the first place. However, if a man lacks the ability to see, that is evil. Likewise, if a person lacks the kindness in his heart and respect for human life that should be there, then he may commit murder. Evil is, in reality, a parasite that cannot exist except as a hole in something that should be solid.#

The second major foundational block we must lay is to answer the question; WHERE DID EVIL COME FROM? The following example may help us understand correctly:

1. God made everything perfect.

2. One of the perfect things God made was free creatures.

3. Free will is the cause of evil.

4. So, imperfection (evil) can arise from perfection (not directly, but indirectly through freedom).#

If evil is essentially the lack of good, or the absence there of. Then would could make a summation that our free will gave us the ability to chose to be free of goodness.

If God made all, and does that mean God made evil? After all He created free will and free will allows us to choose to remove ourselves from God's goodness which in turn puts us into a place that is evil. The following provides us a basic example of the line of reasoning which leads one to accuse God of creating evil.

1. God is the author of everything.

2. Evil is something.

3. Therefore, God is the author of evil.#

The idea that God made evil is foolish. The Bible says when God looked upon His creation He said "it is good.", this means devoid of evil. However corruption entered into the creation. Augustine made a wonderful response regarding this issue to an apostate wishing to put the nature of duality (The idea of equally good and evil natures) upon God. Augustine said this:

"What is evil? Perhaps you will reply, Corruption. Undeniably this is a general definition of evil; for corruption implies