The following is a brief excerpt from a larger book.
For a fuller treatment of this subject as well as a better context, see:
I’d Like To Believe In Jesus, But… (The harder, less frequently discussed questions) By Bob Siegel
Published by CSN Books Copyright © 2007 by Bob Siegel All Rights Reserved
Published by Campus Ambassador Press Copyright © 1999 by Bob Siegel All Rights Reserved
This article is not to be reproduced without written permission from the author.
This difficult and understandable question is asked by religious and non religious alike. It is certainly hard to imagine an almighty supreme being who is capable of stopping evil, yet decides not to do so. Generally this is not so much a theoretical inquiry as a deeply personal concern. We have all experienced suffering to one degree or another, and some have suffered a great deal more than others. When people loose loved ones, whether through terrorism or in any other way, they are experiencing a void in their lives beyond description. Too often, Christians have supplied, quick, half hazard, artificial answers which help about as much as a blasting stereo helps a headache. I hope I can show more sensitivity than that, but I must also be honest: Nothing I say in this short piece (or a longer piece for that matter) will offer a whole lot of comfort. But perhaps there are some biblical teachings that will at least offer a little bit of hope and a little bit of perspective.
We must first of all remember that this is not a unique problem to Christianity. Any concept you have of God, whether religious or philosophical, must wrestle with this same question. If you believe in some kind of deity, you must also believe that this deity allows suffering in the world. How do we conclude this? Quite simply because suffering does exist. I know I’m being obvious, but sometimes in life, the obvious observation is the best place to start.
Second, suffering in the world is not a contradiction to the Bible. If the Bible predicted that we would never again see evil in the world after the death and resurrection of Jesus, then certainly this same Bible would have been disproved years ago. Quite the contrary, the Bible goes out of it’s way to predict that suffering will continue all the way up to the time of Christ’s second coming. (Incidentally, nobody knows when that is.) Three whole books of the Bible are dedicated to the theme of suffering, Job, Ecclesiastes and 1 Peter. Peter puts it well:
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. 1 Peter 4:12 NIV #
What then, does the Bible say about the relationship between God and evil? Well, to start with, evil is not a substance that one can put in a test tube. Good and evil are choices and actions. Therefore, God did not create good or evil. He created people. He created free will. Unfortunately, the ability to do right includes the ability to do wrong or it is not a true ability. The Bible tells us that God made men and women in His own image. (Gen 1:27) This means spiritual image. It does not mean that God has fingers and toes. It means we share some of God’s qualities. Like God, we are thinking, feeling, beings who create, who know right from wrong and who are responsible for our own choices.
If God had wanted, he could have constructed mindless robots or puppets on a string. Instead, he allowed us to be free agents. If God had wanted to force us into loving him, he could have whipped together some kind of love potion. But how many of us would want to force another human being to love us? Wouldn’t we prefer that they get to know us and love us voluntarily? Certainly, that is what God prefers.
My sister died in a car accident many years ago. I do not blame this horrible tragedy on Henry Ford because I realize that Ford invented the American automobile for good. I do however, blame the drunk driver who ran a red light and killed my sister. Likewise, when I see people stealing, committing murder, or perpetuating racism, I do not blame God. After all, the Bible issues commands against such evil. (Exodus 20, Gal 3:26-29) “Where is God,” I always hear, “when people are being victimized?” I have a better question. “Where are people, when their brothers and sisters are being victimized?” Seeing people disobey God and seeing what that has done to the world, we should conclude that God knew what He was talking about when He gave us the commandments. When terrorists murder men, women and babies, they, not God, are responsible.
Now, this doesn’t mean God sits back passively, uninterested in the world. When our lives are over, we will stand accountable before God for the kind of life we led. He may be a God who gives us free will but He is also a God who insists that we not abuse our free wills. If He made no such demand, he would not be just or a loving God. Isn’t it comforting to know that an Adolph Hitler who did so many atrocious things, then tried a fast get away by quickly taking a few cyanide capsules, will still receive justice for his actions? Doesn’t justice also suggest that the terrorists of 9-11 are answering to God for what they did, rather than being rewarded by God with 70 virgins? Yes, rest assured, God will deal very drastically and very completely with evil.
But the Day of Judgment is only one of two ways in which God eradicates sin. The truth is, all of us are guilty of sin (defined in Matt 7:12 as selfishness.) We may never have murdered, but Jesus says that if we have been angry without cause we still have the instinct of a murderer.(Matt. 5:21-22) Jesus spoke as much about our inward thoughts and motivations as he did about our actions.
Initially, I had trouble viewing myself as a sinner because I grew up as a law abiding citizen. But when I became honest with my inner self I realized that I needed to turn to God and accept his forgiveness through Jesus’ atonement on the cross.
Some say to me, “Why doesn’t God just wipe out all evil right now?” The answer is that all of us (at times) are guilty of some kind of evil. So, you want God to wipe out all evil today? Do you want him to start with you? Of course not. That’s why God came up with a better plan, a plan to accept those who are willing to repent of their selfishness. But whether we deal with our sin through the cross or through a future day of judgment, our sin will be dealt with. Make no mistake about it. Those who turn from their sin will spend an eternity with God as resurrected beings, living forever, in a place where evil will never be committed again, a place known as paradise, or heaven.
I’m sure I inspired more questions than answers. Perhaps in a future article we can dig into this with more depth. But for now, know that God is still on his throne and that He will someday completely deliver our world from evil. I hope this helps a little.
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