The Problem of Evil

I was going to write a brilliant message for today on exegesis and hermeneutics, juxtaposing one with the other. Really – it was going to be brilliant – until God stepped in and sent me a question from a reader of this site that was so much more important; and I decided that God being so much more brilliant would be better than me trying to be brilliant.

Q:

My question is, if God is our father, how can he avoid responsibility similar to any good and acceptable parent to protect their children with any and all resources available. If a parent allowed serious harm to a child that could have been prevented, that parent would be rightly charged as a bad parent. Seems to me that our Heavenly Father could prevent harm to his children but gets a pass and is somehow not judged to be a deficient parent in any way. Either he is a bad parent or we’ve misinterpreted his role as a parental relationship with us. Confrontational faith requires answers for acceptance in my opinion.

A:

I thank you for your question – and am quite willing to respond, although not confrontationally, but lovingly, as I believe Jesus would. I take note that you identify only one part [God] of the Trinity – God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.

I must say that while I was one of six children, I have never had children of my own, so it is hard for me to answer as a parent in the way I suspect you are.

The issue you raise touches on what is often referred to as the “problem of evil”, and “theodicy”, which are, and have been for centuries, topics of discussion in theology and philosophy. The “problem of evil” can be stated in the following ways:

• If God is all-powerful, He should be able to prevent evil.
• If God is all-knowing, He should be aware of evil.
• If God is benevolent, He should desire to eliminate evil.

But we know that evil exists, and as such, this argument attempts to destroy God – the clear purpose of evil.

In Genesis, we read of the beautiful garden that God provided for His creation, but evil crept in and perverted beauty. God had said to them that all of the resources of the garden were theirs, except (referring to the tree of knowledge of good and evil) He clearly stated “You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die”– but Adam and Eve failed to keep God’s command.

The event identifies the point of free will; a point that many parents must recognize when tough love becomes necessary. Let’s look at tough love

• Establishes clear and non-negotiable boundaries that are meant to guide behavior and prevent what the parent perceives as destructive or harmful actions.
• When these boundaries are crossed, there are consequences that are meant to help the person understand the gravity of their actions.
• The parent is committed to holding the child accountable for their actions, ensuring that they take responsibility for their behavior.
• The parent holds in their heart the willingness to accept the child back when the child comes to realize their error (redemption).

“You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die” A non negotiable boundary and a consequence. The consequence? Death. God expelled Adam and Eve from the garden because they crossed the boundary, and that disqualified them from God’s complete protection, establishing that they are, from now on, completely responsible for their own actions, and separated from Him: spiritual death.

I am a child of God, and in my life, I have crossed many boundaries – but He had provided a path for redemption – of coming back into his Grace. He did this through the greatest sacrifice He could make – He gave up “His one and only Son.” (Please note: I am His child, I am not His Son.)

Many years ago, I rode a motorcycle away from God. A few years ago, I rode a motorcycle back to God, riding with the “Sons of Thunder”, a club of mostly reformed “Pagans” out of Virginia Beach. It was with Sons of Thunder that I first encountered the sinners prayer.

“Dear Lord Jesus, I know that I am a sinner, and I ask for Your forgiveness. I believe You died for my sins and rose from the dead. I turn from my sins and invite You to come into my heart and life. I want to trust and follow You as my Lord and Savior.”

I asked, and He took me back.

I hope this helps you find an answer to your question.

In His love, John.