If God is omnibenevolent, then why is there evil in the world?

Question

When people ask "If God is omnibenevolent, then why is there evil in the world?", the normal reply is "Because God wishes us to have free will. So He allows us the option to turn our backs against Him and thereby to bring evil into our lives."

My counter-point then is this:

God was the one who created the universe. So He defined what "Free Will" is, and what "evil" is. He *could* have created another form of free will which did not allow us to do evil - but He did not.

A response to *that* is to say "Yes. But God has a plan we cannot understand. All of this - including the form of free will He created in us - is part of that plan. And this plan is one that we cannot understand."

And my response to *that* is:

OK - but God also created our minds and our intelligence. He could also have made us in such a way as to have an understanding of His plan, and thereby removed the obvious cruely in giving us free will which neccessarily implies evil. But He did do that either.

Answer 1

This may sound simplisitic but this is the way I see it...  He wanted it to be a choice.  Yes, this goes back to free will...  I think it's like being a parent.  Before I had a child I had my future child's life completely planned out.  I spent alot of time thinking about what I would do to form the child  to create the best possible outcomes.  I purchased what I thought were the perfect teaching toys, clothes etc.  After I had a baby I found out two things.  First I found that the baby had his own plan.  He very much has his own personality and although I can guide he just won't be forced.  Second I found that because I love him and he's part of me I want him to explore who he is.  This was kind of a big suprise to me.  Now I want him to be totally himself with guidance from me.  He will make mistake that I can't controll.  He will make many more positive choices as a result of my guidance.  Forcing someone to become what they aren't doesn't make someone change it just makes them angry and resentful.

Answer 2

that's why some believe and some don't.

i believe in evolution AND god. i believe that free will/intellect/good/evil evolve too and that they aren't what they once were.

i don't claim to be some highly educated scholar, but i think god created what he wanted. while it may be a "cruel" design, nothing worth doing/having is ever easy. if there's a prize at the end, you've got to work hard for it.

Answer 3

GOD GAVE US FREE WILL!

Answer 4

Opposites exist by virtue of one another. You cannot have good in the absence of evil, just like you cannot have light where there is no darkness.

I take it that your position is that this 'God" created the Universe, but only the good  in it not not evil, only the light but not the darkness - in that case ,only the darkness (and evil by analogy) will stand the test of absolute reality, since they will be eternal, but not the opposites. And how can you have an eternal or non-eternal quality that has a non-eternal or eternal quality for its opposite? But what we would have is even more impossible - that there be no opposite at all!   Worse,"God" being 'Light' ,will be non-etenal too and inferior to darkness on the plane of reality, not to mention that he would have had the impossible task of creating himself.

I hope this helps.

.......GRIBBLIN: in that case, we should strive to commit evil so as to obey God.  Is it not healthier and a freedom from all this philosophical jugglery in debating whether to credit or deny attributes to a creator, to hold that everything is eternal like the seed and the sprout? This is my view. A creator does not exist because it is not necessary that he exist.

Answer 5

I reckon that's the eternal question...

Answer 6

Wars are never pleasant but humanity is being prepared for the next phase of life after death.

Answer 7

To doubt means to think. Doubts form a system called judging.

A doubt that doubted everything would not be a doubt.

Doubt itself rests only on what is beyond doubt.

Doubt comes only after belief.

What . . . do you believe?

Answer 8

Oh pull-eazzzzzzze.   You've got yourself in so many 'Catch 22's', you are arguing in favor of more and more limitations.  The theories of why God created evil, or if he did (He created 'everything', right?), are grouped in a term  of association: theodicy.  Right out of the gate, we might inquire of the primitive societies, to gain perspective and move to higher and higher objective forms of development and organization.  When you get to the level of 'Comparative Religion' you will come across every possible rational, and reasonable schools of thought.   G*d, the God of Moses, the Trinity, the God of Christianity, and Allah of Islam, share in the granting of benevolence.  But is every gift that is given you the charge of your theodicy?  How about coincidence?  Is One God enough for this vast universe and this troubled planet?

Argue against your limitations!!!

Answer 9

Let you give you my approach to this question, as a Christian who still to this day doubts but i still i have strong belief in God.

   I believe that first and foremost, God gave us choice. Choice to do good or bad, right or wrong. He did this so that we would have to CHOOSE to love him, because beings that were built to love him automatically would be fake. This choice that he gave us also allows us to make bad decisions, because we are imperfect.

      

       As you say, He could have created us not to do evil, but then he would not be giving us free will and we would be in a sense "nice robots" that couldn't do anything out of line. This would also prohibit us from finding God and loving him in a personal sense.

     When you say that God could have shown us his plan, that would defeat the purpose of finding him for ourselves. God created us so that we would have childlike faith and him and follow his word, because if you do follow the bible it does make your life super easy I tried doing that for a week :-P

Answer 10

well,... God , wait.  show me Where in the bible ,

  that god created the Universe? and don't give me 'Genius'.Not ONCE in that chapter did he /she ever mention evil / satan ?/ it says Earths creation....., God being Omnibenevolent ...stop ...show me in the bible of this god that these people speak of...

the if's in your leading sentence.... would that be your Faith?  You have faith in If's? (Please this is  not meant to offend you ) I wrote my lifes paths & try to be a good person - learn and Go home . I believe..no I have Faith that we all have.

Now cruelty in givin' us free Will.. PLease... How can one learn ? About the things we need to move on... "In my fathers house , there are many mansions,,,

We only know the good? here's one for you , How do you know good is  good?    because you have tasted Bad.. free will does not  imply  EIVL..... Why must you question your own Faith ? Or your maker for that matter.... sorry dear, I just want to understand where your negitivity comes from??

His plan - His plan..... not your plan ... or is it?

okay - okay... i'll leave you...    the way you have if's in your  ,(Omnibenevolent)God....  I'd be safe to say " hey it's not the devil ... it's only god when he's Drunk!!!!!

Answer 11

May I add that God is omnipresent, thus any separation from 'us' and God is an illusion of the ego.  The so-called 'evil' of the world is based on perception and conditional, and often we neglect to consider the omnipresence of God.  Therefore the question would be, "why would God be 'evil' to Itself?", assuming you consider It omnipresent.  The answer is that 'good' and 'evil' only have existence in the dualistic mind, and that we cannot presume to comprehend the omniscience of God, except by identifying with It.

Answer 12

Perhaps the easiest answer to this hypothesis is that God is not omnibenevolent. Have you considered that God might be detached from human affairs or apathetic towards our fate? The Christian belief in a caring, benevolent God could be incorrect. Maybe God doesn't care. Or maybe he doesn't even exist.

Answer 13

God is an imaginary being that exist in people's imagination.

God cannot influences the physical world directly.

God can only affect the mind of the faithful and drive them nuts.

Answer 14

I think the misconception is in the idea that people have of God being separate, or 'out there' somewhere. But he didn't just create everything, he is everything (and I hate using "He", but don't like using "It" either). So people wait for the God 'out there' to do something, instead of doing the right thing themselves, which is how God gets things done.

So just like with other things, if you use something  for what it is meant to be used for, everything is good. (eg, use your time on this world to make it a better place)  But if you use something for which it is not intended, you're messing up.