Is there a set Catholic belief on why God allowed sin into the world?

Question

I'm doing a paper on Julian of Norwich's Revelations of Divine Love and I found it very interesting when she says she hopes that someday God lets her know why he let there be sin in the world. Not being Catholic, I was wondering if that's a common Catholic belief--that no one knows why God allows sin. Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm Catholic, and I've always assumed sin entered the world when God gave people free choice. Yes, sin is bad, but he wanted us to be able to choose our own paths rather than making us like puppets. Allowing us to sin if we so choose is part of that.

Answer 2

I think the answer to your question follows (taken from the Catechism of the Catholic Church): "But why did God not prevent the first man from sinning? St. Leo the Great responds, "Christ's inexpressible grace gave us blessings better than those the demon's envy had taken away.And St. Thomas Aquinas wrote, "There is nothing to prevent human nature's being raised up to something greater, even after sin; God permits evil in order to draw forth some greater good. Thus St. Paul says, 'Where sin increased, grace abounded all the more'; and the Exsultet sings, 'O happy fault,. . . which gained for us so great a Redeemer

Here is a link to a searchable Catechism and this is a particulary good place to start: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/index/o.htm
(look under original sin)

Here's another good link: http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p1s2c1p7.htm#396

These are only starting points but good ones.

Answer 3

God did not allow sin.It is the act aginst the wish of God resulted in Sin.I think it is so in Bible.

Answer 4

God gave people free will and we have let Him down ever since.