Why are people under the impression that GOD allows bad things to happen?

Question

People let bad things happen, quit blaming GOD for all of your problems. I think it's time for people to start taking responsiblity for there own actions.

Answer 1

Free will
God has given us freedom of choice. Having this freedom means that we can rebel against God and make choices that are contrary to His desires. Since we can say that evil is anything contrary to God's perfect and holy will, then anyone who chooses anything contrary to God's perfection is committing evil. But this is the risk of being able to have freedom of choice. Evil and suffering are the result of making bad free choices.
But how could this account for natural disasters and sickness that brings suffering? Biblically, Adam represented not only all of his descendents, but he was also the head of the created order since he was given dominion over the earth. Therefore, when he fell, sin entered into the world (Rom. 5:12) and with it the effects of being fallen spread to the earth as well as to humanity.
God cannot stop evil and suffering because He is powerless
Of course, this does not stand up to biblical truth. God allows evil to occur partly for reasons we do know and partly for those we do not. We know that God uses evil to discipline people (Prov. 3:11) and to teach them (Prov. 15:32). But we cannot know all the reasons that God has for allowing evil and suffering in the world. It is not logically necessary that since God has not stopped evil and suffering in the world, that He cannot. God could be using suffering for His divine plan, in order to teach, for discipline, because people are free, etc. The existence of suffering does not at all mean that God cannot stop all of it. It means that He simply has chosen not to do so.
How much evil should be stopped?
The question of stopping evil means that if God is to stop evil, then He must stop all evil. This means that the murderer must be stopped along with the thief. But it also means that thinking evil, which is in rebellion against God, must also be stopped as well; that is, if all evil is to be stopped. Therefore, for God to stop evil and suffering may very well mean that He must remove the ability for people to freely choose what they want to do. So, if God is going to stop evil, is He required to stop all of it or just some of it? If only some of it, then the question would still stand. If He stops all of it, would we be free?
Prevention of further evil
It is possible that human suffering (cancer, disease, etc.) can be a means that God uses to remove the person from further suffering, worse suffering, or future suffering. Of course, this not seem to be a very good option because if God or intending to stop further suffering, why would He use suffering to stop it? Also, what about floods and earthquakes that cause suffering? How would they fit into God decreasing or stopping suffering except perhaps by people's deaths which ends suffering? This is difficult to answer. Though it may be that God might use some suffering to prevent even greater suffering, this explanation cannot answer all issues concerning it.
For the greater plan
Undoubtedly, God has a plan. Since God knows all things He is not surprised by the presence of evil and sin in the world that brings about suffering. But if God knows all things from all eternity, then He is perfectly capable of using suffering in the world in His greater plan. The best and simplest example of this is the suffering of Christ at the hands of evil men. It is by Christ's suffering and death on across that we are able to be redeemed. It was God's plan from all eternity that Christ die for our sins yet Christ was crucified by evil people (Acts 4:27-28). This means that God had incorporated into His divine plan the reality of evil and suffering in order to accomplish His will. Of course, this does not mean that God is the author of evil, but it does mean that God is above it all and can use it to accomplish a greater good. If this is true on a large-scale, why cannot it also be true on a smaller one in each of our individual lives?
For discipline and instruction
The Bible tells us that God disciplines those whom He loves (Heb. 12:6) and that no true child of God is without discipline and instruction. It is obvious that the results of our rebellion against God brings suffering and it is also true that we can learn through our suffering that such rebellion is bad. We then could glorify God during and after our suffering by proclaiming the truth of His word that urges us to follow God and His ways.
Sometimes we learn our greatest lessons after having suffered the consequences of our actions -- and this is good. If we see that there are consequences through the acts of suffering in this world, it is logical to conclude that there will be suffering in the next as a consequence of our rebellion now. This could easily lead us to conclude that we need to be delivered from our rebellion against God. Of course, Jesus is the answer to this.
It is the result of sin
Biblically speaking, pain and suffering are the results of sin in the world. Adam, who represented all humanity as well as creation, rebelled against God and brought suffering into the world (Rom. 5:12). Sin is more than simple rebellion and breaking of God's law. It is permeating throughout all of God's creation bringing imbalance, famine, earthquakes, disease, etc. This does not mean that God created evil. Instead, it is God who is allowing evil and suffering to continue for His divine plan.
To serve as a warning
Evil and suffering in the world can serve as a warning against breaking God's law and then people can see the necessity of following God's truth. God's ways are right and good and following them leads to security and safety. The consequences of disobeying God's word are manifested in suffering. Therefore, suffering in the world easily serves as a demonstration of the need to follow God's words thereby vindicating what God has said
To make a point
It is possible that God is simply allowing evil and suffering in the world to prove that rebellion against Him brings pain and suffering. God may be allowing sin to take its natural course in the world so that on the day of judgment God can say "Do you see what rebellion against my words brings?" This may seem overly simplistic but it may prove to be one of the reasons that God allows pain and suffering. After all, did He not make us in His image and give us the freedom to choose? And in our freedom have we not rebelled? Yes, we have. Should God then make us robots or restrict our freedom so much that we have no choices at all? Of course not. But since we are limited in our knowledge and have used our freedom to rebel, God allows us to have what we desire and in the end, our sins will prove that God's way is the right way.
To serve as a means to bring the Son
The death of the Son is the means by which God has redeemed those who would receive Jesus. This death cannot occur if Jesus were not a man. In order to be a man he had to be born as one. But since Jesus was sinless, death has no power over Him. Therefore, in order to die and in order to redeem us, His death must be at the hands of evil people. But, without sin, suffering, and evil in the world, Jesus could not have been sent to the cross. So, it could be said that suffering in the world is necessary in order to bring about the cross which in turn demonstrates the great and awesome love of God. Jesus said that the greatest act of love is to lay one's life down for another (John 15:13). If God is love (1 John 4:8) and love gives (John 3:16), can it be that God must demonstrate the greatest act of love? If so, it can only be done through suffering in the world.
We don't know.
Biblically speaking, pain and suffering are the results of sin in the world. Adam, who represented all humanity as well as creation, rebelled against God and brought suffering into the world. This sin is more than simple rebellion and breaking of God's law. It is an offense against a holy God. Sin is permeating throughout all of God's creation bringing imbalance, famine, earthquakes, disease, etc. This is not have God created things but it is God who is allowing them to continue for his divine plan. Ultimately, we can't know all the reasons why God allows suffering, we just know that He does.

What does the Bible tell us that God has done about evil? It tells us that he sent to his son Jesus to die for our sins and to deliver us from pain and suffering. Ultimately, God is allowing evil in the world for a purpose, otherwise, he would not let it exist. Therefore, we must trust Him that He knows what He is doing.

Answer 2

I think that some people are referring to when a madman kills millions of innocent people. The innocent people had done nothing. Men, women, children. All killed in brutal and horrific manners. Some will look to that and say, "Hey, where was this all powerful god in all of this? Why did he not do anything to save these people? He let this happen."

So, how can observers be guilty of not taking responsibility for their own actions? Most of the people of the world did not know of the attrocities until after it was over. Some knew about it and tried to help. In the end the madman was stopped (Hitler if you have not figured it out yet).

Now here is a special quandry to think about. Ok, if it were god's will that all these people needed to die like this then Hitler was a tool of god. God needed old Adolph to get to work and open up the death camps in order for his will to be done. Ok, if that is the case then Hitler had no free will. He had to complete the task to make god's will happen. So man having free will would not always be true then. Also, we should not hate Hitler because he was just working for god. That is if god has a plan and let all of this happen. If god does not have a plan and let all of those people die then god is evil. He must have known something about it with all of that all-knowing power the guy has. Yet he did nothing to stop it. One simple smite would have saved millions. How would a person looking at god's role possibly have anything good to say about the guy?

Answer 3

Many, if not most, Christian Churches teach that all things happen according to the Will of God. If that is true then God does not merely allow, is actively causes all bad things that happen. It also means that free will is an illusion, since every thing you do is by His direction. Consider the old prayer, "For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful." Clearly, we are not even capable of feeling something unless God places those feeling in us. This is why I'm no longer Christian.

Answer 4

It's amazing how we blame governments for not helping during a disaster, not being quick enough to respond.

Or how we wold blame any person who had the power and opportunity to intervene and help someone in need and didn't.

In fact if we saw someone who could have helped someone but walked away we would consider that person selfish, celf centered and even evil.

Yet this Teflon God is never questioned about his behavior to "his children" as millions have died of starvation, at the hands of "acts of god", or disease - things people had NO control over. Yet we still hear flimsy lines like "people let bad things happen" and Teflon God walks away, we are told he has a plan and all things happen for a reason. There's a reason 8000 children die EVERY DAY in Africa due to either disease or starvation.

If any parent on this planet treated his children like Teflon God does, it would be considered criminal and they would be locked up.

The epitome of double standard.

Answer 5

There is absolutely nothing in our physical world that God has anything to do with, It is man that causes all the crap we have to deal with, he even created good and bad, right and wrong, I don't believe man will ever take responsibility for his actions, because it is easier to blame rather than accept responsibility.

Answer 6

Bryan, as a Christian I have to disagree to some extent...there is a big difference between "allow" and "make". Going back to free will, if we are not allowed to suffer the consequences when we make bad choices then we cannot learn from our mistakes. That is different from God making it happen as some kind of punishment. SW

Answer 7

God does not MAKE bad things happen but he does allow them to. BUT you are right God is not to blame for anything evil or bad that happens. Mankind allows evil and bad things to happen by turning their backs on God. But the rain falls on everyone good and evil alike. Bad things happen to the good and evil alike.
God is not to be blamed for anything that happens on the earth. We are to be faithful followers and one day we will live with him.
We are to fight the good fight of faith. Put on the whole armour of God to defeat the evils of this world.


Christian in Pa.

Answer 8

thats an truly concept upsetting question one which I have meditated over and being a christian beleiving interior an same omnipresence of god I have likened the area to that of a figure and newborn. ok imagine a figure is modern-day in room with a comfortable newborn the room is the international and the newborn is mankind . Now the room is full of disadvantages that the figure can see listen and anticipate what is going to damage the newborn. the newborn is unaware of the disadvantages yet nonetheless needs to interstigate say a warm range. The figure warns of the disadvantages yet is conscious of till the newborn is a robotic he will want to make certain what the fuss is about ! some disadvantages are fairly fulfilling! As for undesirable issues happening to threat free toddlers it truly is the hardest idea ever to charm to close and its each so often no longer plausible to fulfill the discomfort we sense or the question why ?? yet in view of the accusations of by technique of stepping in and intervening on mans moves god will then be a dictator we ought to settle for that he ought to enable the worste to take position yet continuously grant an section to run to when we want shelter . If god stepped into provide up all cases of homicide abuse suicide he might want to by no ability be in a position to declare his kingdom existed on the premise of loving him freely somewhat it would want to be out of outrage ! As unhappy as this example is god is searching for to convenience the suffering and is going to end to all discomfort interior the distributed time . i believe also that he created this earth understanding guy had the alternative to insurrection yet earlier the act of introduction the salvation plan became set in position and jesus became prepared to pay the cost that all and diverse mankind might want to ought to pay thats eternal lack of life. So easily god created with coverage in position does that make experience ? desire that permits in a roundabout way scouse thats the concern god did not create the harmful international we stay in he created it completely secure and amazing to stay in yet sin degraded it badly and if god wiped it out and began back an same probability of sin causing the disadvantages might want to nonetheless exist and god might want to nonetheless provide the required salvation plan yet he might want to be accused by technique of devil and who's conscious of , something else of his universe of in basic terms scrapping a international if it doesnt artwork right

Answer 9

JP. Your around that is not "according to Christianity" That is according to some Christians.

People say this because of their worldview. They believe that every action has to pass by the thought or approval of God.

Answer 10

According to Christianity:

Even before God created, he knew every outcome of every action of creation. God created the angels. God knew that Satan would fall with a third of the Heavenly Host, but created them anyways. This fall would be the beginning of spiritual evil.

God created the universe. God created man with free will. God knew that mankind would fall, but created him anyways. This fall would be responsible for evil in the world because it would allow Satan control.

In short, God knew that Satan and Man would fall, would be imperfect, but created them anyways.

God took actions for which he KNEW the outcomes would contain evil, according to Christianity. And yet they hold him blameless.


If I create a machine that kills a hundred million people because I poorly designed it and some idiot used it wrong... am I not still responsible, at least in part?

Your version of god is not blameless in this.

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JC: Read your Bible again. If God is omniscient, he knew the consequences of every thing he created, including the evil that would come of them.

His followers cannot wiggle out of this by claiming he used his omnipotence to make himself not know these things -- if his omnipotence could conquer his omniscience, then he was not omniscient.

It doesn't matter if he approves or not. If he knows the consequences and acts, he is responsible for them.

See, the funny thing is, the Jews actually DO have a valid and logical answer to the problem of Evil. And yet Christians and Muslims do not. Makes you wonder what they lost when they split off, and if they lost something, if they're the true religion at all.

Answer 11

I agree....God allows everyone freedom. People choose to do what they want. If God stepped in everytime something bad was about to happen then we would not have freedom to live our lives the way we choose.