Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing?
Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing?
Then why call him God?
2007-06-17 11:05:15 · 23 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Love Epicurus's riddle. It's unanswerable. I wish I knew about when I was in Sunday school.
Atheist.
2007-06-17 11:14:40 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 1⤋
Hi Kitty Kat;
When we were younger trying to fall asleep in the dark, we'd hear a creaking floorboard or a rattling window and fear that there was a monster under the bed or another outside the window. It is no great stretch of the imagination to see how a term like "evil" is just an extension of that same youthful misapprehension. We're all just trying to set ourselves and our loved ones up in luxury as much as possible. Some of us feel that we are at liberty to do this at others expense (often to the extreme) . So, in reality, evil cometh not whence... it's just us! ...or something!
A Dios mi amore! (What? You don't speak Spitalian??)
2007-06-17 18:23:27 · answer #2 · answered by Wayne 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
*** Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? ***
Exactly, right !
Thank you, have a pleasant day.
2007-06-17 19:34:55 · answer #3 · answered by zurioluchi 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
How bad is evil, truly?
Everything has a place in the world, and evil has its own. I don't know what to tell you as far as God goes, but I think evil needs to be here for good to exist. Good alone is as bad as evil alone. Together, true good can exist.
Good and evil could be called a false dichotomy, since they are more like yin and yang than anything else. But it all depends on your perspective, really.
What use is good is there isn't any evil? Good would be meaningless. I guarantee the novelty would wear off within a week and nobody would enjoy the good anymore. WIth evil, there is something to weight good against. By experiencing evil, we are equipped to experience good, and vice versa.
2007-06-17 18:15:05 · answer #4 · answered by Mysterious Bob 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Then whence cometh? it is 2007 OK. But in all seriousness He is able to prevent evil for He is omnipotent. He is willing that no one die in their sins but all come to repentance. He does not want anyone to be in an evil world such as this that is why He created it perfect and when it slipped into an evil state He provided a way to be holy as He is holy. But He will not prevent the free will of man that is a doctrinal truth in almost every sect of Christianity. So God is willing and able to prevent evil, but He won't if it means messing with our free will.
In Jesus Name
2007-06-17 18:13:29 · answer #5 · answered by Joel 2 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Evil is the logical result of having good. Even for an omnipotent being, there are some things that will always be logically impossible. For example, could God make a block of wood to heavy for him to lift? Theoretically God should have all possible powers, but no impossible ones.
Anyway, if you allow free will to humans, evil is a distinct possibility. That wouldn't make God malevolent for allowing us free will.
2007-06-17 18:17:08 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
The evil in the world comes not from God but from the free choices of rational creatures. God could, of course, have created a world without such creatures, but he chose not to. A world without free agency would be morally dead, worse than a world containing evil. Imagine a world without any real choice? Could there really be any real love? Evil is the price that we pay for freedom, and it is a price worth paying.
2007-06-17 18:42:19 · answer #7 · answered by thundercatt9 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
You can't prevent evil without taking away human's ability to choose. His plan for mankind was freewill so with that comes bad choices that breed evil.
2007-06-17 18:21:07 · answer #8 · answered by comer59 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Hello, and in order for Love to be Love it can NOT even by God be forced, when In Gen.3:15 God [and according to John 1, Heb.13:8 and Heb.1:5-9 that member of The Godhead was Jesus Christ] Man decided to say NO to God they choose to pull the plug on life as it were and so Jesus as it says in Isa53 came to earth as A Man Just like us, Giving up His divine body for us not just for while He was here but when He returned to Heaven He kept that body FOREVER, Now God did His part and its spelled out in John 3:14-18 and our part is in John 14:15, and as far as sin not ending read about in Rev.20:14 and 21:8 sin and sinners that will not live up to the conditions are destroyed forever, [The EFFECTS of Hell is forever NOT the fire itself] it also says as far as sin happening again in Naham 1:9 What do ye imagine against the LORD? he will make an utter end: affliction shall not rise up the second time. In the garden Jesus said to His father "Abba" now that word means papa or daddy, not only is Jesus my Lord, and my God He is My God, you see in Isaiah 9:6 Names like Mighty God and father are used interchangeable within The Godhead, find out more free bible lessons www.itiswritten.com talk to me also email not messenger wgr88@yahoo.com God bless
2007-06-17 18:18:36 · answer #9 · answered by wgr88 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
He wants us to call to him for help."I knock at the door".He's waiting for you to open it.Then he can help.Yea,he can.When the devil is defeated in the end then all evil will be defeated.And when something good happens.Ex:when a mugger or a rapest or child molester is put away for a long time,thats Gods hand working.When an evil doing is cought and delt with,thats Gods hand working.So He can and does do things.But the devil also is at work.Ex:crooked cops,crooked lawyers that let wrong doers free.
2007-06-17 18:14:43 · answer #10 · answered by gotabedifferent 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋