Tough Questions: Question 1.

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I

Inu

Guest
#21
#21
Sin, evil, wrong.... it all came into play the day the forbidden fruit was eaten.... God allows pain, he allows things to go wrong and for the devil to play his tricks because they are all there to test our hearts, test our faith in Him, and inevitably shape us into what He created us for. He is God of all and at often times we won't recognise why we need to go through those tough times until we actually come out of those tough times.

I lost my dad and had several questions of why now or why him.... I was dependent on my dad but if it wasn't for his passing, I wouldn't be who I am today... God has taken that pain and used it to shape me into a strong woman, into a God fearing woman who is dependent on Christ.

I've learned now to not worry so much about the "why's" and "when's" but to trust that I have a God that always has my back and He knows exactly what He is doing.... so bring on the pain, bring on those bad days but at the end of it all.... He promised me restoration! :)
 
Dan58

Dan58

Senior Member
#22
Nov 13, 2013
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#22
ThomistColin said:
Evil is not a thing. It has no being, it does not exist as a thing exists. Evil is the privation (absence) of Good.
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I think evil could be defined as a thing. A tornado is evil, disease is evil, etc. But I understand your observation, its kind of like saying darkness is just an absence of light. Just as hot and cold exist, so does good and evil. I also think evil has "being" in the sense that when a person commits an evil act, they become the source in which evil is manifested, the verb becomes a noun. jmo
 
blue_ladybug

blue_ladybug

Senior Member
#23
Feb 21, 2014
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#23
Dan58 said:
I think evil could be defined as a thing. A tornado is evil, disease is evil, etc. But I understand your observation, its kind of like saying darkness is just an absence of light. Just as hot and cold exist, so does good and evil. I also think evil has "being" in the sense that when a person commits an evil act, they become the source in which evil is manifested, the verb becomes a noun. jmo
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I would not say a tornado is evil; it's certainly destructive, but not evil in the sense that it knowingly ruins what it touches. Satan knowingly ruins what he touches, be it lives or souls or salvation, etc. Diseases in and of themselves are'nt evil either. They ARE consequences of the original sin however. Now if someone knowingly unleashed a contagious disease into the mainstream world, for example, anthrax, then that WOULD be evil because it's done intentionally and knowingly.
This however, is only my opinion. :)
 
T

tonto

Guest
#25
#25
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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Because man rejected God's governance and rules for healthy and moral living. God has left man to learn on his own that he cannot govern himself and survive.
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

Banned
#26
Dec 12, 2013
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#26
Because humanity is depraved and in a fallen state and before He made man he planned for the redemption of man......really?
 
E

Eva1218

Guest
#27
#27
Because of sin.

Rom 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Gen 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Gen 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:
Gen 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.
Gen 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.
Gen 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed is the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat of it all the days of thy life;
Gen 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;
Gen 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return.


Blessings!!!!!!!
 
N

newbirth

Banned
#28
Mar 28, 2014
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#28
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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because the other choice was to destroy mankind without a chance...now we have the opportunity to be with our maker for eternity let us make the best of it...
 
T

TaylorTG

Guest
#29
#29
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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Evil and suffering can be used for good purposes depending on how you react to them.
 
2

2nicee

Banned
#30
Oct 24, 2016
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#30
Evil is going against God's will. Look at Lucifer, he was perfect ontil iniquity was found in him. He wanted to be like God.
 
CS1

CS1

Well-known member
#31
May 23, 2012
12,350
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#31
sin is the reason
 
N

ndsp

Guest
#32
#32
Sin, disobedience, rebellion to God, imperfect beings. I think they are all very dramatic explanations to the question and not very empowering, and sometimes vague and meaningless as a solid answer for the here and now.

My opinion, and they way I try to look at it: Anything unpleasant in this life that we must endure is a catalyst for spiritual growth. Freewill is attracted to pleasure in the immediate term - likely by design as a series of trials tailored to the individual, both from the beginning and as consequential lessons throughout life based on our decisions. When we learn patience and long suffering, we are building our spirit to function eternally. We innately deal with our life and our bodies as we understand. The spirit is a capacity that must be found and learned by each of us. It requires God to be in us and work through us. It's not that we are so lowly that we must submit our will, but we must find and learn the strength, and to grow our character to submit and allow the Holy Spirit to live within and guide us so we can function as an eternal entity.
 
Johnny_B

Johnny_B

Senior Member
#33
Mar 18, 2017
1,954
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#33
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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Sin is in the world. I'm wondering why you feel the need to confront or argue with God?

Job 40:2 “Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it.”
 
followjesus

followjesus

Banned
#34
Jun 1, 2016
5,032
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#34
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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all the evil in the world is because in the beginning God gave the earth and dominion over it to mankind. ( Genesis 1:26) after this was given to man, satan deceived Him ( genesis 3) in order to wield that dominion over the earth that was given to mankind for his own will ( evil) rather than Gods that is good. from that point man was in rebellion against Gods perfect will for us and the earth. in genesis 6 you see the result, and then Jesus came to undo that work in us. (1 john 3:8) we fel captive to evil by the word of satan, and are freed from it by the Word of Jesus Christ. lie v truth
 
CS1

CS1

Well-known member
#35
May 23, 2012
12,350
4,063
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#35
Nicee said:
If God is so powerful and knows everything. Why is there evil, suffering, pains etc in the world?
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not a tough question. it a a question asked by those who do not believe in God or a god. Evil is the state of the person act , thought, or nature . Evil was not created by God. Evil is the effect of sin which God had already said " NO NOT DO". if you did what HE said do not do that is your fault not HIS. Unless you don't believe in a God then the problem is still you.
 
wattie

wattie

Senior Member
#36
Feb 24, 2009
3,047
1,029
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New Zealand
#36
A father takes his daughter to a sewing class. He would know that it being her first time, his daughter will probably prick her fingers, before she gets the hang of it.

So the daughter has a go at sewing and does prick her finger.. drawing blood. Does the father step in and stop the learning, stop his daughter in the class?

No.. the father wisely waits for the class to end.. and the daughter has forgotten her pain as she shows her dad what she has made with her sewing.

So- us humans-- we have pain in our learning and growing and living etc... God doesn't step in to take away the suffering and pain every time. Most times he doesn't. But then we mature and give glory back to God for what we have been given by Him.

The pain and suffering isn't from Him.. God allows it to happen but He doesn't MAKE it happen. That's humanities free will bringing on the pain and suffering.
 
maxwel

maxwel

Senior Member
#37
Apr 18, 2013
9,367
2,444
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#37
wattie said:
A father takes his daughter to a sewing class. He would know that it being her first time, his daughter will probably prick her fingers, before she gets the hang of it.

So the daughter has a go at sewing and does prick her finger.. drawing blood. Does the father step in and stop the learning, stop his daughter in the class?

No.. the father wisely waits for the class to end.. and the daughter has forgotten her pain as she shows her dad what she has made with her sewing.

So- us humans-- we have pain in our learning and growing and living etc... God doesn't step in to take away the suffering and pain every time. Most times he doesn't. But then we mature and give glory back to God for what we have been given by Him.

The pain and suffering isn't from Him.. God allows it to happen but He doesn't MAKE it happen. That's humanities free will bringing on the pain and suffering.
Click to expand...

What kinda father even knows what a sewing class is?
 
mailmandan

mailmandan

Senior Member
#38
Apr 7, 2014
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#38
God created a perfect world. It's man's sin that wrecked it!
 
S

samuel23

Banned
#39
Dec 2, 2016
1,652
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#39
Why does God allow the world to be as it is? Only God really knows that one and He is not sharing it with us. Human attempts to explain our state of existence fail miserably if we are really truthful with ourselves. We cannot even reconcile God's incredible love for man with His incredible wrath against man...we try but in the end it is futile, like Solomon said, emptiness, emptiness, it is all emptiness. In the end the only answer is to trust God through Jesus Christ and say, ours is not to reason why, but to do or die.
 
G

graceNpeace

Senior Member
#40
Aug 12, 2016
2,180
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#40
I think the OP has posed an excellent question.
My reasoning is twofold:

Firstly, each individual believer needs a watertight understanding of this issue for their own personal spiritual growth; and
Secondly, this issue is a MASSIVE stumbling block to the unsaved. Understanding and being able to explain the causation and significance of evil in this world is a crucial mandatory aspect of the Christian apologetic.

Several posts, some brief and some more detailed, show a good understanding of the issue.
 
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