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If there is a good God, why is there so much evil?

This is a very reasonable and intelligent question that needs to be adequately answered. If there is indeed a God, a supposedly good God, why is there so much evil in this world? This logical and important question has baffled mankind for thousands of years! Yes: If God is love, why is it that there is lack of love, and so much hate and crime? If God is merciful, why is there more of cruelty and little mercy on this earth? If God is just, why is there so much injustice and very little fairness and equity? If God is kind, why is there so much unkindness, and bitterness, and murders? If God is very good, why is there so much evil in this world?

And even more importantly, we ask: If God is all-knowing or as theologians say “omniscient” why does He not seem to know about the bad things happening to humanity? And if He is indeed God who can be everywhere or “omnipresent” why does He seem to be absent when calamities and tragedies strike and when people need Him? And if God is all-powerful and all-mighty, why does He not do, or it seems that He cannot do something to change the forces of evil for good? And if we are indeed the children of God, and were created by Him, why is it that this world’s humanity is not like Him? Is it not that children ought to be like their parent?

Why is humanity in the dark or in abject ignorance when it comes to the most fundamental and important questions affecting our life, our origin, and our future? This type of bizarre situation seems very unusual or unreasonable to say the least.

While these questions make many people uncomfortable and uneasy, these are also all valid, logical, and reasonable questions that need to be honestly and correctly answered. These are the same questions which atheists and agnostics have asked. And they are also the questions which faithful Christians have in mind, but are afraid or embarrassed to ask.

No wonder, the conclusion reached by some is that there is no God who is described to be what He is supposed to be by those who claim to believe in Him. Others are more direct in saying that there is no God, or that God (if He ever existed once) has long been dead. In some circles of so-called higher learning, it is fashionable to say that “God is dead.”

What are the true answers to these difficult and disturbing questions? Because these have not been adequately or correctly answered some have become atheists or agnostics.

Noted among such personalities who call themselves Freethinkers or atheist is Bertrand Russell. He has written three articles namely: “Why I Am Not a Christian”; “Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilization?”; and “Can Religion Cure Our Troubles?” Obviously, the answers to all these questions in his writings are in the negative.

Another noted Freethinker is Robert Green Ingersoll. He has written two articles, namely: “Some Reasons Why I Am a Freethinker”; and another one titled “The Gods.”

A third popular atheist who lived and wrote in the 1800s is named D.M. Bennett. He even went so far as to write a blatant piece titled: “An Open Letter to Jesus Christ.”

Admittedly, these writings sadly and negatively influenced a lot of people against God.

But let us come back to the main question. Why is it that if there is such thing as a good God, He does not seem to come forward, be active, or even does not seem to exist?

The simple answer to that question is based on the fact that, humanity does not know, nor understand what has happened before, and what is happening on this earth today. It is just like going to a movie show and entering toward the end of the presentation. Naturally, viewers will have a lot of seemingly valid yet confusing questions, simply because they are formulated in the context of limited knowledge. You and I have experienced that!

There is what we may call: Asking the wrong questions, which of course when an answer is forced upon it, will naturally produce a wrong answer or conclusion! This is common.

Therefore, to avoid this erroneous human tendency, we need to have the correct process. And that process is to go and start at the beginning of the matter, film, or presentation.

Such is also what we need to do to properly, correctly, and adequately answer the important questions we asked at the beginning to give us correct understanding on what has happened before and why are such conditions happening on earth today.

Therefore, we need to go back to the very foundation of humanity – to the starting point, literally back to the Garden of Eden incident. The incidents there will give us the key to understand the issues in our day, and provide answers to our difficult questions.

Because some people have out rightly rejected God and the revealed knowledge contained in the Bible – or because some have misunderstood or misinterpreted it, they have been led to make wrong answers and produce wrong conclusions.

It is important therefore that the Bible should be the foundation of knowledge, since none of us of ourselves have the perspective of God’s plan and purpose from beginning to end. While it was not meant to contain all knowledge, nor all the details of human knowledge, God designed it to give us the foundation – the correct starting point and direction.

Please allow me digress a little bit to illustrate this very important point in our discussion; this one having to do with the principle of having the correct starting point and correct point of direction. Ignoring this principle will make a very big difference in whatever we do in life. It could spell the vast difference between great success and total failure.

Let me tell you a little story to illustrate this important principle. I recall the time when we were Boy Scouts. In our skills training activities, we had compass reading, orienteering, and then treasure hunting as the final activity in the form of a contest as to who finds the “treasure” first. We were each given a sealed envelop containing a piece of paper. All have the same written instructions, and a series of compass bearings with prescribed distances. The goal is to be the first to find the buried or hidden “treasure” quote – unquote.

Many of my fellow boy scouts were too in a hurry to start, without reading carefully the directions first – most especially that part which tells us where we need to start! It was funny! What most did was upon receiving the envelope containing the piece of paper with compass directions; wherever they were at that given time, they simply started from there and began to sight the compass bearings indicated on the paper, and began moving forward into that direction. As a result, some were confronted with facing the obstacle of the wall of a building, or directing them across a large pond of water. Why? They did not follow the directions – the important principle of starting from the correct foundation or location first – not just from any point. Only then should one move into the right compass bearing, but starting from the correct point. Obviously, they all failed to find the treasure.

We can therefore see the very big difference between starting just right where you are, and starting from where you are supposed to start. Many people are that way. They are simply too in a hurry to be on their way without properly analyzing and using their heads.

Which reminds of a joke about a pilot who announced over the intercom: “Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Captain speaking. I am happy to inform you that we are cruising at an altitude of 38,000 feet, and traveling at the speed of 650 miles per hour with favorable tail winds. In short, we are making very rapid progress. My only problem is that because of some technical difficulties, I am not sure where we are going, but I can assure you we are making great progress toward where we may be headed…”

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There is therefore an imperative need for considering the correct starting point. Obviously, we do not want to find ourselves in the category of the foolish boy scouts, or the lost but enthusiastic pilot. We need to be doubly sure about what we are doing to begin with, and where we are definitely going, based on the correct understanding of facts.

Part of understanding the facts and being in the correct starting point is to be able to answer such great questions as: Why are we on the earth, and for what purpose? Who put humanity on this earth in the first place? Why are we in a state of mess? Where can we find relevant and reliable answers?

Does the theory of evolution give us the right answer? Are we the product of evolution? And can we prove the theory of evolution? If evolution is to be included in the equation of our questions – who in the first place created all the matter which is supposed to be the foundation or starting point of the so-called evolutionary process? And who created the laws, which were needed to govern and direct the so-called evolutionary processes?

Considering such very fundamental questions, it appears that there is no way that we can escape the reality of the existence of a Supreme Being which we would call God! Let us also remember that Charles Robert Darwin, the original proponent of the theory of evolution died in 1802 – or over 200 years ago, but still the theory of evolution remains a theory to this day. In 200 years, in spite of countless studies and research, it has not become a proven fact! There are just too many unanswerable questions and irreconcilable facts in such a theory. Many do not know that Charles Darwin himself recanted or reversed on his own theory of evolution before he died! Now that is a fact many do not know.

Let’s go back to our main question at the beginning. Consider the world of suffering humanity today. Humanity seems to be lost and cut off from a good God. This world obviously seems to be replaced by a wicked, cruel, and an unmerciful God. Humanity seem to be like an orphan looking for its true parent, calling on its parent, blindly groping about to find its parent – but never seems to be able to find its parent. On the other hand, many people do not want anyone meddling with the affairs of their lives – not even God.

Why is this so?

What many do not fully understand is the Garden of Eden incident where Eve was tempted by Satan, together with Adam who did not do much nor know how to counter Satan the deceiver, is more than just a nice story for children. That account is full of meaning and significance in the history of mankind, extending to our day and into the future.

That account is found in Genesis chapter 3 in our Bibles. What is most significant in that account is the presence of two very special and symbolic trees: the Tree of Life, and the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Mankind’s future direction and status was to be determined by the important choice between those two trees which was to be made by Adam and Eve as representing humanity.

Choosing the Tree of Life symbolized that humanity (represented by Adam and Eve), was willing to be guided exclusively by God their Maker and Creator, and receiving of the Spirit of God, with the privilege of enjoying the peace, love, and comforts of Eden.

On the other hand, choosing the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, symbolized their rejection of God’s direct rule and exclusive guidance over their lives. It symbolizes choosing independence apart from God, and following instead their own mind in determining what seems to them as good or evil. Since God is in effect rejected by their choice, they automatically came under the influence and direction of another “god” – another spiritual power. They fell under the sway of the wise deceiver called Satan whom they obeyed more than God – thus they went against God’s command against eating of the forbidden fruit.

As a result, humanity to this day is simply going the way it once determined to go through Adam and Eve – that of independence from their Creator God. That is how and when humanity was cut off from the True God. Remember that after they sinned, they were even driven out from the Garden of Eden? Not only that, but to prevent their access to what represented the way of God through the Tree of Life, Cherubs with flaming swords were assigned to guard the gates of the Garden. In effect, God has cut-off humanity from Him – apart from a very select few Whom God, by His grace and mercy has chosen to call and work with at this time, as part of His first calling to salvation.

Because humanity has been cut-off from the True God, Satan was just too happy to take over the controls over this earth and humanity. He has temporarily usurped the authority of the True loving and merciful God with so much of his own nature and character.

That is why this world is characterized by deception, lies, ignorance, hate, violence, strife, cruelty, injustice, murder, greed, ungodliness, violent competition, vices, immorality, poverty, incurable diseases, etc., etc. All these are simply a reflection of the character of the ruler of this world – Satan. He is presently the god of this world, and the fruits and evidences are undeniable. These are not my mere opinion or words.

I would like to invite you to open with me to 2 Corinthians 4:3-4, which reads in the KJV: “In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.”

We therefore see here that Satan (who is the subject in this context) is the god of this present world. Most people believe that God the Creator is their father. Even the great religious people in Christ’s day thought they were the children of God. But let us notice what Jesus said to them instead: John 8:44, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.”

We noticed here that even so-called religious leaders can have the devil as their father! Please read that again in your Bible. Christ did not lie when He said that. This statement is surprising, but such is the painful truth. Since most people in this world have Satan as their spiritual father, it is no wonder that we have this kind of evil world that we live in!

And how does the Bible describe this present world? Let us read from Galatians 1:3-4, “Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father,”

Another writer in the Bible describes the nature of this world. Please open with me to 1 John 5:19, “We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.”

Did you notice what it says? It says the WHOLE WORLD lies under the sway or influence of [that] wicked one. Because the Bible confirms that this whole world is under the influence of Satan, we find all kinds of evil in this world. This is therefore not presently the world governed or ruled by God but rather by Satan!

Simply because this present world is not governed by the True Loving God, people who do not understand what is happening on earth have condemned the True God.

The time will eventually come when God will demolish the rule of Satan on this earth. Then, this world will be physically and spiritually transformed. God’s Annual Festival on the Day of Atonement (or Yom Kippur among the Jews) depicts the time when Satan will be removed from his influence on this earth. Please read with me the prophetic statement of that event. It is found in the last book of the Bible. In Revelation 20:1-4, we read: “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.”

In the face of this world’s present troubles, there is great hope for a bright and happy future, when Satan will no longer have any influence on this earth. Rather, Jesus Christ will rule this world in unheard of peace and prosperity. This event is predicted and symbolized by the annual Festival ordained by God and observed by God’s people called the Feast of Tabernacles. This is celebrated in the seventh month of the sacred calendar.

Finally, let’s get back to our original question: If there is a good God, why is there so much evil? The answer is that the good God (Who is the Creator) is not presently ruling this world – but rather Satan the devil is the one ruling this world. The state of this world is obviously that of Satan’s nature and character.

[For greater understanding on this subject, please request the literature which will be advertised at the end of this program. Until next time, in behalf of the Good News of the World Tomorrow, this is Ed Macaraeg, saying thank you for listening.]