Can God be blamed for evil within the world?
This question was raised by a confirmation student. While I wrestle with this question, it is one that all people wrestle with. There are evil things that happen all around our life. A fire will destroy someone's home, a flood will destroy farm lands and the death of a loved one. These are all terrible things that happen within the world around us. Yet is God the one who causes these events? I would argue that God does not however, God has the power to stop them. This is quite the distinction.
For the original cause did not come from God, such that we know. For God knew the difference between good and evil. This was something that God did not intend for us to know. Yes God created us, happy, healthy and enjoying the world around us. It was not until we disobeyed God and learned the difference between good and evil that suffering truly began. For the punishment for disobeying God is death. However, God had mercy on us. Instead of killing us out right, God allowed us to leave the Garden and into the rest of the creation. There within the creation, humankind had to work in order to survive. It was not simply a gift. They had to earn and sustain that gift, for now they had to strive to continue living.
As the relationship between God and humankind continued. God was not pleased with these creatures and the choices that they made. So God chose one man who would be worthy to remain along with his family. This man would survive a great flood, a flood that would destroy all living creature within the creation. Whether this was good or not, depends on which side of the flood you were on. To be one who was in the flood, it would have seemed cruel. However, God saw no other means to change the people.
After the flood, humankind and God maintained a good relationship. However, the creatures soon wandered away from God. They sought out other things that they felt would help them, other gods that they created, and ways of lives that would make them happy. God was a witness to these events. Sending his own messangers in among the people. Within two cities, the messengers were able to find only one family that was righteous in the eyes of God. God passed judgement upon cities. The judgement was complete destruction.
This message of judgement upon these cities was not enough to have people take notice. The people gave other explanations. Ultimately God gave clear statements of the expectations that God would have upon the people. There were only ten things that the people would have to do and through those things, they would have good relationships with God and with one another. These ten things proved to be too much for the people to follow. The people would complain and God would punish through death. God sent the people into the wilderness due to their lack of faith in God. During this time in the wilderness, God would have the people rely upon God providing all that they would need.
The people were in the wilderness for 40 years. Then they were ready to follow God and receive the Promise Land that God had for them. Once they got the land, they looked around at the other people. They had a king to rule over them. God's people, wanted a king. They wanted a king to lead them and not God. God gave them the king but also gave them a prophet who would speak the Word of God among them.
I share these accounts because they are indeed evidence that God does do what we consider evil within the world. However, they are done with a warning: an understanding of what the people should be doing. The punishment comes after the statement. Yet it would appear that most of the people would ignore the announcement for change. Time and time again, God would send a prophet, someone to carry the message of God to the people.
Then Jesus came. The Son of God, the final prophet and the lamb to be sacrificed on our behalf. The life of Jesus fits this model. For three years from the time of his Baptism to the time of his trial and death. He brought forth the warning and teachings from God. A warning of the Kingdom of God is near. This message was given up until the very end. Even during Jesus' time with Pontias Pilate, Jesus was stating that his kingdom was not of this world.
At last, the people cried for the death of Jesus. Was this evil? A crowd of people shouting and crying out for another person's death. The death that they were crying for was crucifixion. Death on a cross, with hours of suffering in the sun. We can look back at the situation and state YES. Yet that is precisely what happened, that God allowed to happen so that you would know that Christ did indeed die. A public death, a death filled with suffering and evil.
Three days after this death on the cross, Jesus rose from the grave. Here through the resurrection, Jesus was victorious over Sin, Death, and Evil. That's right, each one of these were destroyed. And yet, there is still people harming other people, there are still people who are old and children who are dying, and statements that things are evil within the world. So where is the victory? Why didn't these things end after Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God?
The old world in which sin death, and evil were present is still dying. The arrival of the Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke about is still breaking into the world. So how can that be called a victory? We claim it as victory because death is not the end of us. Sin does not condemn us to a life of misery and an eternity of burning in hell. Evil does not take away the good, hope, and light within the world.
Well that's all well and good but what is the proof and what is the evidence? Well for starters look around you. You are alive, there are people dying, there are people who are healthy but there are others who are ill, people suffer at the decisions that they make and their decisions affect others around them. All those things were around before Jesus too. Yes, you are correct but they are the evidence that God is giving you. If you do not realize and hear the message, I would invite you to stop and wonder, why?
During World War II, Jewish people were gathered together by the Nazi's. Some were gathered to work to supply the army with needed materials but others were simply killed for being Jewish. Remember, the Jewish people were the Chosen People of God. In one of the camps that the Jews were placed into, the held a trial. They placed God on trial for crimes against God's People. Witnesses were called, testimonies were shared, cruel and inhumane actions were blamed upon God for allowing them to happen. At the end of the trial, the jury gathered together and determined that God was indeed GUILTY. After the verdict was read, the people gathered together to worship God. Yes the very God that they just found guilty. For God was the one who held the power, hope and healing that the people longed for.
Above all, Can God be blamed for evil within the world? Yes. However, in the end, God is God and you are not. You can deny God, the statements that God makes and the actions that God does. Once you have done that then what? You are still left with God and yourself. You remain in the same place but now you have someone to blame and yet no hope, no future, and no God for comfort.
For the logical this seems like a choice. That a person must chose to be with God. However, from God's perspective, the choice was already made for you by God.
For the original cause did not come from God, such that we know. For God knew the difference between good and evil. This was something that God did not intend for us to know. Yes God created us, happy, healthy and enjoying the world around us. It was not until we disobeyed God and learned the difference between good and evil that suffering truly began. For the punishment for disobeying God is death. However, God had mercy on us. Instead of killing us out right, God allowed us to leave the Garden and into the rest of the creation. There within the creation, humankind had to work in order to survive. It was not simply a gift. They had to earn and sustain that gift, for now they had to strive to continue living.
As the relationship between God and humankind continued. God was not pleased with these creatures and the choices that they made. So God chose one man who would be worthy to remain along with his family. This man would survive a great flood, a flood that would destroy all living creature within the creation. Whether this was good or not, depends on which side of the flood you were on. To be one who was in the flood, it would have seemed cruel. However, God saw no other means to change the people.
After the flood, humankind and God maintained a good relationship. However, the creatures soon wandered away from God. They sought out other things that they felt would help them, other gods that they created, and ways of lives that would make them happy. God was a witness to these events. Sending his own messangers in among the people. Within two cities, the messengers were able to find only one family that was righteous in the eyes of God. God passed judgement upon cities. The judgement was complete destruction.
This message of judgement upon these cities was not enough to have people take notice. The people gave other explanations. Ultimately God gave clear statements of the expectations that God would have upon the people. There were only ten things that the people would have to do and through those things, they would have good relationships with God and with one another. These ten things proved to be too much for the people to follow. The people would complain and God would punish through death. God sent the people into the wilderness due to their lack of faith in God. During this time in the wilderness, God would have the people rely upon God providing all that they would need.
The people were in the wilderness for 40 years. Then they were ready to follow God and receive the Promise Land that God had for them. Once they got the land, they looked around at the other people. They had a king to rule over them. God's people, wanted a king. They wanted a king to lead them and not God. God gave them the king but also gave them a prophet who would speak the Word of God among them.
I share these accounts because they are indeed evidence that God does do what we consider evil within the world. However, they are done with a warning: an understanding of what the people should be doing. The punishment comes after the statement. Yet it would appear that most of the people would ignore the announcement for change. Time and time again, God would send a prophet, someone to carry the message of God to the people.
Then Jesus came. The Son of God, the final prophet and the lamb to be sacrificed on our behalf. The life of Jesus fits this model. For three years from the time of his Baptism to the time of his trial and death. He brought forth the warning and teachings from God. A warning of the Kingdom of God is near. This message was given up until the very end. Even during Jesus' time with Pontias Pilate, Jesus was stating that his kingdom was not of this world.
At last, the people cried for the death of Jesus. Was this evil? A crowd of people shouting and crying out for another person's death. The death that they were crying for was crucifixion. Death on a cross, with hours of suffering in the sun. We can look back at the situation and state YES. Yet that is precisely what happened, that God allowed to happen so that you would know that Christ did indeed die. A public death, a death filled with suffering and evil.
Three days after this death on the cross, Jesus rose from the grave. Here through the resurrection, Jesus was victorious over Sin, Death, and Evil. That's right, each one of these were destroyed. And yet, there is still people harming other people, there are still people who are old and children who are dying, and statements that things are evil within the world. So where is the victory? Why didn't these things end after Jesus ascended into Heaven and is seated at the right hand of God?
The old world in which sin death, and evil were present is still dying. The arrival of the Kingdom of God that Jesus spoke about is still breaking into the world. So how can that be called a victory? We claim it as victory because death is not the end of us. Sin does not condemn us to a life of misery and an eternity of burning in hell. Evil does not take away the good, hope, and light within the world.
Well that's all well and good but what is the proof and what is the evidence? Well for starters look around you. You are alive, there are people dying, there are people who are healthy but there are others who are ill, people suffer at the decisions that they make and their decisions affect others around them. All those things were around before Jesus too. Yes, you are correct but they are the evidence that God is giving you. If you do not realize and hear the message, I would invite you to stop and wonder, why?
During World War II, Jewish people were gathered together by the Nazi's. Some were gathered to work to supply the army with needed materials but others were simply killed for being Jewish. Remember, the Jewish people were the Chosen People of God. In one of the camps that the Jews were placed into, the held a trial. They placed God on trial for crimes against God's People. Witnesses were called, testimonies were shared, cruel and inhumane actions were blamed upon God for allowing them to happen. At the end of the trial, the jury gathered together and determined that God was indeed GUILTY. After the verdict was read, the people gathered together to worship God. Yes the very God that they just found guilty. For God was the one who held the power, hope and healing that the people longed for.
Above all, Can God be blamed for evil within the world? Yes. However, in the end, God is God and you are not. You can deny God, the statements that God makes and the actions that God does. Once you have done that then what? You are still left with God and yourself. You remain in the same place but now you have someone to blame and yet no hope, no future, and no God for comfort.
For the logical this seems like a choice. That a person must chose to be with God. However, from God's perspective, the choice was already made for you by God.
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