The Christian God and the evil we do!

One of the biggest questions among many people Christians, and non-Christians alike, is "If God is good, how can He allow so much evil in the world?"


The answer to this question, and many others like it, although on the surface is simple, is actually quite complex.  So let's look at it in detail from the position of orthodoxy.  If you read this, and have comments, or questions, feel free to leave them on the site.

God IS good, and allows evil, so that we CAN CHOOSE good.

Now that I have expressed the simple, lets dig a little into the complexity.  If God is truly good, and All powerful, why would He allow people to hurt others when He COULD prevent it?

God is a father, not an inventor of robots.  He has chosen to give His children freedom of choice.  We are free to choose to do good, or harm.  Unfortunately, this means that people get hurt.  A wise man once said, "If we are careful enough, we can miss sadness, and happiness." We cannot truly choose good, if we do not have the opportunity to choose evil.  So God allows His children to hurt others.  Does He like it?  Absolutely NOT!  But He HAS to allow it.  Could He stop it? Yes He could, but He can't and still allow choice.  As a father myself, I have seen my children hurt each other many times. This pains ME, too, but I do not stop them ALL THE TIME ! I could, but then they would not have the opportunity to learn from the tragedy of harming another.  Sometimes I do stop them, when it is truly dangerous, or excessively hurtful, and I subject them to a lesson on why they should not act that way!  At other times, tho' I let them hash it out, and then they end up making up, and learning for themselves why they should not act that way.  They also learn how it feels to hurt, and to be hurt.  This actually serves to improve their character.  The Bible reminds us that if we, as imperfect as we are, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more, does our HEAVENLY FATHER Who is perfect give good gifts to His children!  (based on Matthew 7:11) Does this mean that it is good for us to be hurt, or to hurt others?  God forbid!  Of course not, but we CAN learn from it, and the learning to humble ourselves, and apologize, IS good for us.  God being both All-Powerful, and All-Knowing, could stop us, and prevent us from harming each other, but again, there is that whole freedom of choice thing. God is also the pure essence of Love, and does not wish any of His children to be hurt, or to hurt others.  Again, very complicated, because it is difficult for us to understand how a GOOD, LOVING GOD, could allow such evil, hurtful behavior.  It doesn't seem to make sense.  What makes even less sense is that this same God, came down from heaven, to live as one of us, to die for us, to make up for the hurt we caused!  He created us for love, and fellowship.  We turned our backs on Him, and were disobedient.  He died to pay the penalty!

This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for^b our sins.  Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.

^b Or as the one who would turn aside his wrath, taking away

The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984). 1 Jn 4:10-11.

I know, this still does not completely explain the original question!  The thing is, a God Who is All-Powerful, All-Knowing, All-Loving, and Perfect allows us to choose, because He wants us to choose to do what is right, even though He knows what we will do, before we even do it.  He even already paid the penalty for what we will do!  Does this make it ok to do the wrong thing?  Absolutely NOT! It just means that He has already also made provision for healing for those who have been hurt, as well as those who hurt others.  We just have to CHOOSE to LET Him heal us, and our relationships, and continue to Love Him to the best of our ability.

Thank You, Jesus!  My Savior, My God, My friend!

Creation and us...

Many people read the Bible and do not believe it, because of what looks like contradictions within it. One such example is the story of the Creation of the Earth and all that is in it.  People say that there are two different accounts of the creation. This is actually not true.  There is only one story of creation, but it is told two different, yet complimentary ways.  First, we have the orderly account in Genesis 1 - 2:4. Second, we have the focus on the creation of man. This second perspective is not a separate view of creation, but rather shows the preeminence of man over all other parts of creation. Man, after all was created in God's image and likeness. God put man in charge of the creation, and told him to fill the earth and subdue it.

People also get wrapped around the axle on the issue of wives for the first people. The Scriptures tell us Adam and Eve had 3 sons (Cain, Abel, and Seth), then mentions that after Seth was born, Adam lived another 800 years and had other sons and daughters. But it does not talk about where Cain and Seth got their wives. Obviously they married their sisters. Now before you freak out, remember that when man was created, we were perfect, made in God's likeness, and there was no sickness, or genetic problems, therefore this would not create a problem. The Bible also does not lay down timelines of when these people got married, only occasionally when they fathered a particular child.

Another reason some people choose not to believe it is all the evil in the world.  But I will deal with that in a separate post.  Look again soon

Death, Destruction, Rebirth, Reconciliation

What does the title of this segment have to do with Christianity, and the difference between Christianity and all other religions?  You must read the entire article to see!


Today, I attended the funeral Mass for my uncle Paul.  As odd as it may seem, I enjoyed it.  Let me explain.  I am not glad he is dead.  I am glad that he is with Jesus, and not suffering.  As it says in the Scriptures, Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. 
The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984). 1 Th 4:13.

The thing is, we celebrated his life, and our memories of him.  

The sermon (homily) and eulogy were both very appropriate and related well to the Scriptures used in the celebration: Romans 8:18-27 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that^a the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God.  We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently. In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will.

^a Or subjected it in hope. For

The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984). Ro 8:18-27. 

and Matthew 28:16-20  Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in^a the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

^a Or into; see Acts 8:16; 19:5; Romans 6:3; 1 Cor. 1:13; 10:2 and Gal. 3:27.

The Holy Bible : New International Version, electronic ed. (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1996, c1984). Mt 28:16-20.  

The priest talked about how my uncle had lived thru suffering, yet without complaining about it, and how he was looking forward to his new life with God.  Not that he gave up fighting for his life here in this world, but he was looking forward to being with God.  He spoke about how the Holy Spirit was present with my uncle during his suffering, and then he went on to talk about how Uncle Paul had been a witness to Jesus wherever he went, and in this way, he fulfilled the "Great Commission." 

My uncle Jim gave the eulogy, and talked about how uncle Paul was not perfect. He struggled thru life.  He was not the best son, the best father, the best husband, or the best brother.  But Paul did love his siblings, his parents, his children, and spouse.  He was a man sorry for his sins, and interested in reconciliation with those from whom he was estranged.  He loved God, and was looking forward to being with Him. Uncle Paul was a great kidder.  He loved to tease, but he would always end his visit assuring his host(ess) that he loved him(her).  He was a fanatic about bowling, from his early days as a child, setting the pins (yes people had to do that at one time, not machines), then as a professional bowler later he scored 2 perfect 300 games.  Uncle Paul had served in the military (Air Force) and was a long haul truck driver.  He loved to travel, and enjoyed the diversity America has to offer.  

My uncle Paul had been diagnosed about 20 years ago with esophageal cancer, and given 6 months to live.  Miraculously, he not only survived, he thrived for the remainder of his life, until about 10 weeks ago.  He succumbed to heart failure, pneumonia, and many other maladies taking him in and out of a hospital and hospice for the last 9 weeks of his life.  His body just shut down, and tho' he fought hard, he just could not recover.

Death and destruction are normal parts of life.  They end our physical life, leading to a rebirth of spiritual life IF we are part of God's family thru Christ.  Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me."  He also said thru the Apostle Paul, "If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, behold the new is come." Jesus said that he had come that we might have life, and have it abundantly.  He sacrificed His life, so we could be reconciled to God.  We were separated by sin from God, and suffered spiritual, as well as physical death.  Jesus conquered death by willingly dying altho' He had not sinned, thereby breaking the bondage of sin and death.  Therefore, those who have been redeemed by Christ's death will not suffer a spiritual death, and even if they die physically prior to Jesus' return, they will be resurrected to spend eternity with Him.