Why did God create evil?

[waitasec]

what is evil?
the NIV says disaster
the NAS version says calamity
http://www.searchgodsword.org/isb/b...oh%203:3&ot=bhs&nt=na&new=1&nb=joh&ng=3&ncc=3

bad, evil
bad, disagreeable, malignant
bad, unpleasant, evil (giving pain, unhappiness, misery)
evil, displeasing
bad (of its kind - land, water, etc)
bad (of value)
worse than, worst (comparison)
sad, unhappy
evil (hurtful)
bad, unkind (vicious in disposition)
bad, evil, wicked (ethically)
in general, of persons, of thoughts
deeds, actions
evil, distress, misery, injury, calamity
evil, distress, adversity
evil, injury, wrong
evil (ethical) n f
evil, misery, distress, injury
evil, misery, distress
evil, injury, wrong
evil (ethical)

evil as in the opposition to good...god said he created it...the tree of good and evil
it cannot be an option if it doesn't exist

this passage says he created the spectrum
I form the light and create darkness
I bring prosperity and create disaster;
I, the LORD, do all these things.

yup, god created evil. it says right there in the good book.

 

[Thief]

Let me help....

Good and bad refer to the condition of an item.
Right and wrong refer to the moral issues.
Correct and incorrect refer to the perception.
Good and evil refer to the nature of an item.....living.

Did God create evil?...yes.
but only in terms of something less than Himself.

It is written....
'...no one is good but the Father....'

The same Fellow is quoted...
'...be thou perfect as your Father in heaven is perfect....'

Draw lines between one notion and the others?...yes of course.
That's what we do.
That's what forums are all about.

 

[waitasec]

why did god create evil? because he created good...
why did god create anything at all...because inquiring minds want too know

 

[Koldo]

Let me help....

Good and bad refer to the condition of an item.
Right and wrong refer to the moral issues.
Correct and incorrect refer to the perception.
Good and evil refer to the nature of an item.....living.

Did God create evil?...yes.
but only in terms of something less than Himself.

So, anything less than Himself is evil?

 

[ManTimeForgot]

It never ceases to amaze me how people seem to think they possess adequate faculties to speculate on the motives or intent of something which is conceivably a billion times smarter than them (if not infinitely so).

There are countless reasons why it might be so that "Evil" exists: undoubtedly some that we have not even thought of as of yet, and not all of these place the "responsibility" upon "God" or a creator.

For me personally I think non-interference is the "right" answer, but that might just be because of a hidden bias I have (prime directive from star trek maybe?).

MTF

 

[Thief]

So, anything less than Himself is evil?

Someone did approach a well known Prophet to ask of Him a question....
and did address Him as '...good Teacher'....

He gave response to the address first.
'Do not call me good. No one is good but the Father.'

If Someone of His ability, should refuse such description....
who are we, to claim as much for ourselves?

Setting that aside, it could be discussed as a comparison of greatness.
God is good in His perfection, and there is no equal.

 

[Friend of Bill W]

why did god create evil? because he created good...

It seems to my finite mind that God creating evil goes against the grain of a wise, just, and loving deity.

I've been reading about some Christian views on the Tsunami, and many of them is that God allows this to happen so that people can be compassionate towards the victims; but still something seems broken with that logic.

Baby rape always springs to my mind; a terrible and heinous act of evil. Why?

Couldn't God have done away with evil altogether? He has apparently done so in Heaven, so why must babies be allowed to be raped on Earth?

Is there an answer?

 

[bobhikes]

It seems to my finite mind that God creating evil goes against the grain of a wise, just, and loving deity.

I've been reading about some Christian views on the Tsunami, and many of them is that God allows this to happen so that people can be compassionate towards the victims; but still something seems broken with that logic.

Baby rape always springs to my mind; a terrible and heinous act of evil. Why?

Couldn't God have done away with evil altogether? He has apparently done so in Heaven, so why must babies be allowed to be raped on Earth?

Is there an answer?

Not any that you could understand. Can you answer this why does man do terrible and horrible things, why does man allow terrible and horrible things to go on? Evil only exists because of God, if there is no God all is just Human perception. Shouldn't all humans see genocide as bad?

 

[Gaura Priya]

Not any that you could understand. Can you answer this why does man do terrible and horrible things, why does man allow terrible and horrible things to go on? Evil only exists because of God, if there is no God all is just Human perception. Shouldn't all humans see genocide as bad?

In Dharmic religions... evil is a product of this material reality... and it's our faults, lol.

 

[waitasec]

Not any that you could understand. Can you answer this why does man do terrible and horrible things, why does man allow terrible and horrible things to go on? Evil only exists because of God, if there is no God all is just Human perception.

why are some people wired to be apathetic or sociopaths?

Shouldn't all humans see genocide as bad?

no, because we still deal with intolerance and ignorance and unfortunately 2 of the biggest religions help perpetuate those qualities.

 

[andys]

Please do not generalize your own experiences as truth. The process of evolution is necessary for man to be created, for man to know God progressively and for man to perfect himself. The perfecting finite creation is evolutionary.

Please do not generalize your own experiences as truth.

 

[flouncing floo]

Please do not generalize your own experiences as truth.

I agree.

 

[andys]

There is no such thing as "evil". It's just another nonsense word like "devil" and "god".

But to lower myself to the level of a beguiled Christian for one minute, I must point out to you that Adam and Eve were prohibited by their creator from eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

So your loving god doesn't want you to know anything about evil. So you'd better hush up, else find yourself banished and naked.

Shhhhh....

 

[Friend of Bill W]

There is no such thing as "evil". It's just another nonsense word like "devil" and "god".

But to lower myself to the level of a beguiled Christian for one minute, I must point out to you that Adam and Eve were prohibited by their creator from eating of the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

Actually, and apologies for changing the subject here slightly, do you think that this part of Genesis, prior to eating the apple, that they saw things in terms of a non-dualistic sense; i.e. no 'good' or 'bad'; sort of what it's like to be Enlightened in the 'Buddhist sense'?

 

[DandyAndy]

According to the Abrahamic texts we are created in Gods image. Based on that I can come up with only 3 reasons for creation.

Entertainment - We are like a big TV set for the lord and Evil is good drama once the show is over everyone is fine(much like the actors on the show)

Need - Like food or water and evil is our spice.

Ease - Some how our creation has made things easier for God. For this you need to know how we made things easier and I have no answer.

You left out relationship. That's a viable option.

 

[DandyAndy]

Isaiah 45:7



Why would the Lord create evil? I'm sure Christians can explain this; I'm not looking for an argument, I'd just like to understand. Is this quote taken out of context?

Research to see what the original word used was and how it translates. I've seen it translated as a bunch of things - most of them meaning hardship, as someone else pointed out I think. So when I read it it take evil to mean hardship or turmoil or bad things basically.

It's a good question though, for a long time I thought it meant that God literally created evil too.

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

There is no such thing as "evil".

Indeed. It's one of those words which fools us into believing that its referent actually exists. Reification, the linguists call it.

But obviously there's no such thing as evil -- no more than any such thing as beauty.

Why does beauty exist? Why did God create beauty?

It's hard for me to make good sense of such questions.

 

[DandyAndy]

Actually, and apologies for changing the subject here slightly, do you think that this part of Genesis, prior to eating the apple, that they saw things in terms of a non-dualistic sense; i.e. no 'good' or 'bad'; sort of what it's like to be Enlightened in the 'Buddhist sense'?

I think they only knew God and the Creation, both were perfect and holy, so therefore everything they knew was good. They didn't understand that it was good, because they didn't know there was such a thing as evil. So I don't think they even knew what murder or hatred or violence were - those things were concepts that A&E did not understand. Likewise, I guess you could argue that they didn't know what kindness or selflessness were because those concepts only arise when you have an opposing concept (rudeness or selfishness).

Before the fruit Adam was lonely, but being lonely isn't necessarily a good or evil thing, it's not a sin.

So yes, I don't think they knew good and bad, they just knew what was, and everything that was happened to be good.

 

[DandyAndy]

Indeed. It's one of those words which fools us into believing that its referent actually exists. Reification, the linguists call it.

But obviously there's no such thing as evil -- no more than any such thing as beauty.

Why does beauty exist? Why did God create beauty?

It's hard for me to make good sense of such questions.

So do you guys agree that there is no such thing as 'good' either?

 

[AmbiguousGuy]

So do you guys agree that there is no such thing as 'good' either?

How could there be such a thing as 'good'? Where would it be located? What form would it take?

Good and evil are simply personal judgments. My enemy has evil in him, but my friend is filled with good.

How about you -- do you think there is such a thing as ugliness? If so, do you think it makes sense to declare that God created ugliness?