Evil, Suffering and a Loving God
The question of evil and suffering is the most difficult and complex for the Christian evangelist. It also appears to be the most significant and profound for the non-Christian. Deep wounds in a person's heart is so often the cause of their resistance to God, masked by fake arguments fabricated in their mind. I've learned time and time again, that you can throw the best counter arguments at someone and pile up mountains of evidence for the existence of God, it can be to no avail if you don't deal with the issue deep in the person's heart. To further this problem, more likely than not, the skeptic may not even have knowledge of these wounds in his heart, seeing they may have formed at an early age.
The best evangelist/apologist follows the lead of the Holy Spirit, get's past the apologetic questions quickly and effectively, and then digs down deep in an effort to expose the skeptic's heart issues. The problem of pain and suffering is often there waiting to be confronted. Heart issues are in no way limited to pain and suffering. They can simply be a desire for unabated sin, or pride, or a need to be autonomous and so forth. But pain is by far one of the most common.
Here in this article and in the course Introduction to Apologetics we deal with the problem of pain and suffering on a philosophical level, so that the evangelist can understand it, and if necessary, explain it. But quite often when faced with the problem, the answers are not philosophical, rather it is best dealt with by loving and caring for the skeptic. By listening and accepting the person and simply expressing the love and patience of God.
The reason the problem of evil is so complex is because there are really three components to it. 1) Spiritual – Satan and demons, 2) Physical – Flesh and human nature, 3) Psychological – Mind – human will and emotions gone wrong. I've been to churches that try to spiritualize every evil act and I've been to those that try to control every evil act by controlling behavior. If only it was that simple. Jesus had a capacity to look at an individual and discern whether the problem was a demon, a physical ailment that needed healing, an issue of pride that demanded rebuke, or just a problem of ignorance that was solved with good Biblical teaching. The church has done a good job on the last note, not so great on the others.
Now we want to think the problem of suffering has an easy cause and effect relationship, and often it does. I have a Christian associate who is constantly struggling with bad health. This person is seriously over weight and yet is constantly indulging himself with a stack of pancakes and biscuits a mile high. Nothing is killing more Christians in America today than obesity related health problems, yet the church is content talking about homosexuality rather than gluttony, so as to not offend its members. Unfortunately, quite often the relationship is not so clear cut. Why do tornadoes hit the Midwest rather than San Francisco? Why do good Christian people give birth to children with birth defects? Why do mass shootings often happen in churches?
Jesus was confronted with this and His answer is quite unusual. Here is the entire exchange found in Luke 13:1-5, There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Apparently the Galileans that were slain here were killed so that Pilate can perform human sacrifice. The question was clearly designed to lead Jesus into a trap, whether He should justify the act of Pilate by condemning the Galileans. The assumption was that these Galileans had performed an incredible act of wickedness and therefore got what they deserved. Jesus rejects their proposition that sin and suffering are tightly connected by lumping all sin and punishment into one big basket. He implies that we are all deserving of this kind of death and only grace keeps us alive and only repentance can save us. Jesus puts it another way in Mathew 5:45 " ...for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." So while we like to think there is a clear cut connection between sin and suffering, between righteousness and success, sometimes that is not the case.
I asked a pastor friend one time, that if the connection is not strong and in fact Christians can experience pain and suffering, why does God give us so many rules for living. He gave me the best possible answer. If you look at the life of those who do choose to follow Jesus, while they may experience pain, the trajectory of their life is moving in a better direction since the time they made that decision. As an example, I have a young close relative who was involved with drugs, alcohol and bullying in high school. She dropped out of high school and her future looked less than promising. In her early 20s she made a commitment to follow Jesus and has since stopped doing drugs and got married to a good Christian man. They have a beautiful baby girl and have decided that she will stay home, raise the kids and foster abandoned animals, while he works at what is a good paying Job. Do they struggle? Of course they do. But the trajectory of her life has gone from potential drug addict and alcoholic with all its perils, to having a loving family.
So while the connection between sin and suffering is often not as tight as we'd like, almost always we can see a significant improvement in every Christian's life, and certainly this will be the case when we are all rejoicing in Heaven. So lets start by identifying the problem in all its forms.
What is the Problem
Is a World with Evil the Best Possible World? What are the Alternatives?
God had only four choices when creating this universe.
How do we know there is Evil and what does that say about God?
The fact that mankind can, unlike any other creature, discern between what is right and what is wrong says something about God. How do we know that something is evil and something is good and honorable?
Whenever someone makes the claim that there is evil in the world, they already imply that there is good in the world, because you have to have something to measure the evil against, a standard. The presence of good and evil assumes the existence of a moral law. To say that something is right and something is wrong, implies that there is some kind of law out there to determine what is evil and good. If there is a moral law that is transcendent, there must be a moral law giver which can only be God. That is, where ever we find a law or a rule book or a standard, there must have been a mind to conceive it.
So when an atheists says that something is right or something is wrong, ask them how do they know that rape is wrong or that murder is wrong. Ask them if they believe there is a moral law outside of my opinion or my culture. If they claim, as so many do, that morality is just a cultural norm, then ask them if America voted to kill every illegal alien would that make it right? Of course not, because there is something innate in all of us that can discern right and wrong.
Speaking of gentiles Romans 2:15 states, "....who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them." Everyone of us has God's law written in our hearts and it's our conscience that bears witness to this. It is undeniable.
What is the Link Between Morality and Evil?
Undoubtedly when we discuss the problem of evil and suffering, we cannot discuss it apart from morality. The reason of course is that immorality almost always leads to pain. That is to say, the moral law was not given to restrict pleasure; rather it was given to mankind to protect us from pain. It is quite clear that if we follow God’s law, we can eliminate a vast majority of suffering. As an example, suppose everyone followed the commandment to keep sex in marriage. This would eliminate the pain from:
Would a Loving God give us a Rule Book?
Many in the New Age movement resent the idea of God giving us a moral law, or put another way, a rule book. They prefer a God who leaves us alone and does not tell us what to do. But is this love? Does a loving parent warn a child about crossing the street or is it more loving to let the child learn on its own the dangers of crossing the street?
Imagine two societies, both with kings. The first allows people to do what they want with no rules. Rape, lying, and theft go unpunished and therefore rampant. The other king establishes strict rules of justice and order. Which is the more loving king? Of course the one who punishes injustice and sin, because to let sin go unpunished is to show more love for the criminal than the victim.
What is Morality
Many people, when asked about morality, will claim that morality is what we do or how we should behave. But principles of behavior are the field of ethics, rather than morality. Many believe that morality is related to social standards decided upon by a particular culture. But of course Nazi Germany and others have proven that cultures can get this very wrong. So what is morality?
Suppose I had an atheist over for dinner one night. And I told him I was going to serve him the best steak he's ever eaten. I put it on a plate with some beautiful sides and he dug in and ate most of the steak agreeing with me that it was delicious. Then as he was about half way through the steak I told him that it was human steak I had gotten from the local morgue. Despite how good it tastes, it is unlikely that he would willingly proceed to eat the rest, because there is something inherently wrong with eating other humans. We ought not eat other humans. That "oughtness" that we find in all of us is morality.
What is the Ultimate Foundation of Morality?
When King David was confronted by Nathan about his adultery and murder, he responded by saying “I have sinned against the Lord.” While it is clear that he sinned against Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba, how did he sin against the Lord? Because God loves Uriah and Bathsheba and therefore it would be no different from someone hurting our own children. What about sinful behavior where no one is hurt, like using drugs? This would go back to how God loves us and how He is no less concerned about us being involved in destructive behavior than we would be if our children were doing it. Morality exists because we have value. Because God loves us and made us in his image. There is no moral issue with an ape killing another ape. Only mankind has this intrinsic value, and that is why morality exists.
Did God Create Evil? Two Possibilities
Evil is the absence of God - At first it might seem that if God created all things, then evil must have been created by God. However, evil is not a “thing” like a rock or electricity. You cannot have a jar of evil. Evil has no existence of its own; it is really the absence of good. For example, holes are real, but they only exist in something else. We call the absence of dirt a hole, but it cannot be separated from the dirt. Perhaps a further illustration will help. If a person is asked, “Does cold exist?” the answer would likely be “yes.” However, this is incorrect. Cold does not exist. Cold is the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness does not exist; it is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allows for the absence of good. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions.org?
Evil is the product of free will - One of the good things God made was creatures who had the freedom to choose good. In order to have a real choice, God had to allow there to be something besides good to choose. So, God allowed humans to choose good or reject good (evil). When a bad relationship exists between two good things we call that evil, but it does not become a “thing” that required God to create it. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions.org?
Is there Purpose Behind Suffering?
Clearly God uses evil in the Bible. He uses Babylon to punish Israel. He uses Israel to punish the Philistines and brings judgment upon the earth when He floods it. In every case it was judgment for sin. For the unbeliever this still applies, where God will bring judgement upon a nation or a person who lives in perpetual sin. God hates sin and though He is patient, we can get to the point where we are too far gone and the only alternative is judgement. I'm convinced that for the believer, it is different. For the unbeliever, evil is punitive, for the believer, it is corrective. Suffering for Christians has a greater purpose which we've outlined below.
Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
The Biblical answer is that there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin and could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people. Romans 3:10 states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve. The question should be: Why do good things happen to bad people? For the Christian bad things can be a learning experience, corrective and edifying.
Understanding Evil, Pain and Suffering: Possible Explanations
Are the moral laws of the Bible outdated?
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh 1: 8-9). The question restated is: Would the world be a better place if everyone refrained from stealing, killing, adultery, covetousness, lying, etc.? I believe even today the answer is a resounding yes.
Can we be Good without God?
Of course an atheist can be a good person and many are, particularly those in the West that have been exposed to 1,500 years of Christian legal philosophy. I call them Christian atheists. But a pure atheist that has not grown up learning that killing, lying, and hate is wrong, would have a much harder time being good. Nevertheless, it is possible. But that's not really the question. There are two parts to the question:
We can be good without belief in God, but we cannot be good without the existence of God because we would no longer have intrinsic value. That is to say, if atheism is true and we are all just glorified monkeys, a human life would not have any more value that a cow’s life. Therefore, if God did not exist, there is no reason to think that we would be any different than an ape or a hippopotamus who rape and kill each other, without a conscious to speak of.
Sin and other Worldviews
Christianity is the only religion that deals decisively with the problem of sin. In Christ, sin receives its just penalty and God remains a loving father. While every other religion acknowledges the problem, they all leave it up to the individual to work it out, which is insurmountable as most will admit.
What is the Impact of Christ’s Death on Evil, Sin, Pain and Suffering?
Christian theism is, in fact, the only worldview which can consistently make sense of the problem of evil and suffering. Only in Christ do we see: Penalty of sin fully satisfied – Justice; Love of God fully satisfied - Redemption.
Is Morality Universal or is it Cultural?
Because atheism has no foundation for morality, that is in a purely material world no transcendent moral law can exist, they will claim that morality is just something cultures invent to enhance our survival. But the fact is much of morality does not enhance our survival. If we allowed rape then we would have more children and a better chance at survival.
But evil acts go well beyond social norms or laws. When someone is raped, are we outraged because the rapist broke the law or because it is morally repugnant. Atheists don't get angry at school shootings because someone broke the law in the same way as someone who broke the speeding laws. They are outraged because killing children is morally wrong.
Are Christianity’s morals universal? Yes, in every society we’ve studied, lying, stealing, murder, etc. is wrong. Then how do we explain human sacrifice, Adolf Hitler and abortion? In every case, evil is explained away by misinformation. The Aztecs made human sacrifices to the sun god because they believed if they didn't, the sun would not rise, Hitler believed the Jews were inferior, we kill unborn babies in America because we don’t believe it is a human life. Even among these cultures, people believed murder is wrong, but the false information erases the stigma of murder.
What is the History of Christianity and Morality?
Today, many academics and secularists limit the contribution of Christianity to the Crusades and Inquisitions. But the truth is Christianity has a long history of being the most charitable ideology in human history? Some examples include:
Can Atheism Bring us Good Morality?
As we've noted, of course an atheist can be a good moral person. The biggest problem they face when making the claim that they can bring us good morals is that within atheism there is no incentive to be good, as there is no universal moral law. It's no coincidence that all the major advents in human rights were driven by Christians (see Human Rights) not atheists. And it's also no coincidence that the most notorious mass murderers were atheists:
How does the Christian deal with Evil that has Happened in their Own Life?
The first thing a Christian must do when faced with evil or suffering is take inventory. Is there sin in my life that has brought this upon me or my family? Sometimes the connection is clear, like someone who got drunk and crashed his car, and other times it is not. I've notice that when a spouse is involved in adultery, many areas of his life begin to fall apart, like his business or career, his health, his relationship to his children, along with his marriage. So first, take inventory and if repentance is necessary it should be sincere. Next, the Bible has a prescription for those facing trials which we talk about next. These are important because I am convinced that the outcome of a trial is not predetermined, rather our faith and trust in God during the trial will have a significant impact on the outcome.
Count it all joy – How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ...” (James 1:2-4). Joy is a spiritual force, a prescription for success when faced with tough times.
Trust – As finite human beings, we can never fully understand an infinite God. Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought. God looks at things from a holy, eternal perspective; we look at things from a sinful, earthly, and temporal perspective. Job understood this when he stated that, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15).
Brokenness – humbling ourselves before God despite the circumstances in our lives so that He may be glorified by using us. Brokenness is the process by which God dislodges our self-life and teaches us to rely upon Him alone in every facet of our lives. Brokenness is the process whereby God crushes all our self-dependence and, in its place, substitutes an utter dependence on God and God alone in every area of our lives. The bottom line is this: spiritual usefulness without spiritual brokenness is a spiritual impossibility. Pastor Lon Solo
Benefits of Suffering
How could a Loving God send People to Hell?
I was once talking to a very good Christian whose greatest problem with the faith was this idea of hell, and trying to reconcile that with a loving God. He just hated the concept of hell and preferred ignoring it. So I walked him through my thinking on it and I believe it helped. My first question was, do you think Hitler and Pol Pot should go to heaven? And of course he agreed that they should not. What about child molesters, should they go to heaven? And of course he agreed that they deserve hell. What about murderers and rapists? Once again he conceded that some people are deserving of hell. What should God do with all the liars, the greedy, the prideful, the drug dealers and pornographers, should they be rewarded with eternal heaven in God's presence and freely forgiven with no penalty? Of course he agreed they shouldn't.
The next thing we focused on was God's response to this. He agreed that salvation is through Christ and freely given to those who believe. I asked him, is there anything more God could have done to keep people out of hell? Salvation is by faith, not income, education level, aptitude, race, etc. So therefore, we agreed that anyone, anywhere at anytime can receive the gift of salvation freely. We agreed that God sends no one to hell, rather he has done everything possible to keep us all out of hell. Eternal damnation is a free choice, not something God does or chooses for us.
Articles
If God's Creation was "very good" why did evil arise? Paul Copan
Peering Through the Glass Darkly the Problem of Evil Steven B. Cowan
The best evangelist/apologist follows the lead of the Holy Spirit, get's past the apologetic questions quickly and effectively, and then digs down deep in an effort to expose the skeptic's heart issues. The problem of pain and suffering is often there waiting to be confronted. Heart issues are in no way limited to pain and suffering. They can simply be a desire for unabated sin, or pride, or a need to be autonomous and so forth. But pain is by far one of the most common.
Here in this article and in the course Introduction to Apologetics we deal with the problem of pain and suffering on a philosophical level, so that the evangelist can understand it, and if necessary, explain it. But quite often when faced with the problem, the answers are not philosophical, rather it is best dealt with by loving and caring for the skeptic. By listening and accepting the person and simply expressing the love and patience of God.
The reason the problem of evil is so complex is because there are really three components to it. 1) Spiritual – Satan and demons, 2) Physical – Flesh and human nature, 3) Psychological – Mind – human will and emotions gone wrong. I've been to churches that try to spiritualize every evil act and I've been to those that try to control every evil act by controlling behavior. If only it was that simple. Jesus had a capacity to look at an individual and discern whether the problem was a demon, a physical ailment that needed healing, an issue of pride that demanded rebuke, or just a problem of ignorance that was solved with good Biblical teaching. The church has done a good job on the last note, not so great on the others.
Now we want to think the problem of suffering has an easy cause and effect relationship, and often it does. I have a Christian associate who is constantly struggling with bad health. This person is seriously over weight and yet is constantly indulging himself with a stack of pancakes and biscuits a mile high. Nothing is killing more Christians in America today than obesity related health problems, yet the church is content talking about homosexuality rather than gluttony, so as to not offend its members. Unfortunately, quite often the relationship is not so clear cut. Why do tornadoes hit the Midwest rather than San Francisco? Why do good Christian people give birth to children with birth defects? Why do mass shootings often happen in churches?
Jesus was confronted with this and His answer is quite unusual. Here is the entire exchange found in Luke 13:1-5, There were present at that season some who told Him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answered and said to them, “Do you suppose that these Galileans were worse sinners than all other Galileans, because they suffered such things? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish. Or those eighteen on whom the tower in Siloam fell and killed them, do you think that they were worse sinners than all other men who dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.”
Apparently the Galileans that were slain here were killed so that Pilate can perform human sacrifice. The question was clearly designed to lead Jesus into a trap, whether He should justify the act of Pilate by condemning the Galileans. The assumption was that these Galileans had performed an incredible act of wickedness and therefore got what they deserved. Jesus rejects their proposition that sin and suffering are tightly connected by lumping all sin and punishment into one big basket. He implies that we are all deserving of this kind of death and only grace keeps us alive and only repentance can save us. Jesus puts it another way in Mathew 5:45 " ...for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust." So while we like to think there is a clear cut connection between sin and suffering, between righteousness and success, sometimes that is not the case.
I asked a pastor friend one time, that if the connection is not strong and in fact Christians can experience pain and suffering, why does God give us so many rules for living. He gave me the best possible answer. If you look at the life of those who do choose to follow Jesus, while they may experience pain, the trajectory of their life is moving in a better direction since the time they made that decision. As an example, I have a young close relative who was involved with drugs, alcohol and bullying in high school. She dropped out of high school and her future looked less than promising. In her early 20s she made a commitment to follow Jesus and has since stopped doing drugs and got married to a good Christian man. They have a beautiful baby girl and have decided that she will stay home, raise the kids and foster abandoned animals, while he works at what is a good paying Job. Do they struggle? Of course they do. But the trajectory of her life has gone from potential drug addict and alcoholic with all its perils, to having a loving family.
So while the connection between sin and suffering is often not as tight as we'd like, almost always we can see a significant improvement in every Christian's life, and certainly this will be the case when we are all rejoicing in Heaven. So lets start by identifying the problem in all its forms.
What is the Problem
- God is all-powerful, loving, and perfect.
- A perfect, loving God would create a universe that is perfect .
- The universe is not perfect but contains evil and suffering.
- Therefore, God does not exist.
Is a World with Evil the Best Possible World? What are the Alternatives?
God had only four choices when creating this universe.
- No world at all
- A world with only good – no free will
- A world with no morality – evil is rampant
- A world of good and evil – free will
How do we know there is Evil and what does that say about God?
The fact that mankind can, unlike any other creature, discern between what is right and what is wrong says something about God. How do we know that something is evil and something is good and honorable?
- Evil assumes Good
- Good & evil assumes Moral Law
- Moral Law assumes Moral Lawgiver - God
Whenever someone makes the claim that there is evil in the world, they already imply that there is good in the world, because you have to have something to measure the evil against, a standard. The presence of good and evil assumes the existence of a moral law. To say that something is right and something is wrong, implies that there is some kind of law out there to determine what is evil and good. If there is a moral law that is transcendent, there must be a moral law giver which can only be God. That is, where ever we find a law or a rule book or a standard, there must have been a mind to conceive it.
So when an atheists says that something is right or something is wrong, ask them how do they know that rape is wrong or that murder is wrong. Ask them if they believe there is a moral law outside of my opinion or my culture. If they claim, as so many do, that morality is just a cultural norm, then ask them if America voted to kill every illegal alien would that make it right? Of course not, because there is something innate in all of us that can discern right and wrong.
Speaking of gentiles Romans 2:15 states, "....who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them." Everyone of us has God's law written in our hearts and it's our conscience that bears witness to this. It is undeniable.
What is the Link Between Morality and Evil?
Undoubtedly when we discuss the problem of evil and suffering, we cannot discuss it apart from morality. The reason of course is that immorality almost always leads to pain. That is to say, the moral law was not given to restrict pleasure; rather it was given to mankind to protect us from pain. It is quite clear that if we follow God’s law, we can eliminate a vast majority of suffering. As an example, suppose everyone followed the commandment to keep sex in marriage. This would eliminate the pain from:
- Adultery
- STDs
- Abortions
- Sex slave trafficking
- Fatherless homes
- Prostitution
- Child molestation
Would a Loving God give us a Rule Book?
Many in the New Age movement resent the idea of God giving us a moral law, or put another way, a rule book. They prefer a God who leaves us alone and does not tell us what to do. But is this love? Does a loving parent warn a child about crossing the street or is it more loving to let the child learn on its own the dangers of crossing the street?
Imagine two societies, both with kings. The first allows people to do what they want with no rules. Rape, lying, and theft go unpunished and therefore rampant. The other king establishes strict rules of justice and order. Which is the more loving king? Of course the one who punishes injustice and sin, because to let sin go unpunished is to show more love for the criminal than the victim.
What is Morality
Many people, when asked about morality, will claim that morality is what we do or how we should behave. But principles of behavior are the field of ethics, rather than morality. Many believe that morality is related to social standards decided upon by a particular culture. But of course Nazi Germany and others have proven that cultures can get this very wrong. So what is morality?
- Morality is objective and independent of opinion. If I believe torturing babies for fun is ok, that doesn't make it right. Morality is independent of anyone's opinion.
- Morality is not what we do, but what we “ought” to do. It's that principle of knowing what we "ought" to do and not do.
- Morality is the transcendent universal standard of right and wrong. We discover and learn it, we don't create it. It is a set of principles that all of us seem to acknowledge and agree with.
Suppose I had an atheist over for dinner one night. And I told him I was going to serve him the best steak he's ever eaten. I put it on a plate with some beautiful sides and he dug in and ate most of the steak agreeing with me that it was delicious. Then as he was about half way through the steak I told him that it was human steak I had gotten from the local morgue. Despite how good it tastes, it is unlikely that he would willingly proceed to eat the rest, because there is something inherently wrong with eating other humans. We ought not eat other humans. That "oughtness" that we find in all of us is morality.
What is the Ultimate Foundation of Morality?
- Man is made in the image of God.
- Therefore man has intrinsic value independent of his utility or function.
- Man has intrinsic value, therefore, killing, raping and degenerate behavior is wrong.
- Man has intrinsic value, therefore, morality exists.
- If man has no value, then morality cannot exist.
- There is no moral issue with murdering a computer or a pencil.
- There is no moral issue with a lion raping another lion.
When King David was confronted by Nathan about his adultery and murder, he responded by saying “I have sinned against the Lord.” While it is clear that he sinned against Uriah the Hittite and Bathsheba, how did he sin against the Lord? Because God loves Uriah and Bathsheba and therefore it would be no different from someone hurting our own children. What about sinful behavior where no one is hurt, like using drugs? This would go back to how God loves us and how He is no less concerned about us being involved in destructive behavior than we would be if our children were doing it. Morality exists because we have value. Because God loves us and made us in his image. There is no moral issue with an ape killing another ape. Only mankind has this intrinsic value, and that is why morality exists.
Did God Create Evil? Two Possibilities
Evil is the absence of God - At first it might seem that if God created all things, then evil must have been created by God. However, evil is not a “thing” like a rock or electricity. You cannot have a jar of evil. Evil has no existence of its own; it is really the absence of good. For example, holes are real, but they only exist in something else. We call the absence of dirt a hole, but it cannot be separated from the dirt. Perhaps a further illustration will help. If a person is asked, “Does cold exist?” the answer would likely be “yes.” However, this is incorrect. Cold does not exist. Cold is the absence of heat. Similarly, darkness does not exist; it is the absence of light. Evil is the absence of good, or better, evil is the absence of God. God did not have to create evil, but rather only allows for the absence of good. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions.org?
Evil is the product of free will - One of the good things God made was creatures who had the freedom to choose good. In order to have a real choice, God had to allow there to be something besides good to choose. So, God allowed humans to choose good or reject good (evil). When a bad relationship exists between two good things we call that evil, but it does not become a “thing” that required God to create it. Michael Houdmann, Got Questions.org?
Is there Purpose Behind Suffering?
Clearly God uses evil in the Bible. He uses Babylon to punish Israel. He uses Israel to punish the Philistines and brings judgment upon the earth when He floods it. In every case it was judgment for sin. For the unbeliever this still applies, where God will bring judgement upon a nation or a person who lives in perpetual sin. God hates sin and though He is patient, we can get to the point where we are too far gone and the only alternative is judgement. I'm convinced that for the believer, it is different. For the unbeliever, evil is punitive, for the believer, it is corrective. Suffering for Christians has a greater purpose which we've outlined below.
- Patience and Endurance – Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).
- Glory – His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’ (John 9:2-3).
- Redemption – But Joseph said to them, “Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. So do not fear; I will provide for you and your little ones.” Thus he comforted them and spoke kindly to them (Genesis 50:19).
- Redemption – We know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28).
- Exception for the believer – Communion. For he who eats and drinks in an unworthy manner eats and drinks judgment to himself, not discerning the Lord’s body (1 Corinthians 11:29).
Why do Bad Things Happen to Good People?
The Biblical answer is that there are no “good” people. The Bible makes it abundantly clear that all of us are tainted by and infected with sin and could not be clearer about the non-existence of “good” people. Romans 3:10 states, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. All have turned away they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one.”
Every human being on this planet deserves to be thrown into hell at this very moment. Every second we spend alive is only by the grace and mercy of God. Even the most terrible misery we could experience on this planet is merciful compared to what we deserve. The question should be: Why do good things happen to bad people? For the Christian bad things can be a learning experience, corrective and edifying.
Understanding Evil, Pain and Suffering: Possible Explanations
- A drug addict – Flesh or demon
- Adultery – Flesh
- False religions – Corrupt spirit
- Satan worship – Corrupt spirit or demon
- Atheist – Corrupt soul – will
- Murderer – Corrupt soul – will or emotions or demon
- Domestic violence – Corrupt soul – emotions
- Earthquake – Mass rebellion – fallen world
- Good Christian going broke – Corrective act of God
- Mass starvation in Africa – Fallen nation
- Baby with cancer - No immediate explanation
Are the moral laws of the Bible outdated?
"This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the Lord your God is with you wherever you go" (Josh 1: 8-9). The question restated is: Would the world be a better place if everyone refrained from stealing, killing, adultery, covetousness, lying, etc.? I believe even today the answer is a resounding yes.
Can we be Good without God?
Of course an atheist can be a good person and many are, particularly those in the West that have been exposed to 1,500 years of Christian legal philosophy. I call them Christian atheists. But a pure atheist that has not grown up learning that killing, lying, and hate is wrong, would have a much harder time being good. Nevertheless, it is possible. But that's not really the question. There are two parts to the question:
- Can one be good without the belief in God?
- Can one be good without the existence of God?
We can be good without belief in God, but we cannot be good without the existence of God because we would no longer have intrinsic value. That is to say, if atheism is true and we are all just glorified monkeys, a human life would not have any more value that a cow’s life. Therefore, if God did not exist, there is no reason to think that we would be any different than an ape or a hippopotamus who rape and kill each other, without a conscious to speak of.
Sin and other Worldviews
Christianity is the only religion that deals decisively with the problem of sin. In Christ, sin receives its just penalty and God remains a loving father. While every other religion acknowledges the problem, they all leave it up to the individual to work it out, which is insurmountable as most will admit.
- Muslim – Each individual is put on a scale and if good deeds outweigh bad, then they are accepted into heaven. Problem: no justice as one can be a rapist and as long as his good deeds exceed his raping then he enters eternal heaven.
- Buddhism, Hinduism – The law of Karma rules which means we carry the burden of sin into each successive life. Problem: no grace, no forgiveness, no justice.
- New Age – Most have no restrictions or consequences for sin, though most believe in the Law of Love and the Law of Karma. Problem: sin still exists and karma offers no forgiveness.
- Scientology – sin and guilt is dealt with as a psychological phenomenon. Problem: no grace, no forgiveness, no justice.
- Post-modernism – sin is just a matter of one’s personal opinion. Problem: it rejects a moral standard which is so evident in all of us.
What is the Impact of Christ’s Death on Evil, Sin, Pain and Suffering?
Christian theism is, in fact, the only worldview which can consistently make sense of the problem of evil and suffering. Only in Christ do we see: Penalty of sin fully satisfied – Justice; Love of God fully satisfied - Redemption.
- The cross eliminates the penalty of sin.
- The cross eliminates the power of sin.
- The cross will ultimately eliminate the presence of sin.
Is Morality Universal or is it Cultural?
Because atheism has no foundation for morality, that is in a purely material world no transcendent moral law can exist, they will claim that morality is just something cultures invent to enhance our survival. But the fact is much of morality does not enhance our survival. If we allowed rape then we would have more children and a better chance at survival.
But evil acts go well beyond social norms or laws. When someone is raped, are we outraged because the rapist broke the law or because it is morally repugnant. Atheists don't get angry at school shootings because someone broke the law in the same way as someone who broke the speeding laws. They are outraged because killing children is morally wrong.
Are Christianity’s morals universal? Yes, in every society we’ve studied, lying, stealing, murder, etc. is wrong. Then how do we explain human sacrifice, Adolf Hitler and abortion? In every case, evil is explained away by misinformation. The Aztecs made human sacrifices to the sun god because they believed if they didn't, the sun would not rise, Hitler believed the Jews were inferior, we kill unborn babies in America because we don’t believe it is a human life. Even among these cultures, people believed murder is wrong, but the false information erases the stigma of murder.
What is the History of Christianity and Morality?
Today, many academics and secularists limit the contribution of Christianity to the Crusades and Inquisitions. But the truth is Christianity has a long history of being the most charitable ideology in human history? Some examples include:
- Jesus was the first to identify the poor as a distinct social class.
- Once in power, the Christian’s first political move was to abolish the gladiator games.
- Throughout the Middle Ages, monasteries educated the poor and cared for the sick.
- It was Christians like John Locke and William Penn who brought us the concept of equality and human rights.
- The modern concept of hospitals emerged in the churches and monasteries of Europe.
- The greatest Charities in history were founded by Christians including the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Sisters of Mercy, Compassion, etc.
Can Atheism Bring us Good Morality?
As we've noted, of course an atheist can be a good moral person. The biggest problem they face when making the claim that they can bring us good morals is that within atheism there is no incentive to be good, as there is no universal moral law. It's no coincidence that all the major advents in human rights were driven by Christians (see Human Rights) not atheists. And it's also no coincidence that the most notorious mass murderers were atheists:
- Stalin
- Lenin
- Pol Pot
- Mao Zedong
- French revolution
- Napoleon
How does the Christian deal with Evil that has Happened in their Own Life?
The first thing a Christian must do when faced with evil or suffering is take inventory. Is there sin in my life that has brought this upon me or my family? Sometimes the connection is clear, like someone who got drunk and crashed his car, and other times it is not. I've notice that when a spouse is involved in adultery, many areas of his life begin to fall apart, like his business or career, his health, his relationship to his children, along with his marriage. So first, take inventory and if repentance is necessary it should be sincere. Next, the Bible has a prescription for those facing trials which we talk about next. These are important because I am convinced that the outcome of a trial is not predetermined, rather our faith and trust in God during the trial will have a significant impact on the outcome.
Count it all joy – How we respond to suffering is determined by the genuineness of our faith. Those with faith truly from God will not be crushed by suffering, but will come through the trial with their faith intact. “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. ...” (James 1:2-4). Joy is a spiritual force, a prescription for success when faced with tough times.
Trust – As finite human beings, we can never fully understand an infinite God. Sometimes we think we understand why God is doing something, only to find out later that it was for a different purpose than we originally thought. God looks at things from a holy, eternal perspective; we look at things from a sinful, earthly, and temporal perspective. Job understood this when he stated that, “Though he slay me, yet will I hope in him” (Job 13:15).
Brokenness – humbling ourselves before God despite the circumstances in our lives so that He may be glorified by using us. Brokenness is the process by which God dislodges our self-life and teaches us to rely upon Him alone in every facet of our lives. Brokenness is the process whereby God crushes all our self-dependence and, in its place, substitutes an utter dependence on God and God alone in every area of our lives. The bottom line is this: spiritual usefulness without spiritual brokenness is a spiritual impossibility. Pastor Lon Solo
Benefits of Suffering
- Serve God – who comforts us in all our afflictions, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God (2 Corinthians 1:4).
- Glorify God – His disciples asked Him, 'Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?' 'Neither this man nor his parents sinned,' said Jesus, 'but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.’ (John 9:2-3)
- Endurance, Patience – Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing (James 1:2-4).
How could a Loving God send People to Hell?
I was once talking to a very good Christian whose greatest problem with the faith was this idea of hell, and trying to reconcile that with a loving God. He just hated the concept of hell and preferred ignoring it. So I walked him through my thinking on it and I believe it helped. My first question was, do you think Hitler and Pol Pot should go to heaven? And of course he agreed that they should not. What about child molesters, should they go to heaven? And of course he agreed that they deserve hell. What about murderers and rapists? Once again he conceded that some people are deserving of hell. What should God do with all the liars, the greedy, the prideful, the drug dealers and pornographers, should they be rewarded with eternal heaven in God's presence and freely forgiven with no penalty? Of course he agreed they shouldn't.
The next thing we focused on was God's response to this. He agreed that salvation is through Christ and freely given to those who believe. I asked him, is there anything more God could have done to keep people out of hell? Salvation is by faith, not income, education level, aptitude, race, etc. So therefore, we agreed that anyone, anywhere at anytime can receive the gift of salvation freely. We agreed that God sends no one to hell, rather he has done everything possible to keep us all out of hell. Eternal damnation is a free choice, not something God does or chooses for us.
Articles
If God's Creation was "very good" why did evil arise? Paul Copan
Peering Through the Glass Darkly the Problem of Evil Steven B. Cowan