Is God Good?

there are logical and epistemological problems here.

the notion that evil would not exist if God is good is a presupposition with basis in a very human idea of what is good. this statement is man supposing to think God's thoughts for Him -- imagining that man knows a better way to run the universe than God does.

here the error is failing to acknowledge the goodness of God again. the statement is questioning the goodness of God under the assumption that the existence of evil is not good. yet God has 'constrained all under sin in order that He might have mercy on all' -- this doesn't make sin 'good' but it shows a reason for the existence of it; in order that God's mercy may be manifested. mercy is good. mercy doesn't exist when there is no need for mercy. is then the existence of evil, itself evil?

a second error is framing these things within temporal experience. God's existence is not contained in time, but the existence of evil is within the framework of experiential timelike observation. God speaks of what is not as though it is, and calls into existence things which aren't - the vocabulary of prophecy is the fullness of completion of things not yet begun: it is an observational standpoint outside of the timelike eventspace sequence, knowing the end from before the beginning, and seeing them simultaneously -- and this is how God is able to observe, though man in finitude of knowledge ((hence understanding)) presently cannot.
but in the fullness of time all evil will be judged, and every enemy of God, who is good, will be brought under His feet. in the final analysis, evil is temporary. at the end of things, it will not persist - so its existence is only an interim vapor. in that sense, for man to judge God over what is essentially the fruit of the freedom of man to reject the goodness of God is like calling a cake a bad cake before it has baked. of course it isn't edible now, it needs time in the oven.



but the foremost problem is foregoing this:

axiom 1: God is good
corollary 1: everything God does is good
corollary 2: God does no evil

approach the supposed 'problem' with this algebra. you will find the singular and inevitable conclusion that man is vain, foolish, dim, and speaks without knowledge.

Do tell. What am I missing?

Your response to Dave-L's comment, "Technically, we are the author of sin. God is the cause." was, "Technically? Absolutely! Show me where Scripture states God causes sin?'

You have considered only two possible sources, when there is a third; that is the false dichotomy, and the information that makes it false is found in Genesis 3.

Everyone may have a different answer for this and that is fine. In the Bible we read about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. This and the tree of life. I wonder: is good and evil balanced? Is there as much good as there is evil in this world? In the law of thermodynamics we have equilibrium (a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced). I talk about river rocks and how the water forms them in a way that they are very easy to balance. So we know there is a lot of balance in the universe, cosmos or world we live in. We ask why there is so much suffering. I know people that love to play the victim card. Yet if there is just as much pleasure as there is pain. If here is just as much good as there is evil - then everything in life and in the universe balances itself out and cancels itself out. In quantum physics everything would cancel itself out. So there has to be a million and one positive particles and a million negative in order for us to exist. It there was more negative then positive then I would think this would cancel everything out so that nothing could exist. Although you cannot have nothing without something to compare it to.

Then of course we do hear that God is abundantly above and beyond all that we could ever ask or think. If there were as much good somewhere as there is evil, pain, misery and suffering in this world, I would think that would be substantial. We also hear that we need to die to self so we can live for God. I am not sure how that plays into all of this.

I heard you the first time. God did not create evil. God has "allowed" evil to exist and given us a choice. But God did not create evil, that is un-Biblical.

Brother, you misunderstood me. Actually, Satan is the first to sin. The word author should not be used.

Technically? Absolutely! Show me where Scripture states God causes sin? For He cannot tempt man in this manner.

Sin is violating God's law. God created His law and God is therefore the author of non-compliance to His law. Because Sin by God's will and law, damns the unrepentant. Those who do not repent of their sins.

Isaiah 45:7
Colossians 1

So you are the first in history to set the greatest theologians and philosophers straight? It's an honor.

Satan is merely calamity?

Further, if we read the Book of Isaiah chapter 45 we learn that God tells us He is both the evil and the good. The darkness and the light. He brings peace, and He brings calamity, He the Lord does all these things.

Not the first. And was even Paul the first to say God is good, and not the author of evil? What I said, I derived from what is written. I don't know who this Clark fellow is, but if he contradicts scripture, he's not 'the greatest theologian' and not much of a philosopher.

There is no 'problem of evil'
The problem is why does good exist, seeing that man isn't?
The answer is that God is, and He is good.

This section of Scripture has been explained to Dave-L in another thread. Dave-L refuses to read what has been explained to him in order that he may come to understanding of Scripture.

If we read 1 Kings 22, we read that Ahab wanted Jehoshaphat (king of Judah) to go with him to Ramothgilead and take it back from the king of Syria (Benhadad). Benhadad had made covenant with Ahab to return all the land taken by his (Benhadad's) father (1 Kings 20:34).

Jehoshaphat wanted to inquire of the Lord whether they should go or not (vs 5). So Ahab sent for his prophets and all 400 of his prophets told him to go (vs 6).

Jehoshaphat pushed further and Ahab told Jehoshaphat about one more prophet (Micaiah), but Ahab didn't like Micaiah because Micaiah did not tell Ahab what Ahab wanted to hear.

In 1 Kings 22:19-23, we read that Micaiah had a vision and in this vision it is explained that the prophets of Ahab had lied to him.

What Micaiah did was expose the lies of the false prophets to Ahab. @Dave-L does not comprehend Scripture well enough to understand that God was telling Ahab that his prophets were lying to him.

Micaiah's prophecy was: And he said, I saw all Israel scattered upon the hills, as sheep that have not a shepherd: and the LORD said, These have no master: let them return every man to his house in peace (vs 17).

Micaiah also told Ahab: If thou return at all in peace, the LORD hath not spoken by me (vs 28).

Ahab's false prophets told him Go up; for the Lord shall deliver it into the hand of the king (vs 6).


We know that Micaiah's prophecy was the true word of God and we know that Ahab's prophets were false prophets because what they prophesied did not come to pass (Deut 18:22).

We also know that God warned Ahab that his prophets were lying to him. But Ahab did not listen to God and went up anyway.

When we fully understand the verses in 1 Kings 22:19-23, we see that God did not send a lying spirit. What we see is that God warned Ahab that his prophets were lying to him. Ahab did not listen to the true prophecy:




If you want to go through the whole record, you can read here, here, here.