If God is so powerful, why does evil exist?

Answer 1

Your observations ignore the proper, formal understanding of the concept of omnipotence.

The philosophical rationale is that a supreme being, God, cannot act in an illogical manner with respect to that being's divine and perfect attributes. Hence, God cannot make a rock so big that He could not move it, nor could God do anything that would be a logical contradiction to His divine nature.

Omnipotence means God can do everything **that is possible** within the boundaries of a supreme being. Omnipotence doesn’t mean that God can do anything. The concept of omnipotence has to do with power, not ability per se. In fact, there are many things God can’t do, for example,

- God can’t make square circles.

- God cannot lie.

- What God has created in His image, God cannot annihilate (to erase from existence, to destroy completely).

-**God cannot create a morally free creature that couldn’t choose evil or the creature would not be morally free to choose.** {The answer to your question}

None of these, though, have to do with power. Instead, they are logically contradictory, and therefore contrary to God’s rational nature.

Answer 2

What you're asking for is a theodicy. A theodicy is a 'vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil.' There is no satisfying answer to your question because there is no theodicy that works, not even the popular "free will" one.

God is supposed to be all powerful and all knowing. This means he could have created a world with absolutely no evil, suffering, pain, or harm whatsoever. Because suffering obviously exists, we can come to one of the following conclusions:

1. God is evil/immoral/doesn't care
2. God doesn't exist
3. God does not have the power to stop evil (which means he's not god, which means god doesn't exist)

“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to... If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked... If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?”

- Epicurus

Answer 3

Good or evil are what is inside of humans, it is what comes from the inside of a person out towards the rest of the world that is good or evil. God is giving everyone a chance to choose the right path but eventually he will put a end to evil.

Answer 4

God is the All-Powerful, the All-Knowing, and He has full knowledge of every evil that exists, and likewise He has the ability to get rid of every evil that exists.

The reality is, however, that God allows evil to exist for a good purpose.
God created death and life as a test:

"Blessed is He in Whose Hand is the dominion, and He is Able to do all things.
Who has created death and life, that He may test you which of you is best in deed. And He is the All-Mighty, the Oft-Forgiving;" [Quran 67 :1-2]

Likewise, God created us for a noble purpose, in order that we should worship Him:

And I (Allah) created not the spirits and humans except they should worship Me (Alone). [Quran 51:56]

Evil is a test for God's worshippers, those who succumb to evil are punished, and those who are faithful attain salvation.

Answer 5

Because of the fall. Adam had been give dominion over the Earth. When he committed high treason by eating the apple, he transferred the dominion of the Earth to Satan. But not to worry, Jesus has paid the price for the fall of man and anyday now evil will again be banished from the planet.
I Cr 13;8a

Answer 6

I believe that God is Omnipotent and Omniscient. Evil exist because of the free will given to us by God whether you choose good or evil. However, freedom is intentended to do good. But since we have the free will, evil comes from the man itself because of our imperfection and limitation to do good as the attribute of freedom. By man's imperfection, man able to do evil. Moreover, evilness of human can be destroy if man wanted it, through the help of grace coming from God for us to win on that battle of ours.

Answer 7

God was caring enough to create us all with free will. He did not want robots or puppets, he wanted us to be able to make our decisions. Consequently, we are able to decide between right and wrong. Some people choose right, some choose wrong. God made all of us. Even those who we perceive to be evil. God made Hitler, Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and Saddam Husein, but he created them with free will. He gave them a choice and they chose evil.

Answer 8

because God gave people the freedom to make choices. Some choose to be good, some choose to be evil. If people couldn't make decisions, then people would all be robot-like. satan is powerful also.

Answer 9

Wasn't it becuase of what happened in the garden of eden? "For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." Genesis 3:5

Answer 10

God ordained evil, those who submit to God they are not affected by it.

Here is a supplication that we use in Islam to foil the devils plots

'A'oothu bikalimaatil-laahit-taammaatil-latee laa yujaawizuhunna barrun wa laa faajimn min sharri maa khalaqa, wa bara'a wa thara'a, wa min sharri maa yanzilu minas-samaa'i, wa min sharri maa ya'ruju feehaa, wa min sharri maa thara'a fil-'ardhi, wa min sharri ma yakhruju minhaa, wa min sharri fitanil-layli wannahaari, wa min sharri kulli taariqin 'illaa taariqan yatruqu bikhayrin yaa Rahmaan.

I seek refuge in the Perfect Words of God -which neither the upright nor the corrupt may overcome - from the evil of what He created, of what He made, and of what He scattered, from the evil of what descends from the heavens, and of what rises up to them, from the evil of what He scattered in the earth and of what emerges from it, from the evil trials of night and day, and from the evil of every night visitor, except the night visitor who comes with good. O Merciful One.

Peace Be With You