5 Reasons Evil Exists
2 Possibilities
It’s pretty clear that the problem of evil is not logical. In fact, it shows us that God must exist. But there is still more of the discussion to be had. Consider the outplay of each possible reality—one in which God does not exist and one in which God does exist (specifically the God of the Bible).
Imagine if the world was truly Godless. All the suffering we experience doesn’t go away. But what does that leave us with? If there is no God, there is no objective right and wrong. That means we don’t even have the satisfaction of calling rape, murder, adultery and lying “wrong.” We can say that we don’t like it. We can say that it causes damage to people, but there is no objective right or wrong without God. (Again, read “Can You Be Good Without God?” to grasp this concept.)
Not only can we not call evil objectively wrong, but there is also no justice for it, either—save for the inconsistent justice that we experience on Earth. That means that if someone gets away with murder, that’s it—no justice. Furthermore, there is no purpose for the suffering and no hope beyond the suffering. As Provine pointed out, a world without God is meaningless. That means that suffering is meaningless as well. But suffering is not just pointless; there is also no hope beyond suffering (without God). You live. You suffer. You die. This may seem callous to those of us who live fairly pleasurable lives, but what do you tell the person who is born in absolute poverty, who grows up in an abusive home, or who is sold into slavery at birth? They don’t enjoy the pleasures that many of us are afforded. If there is no life beyond this life, then that is all people get. No hope. No justice. No purpose.
Consider the alternative. Suffering still exists. Evil still exists. However, in this reality, God exists. God is not only a just Judge, He is a merciful forgiver. That means that you not only get justice for the evils done against you, but you also have access to forgiveness for the evils that you commit. There is an eternal hope. Paul, a man who experienced parts of heaven and who was beaten to the point of death countless times, tells us “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us” (Rom. 8:18). All of the pain we suffer (and Paul had suffered a lot!) is nothing compared to the beauty that awaits us. Paul explained to the Corinthians how he was able to experience beating after beating, disappointment after disappointment. He knew what is coming, and it was all worth it!
One Final Point
It’s often said that time heals all wounds. Of course, this is not fully true, but there is truth within the phrase. In my teen years, I was suicidal, addicted to drugs and depressed for an extended period of time. In only a decade later, those things feel like a distant reality, if not a different life altogether. At the time, those pains seemed insurmountable. If time heals all wounds, can you imagine what healing will come in the span of eternity and in the presence of God? It is no wonder that Paul said what he said.
Conclusion
So what have we learned?
The “problem of evil” is really no problem at all, at least not for theists. Not only do both premise three and premise four fail, but they also make belief in God both rational and beneficial. As followers of Christ, we can rest assured that evil is real, but it has been defeated. With God there is justice for evil, forgiveness from evil, purpose in evil, hope beyond evil, and an eternity of beauty and healing awaiting us in the presence of our beloved Creator.
What do you think? What other reasons might God have for allowing evil? Leave a comment below and share to get your friends in on the conversation. {eoa}
Check out the rest of the book Prove It: The Art & Science of Understanding & Articulating Why You Believe What You Believe by Chris Townsend.
Chris Townsend spent the first 26 years of his life as an atheist. He now leverages that background to help reach the lost and disciple the found. He has studied supply chain management and business information systems at Texas Christian University, theology at Christ for the Nations Institute (CFNI), church history at Liberty University and apologetics at Biola. Chris is the president of Redeemed Royalty Ministries, a professor at Christ for the Nations Institute and an itinerant apologist for weignitelove.org. Chris has written several books, including Prove It: The Art & Science of Understanding & Articulating Why You Believe What You Believe and Ekklesia Rising: The Organization Formerly Known as Church. Connect with Chris at redeemedroyalty.org.
