Does God permit evil to happen?

Answer 1

Yes.

But he does not cause it.

Answer 2

Men permit evil to happen. God permits men to choose.

There is the old argument that if God is good and all powerful, then there would be no evil in the world.

Since there is evil, some conclude that there is no God because this “proves” He is not God.

The argument says, if He is all powerful, yet he chooses to allow evil to exist, then he is not all good (therefore not God) or…

If he is all good, but cannot eliminate evil, then he is not all powerful and therefore He is not God.

Either way, the skeptics conclude that there is no “God”.

But, HOW DO YOU DEFINE EVIL?

If “evil” is just a function of the human mind (dislikes, preferences, opinions, a majority vote, etc.) then this proves nothing about God.

One person (or group of people, nation of people, race of people) may say one thing is wrong, or evil, while another group would say it was good.

The Nazi government said, and had soldiers convinced that it was good, to torture and kill Jews, even women and children. The British and American governments and people disagreed. Who was right? If “evil” is just based on opinions, there is no true, objective right or wrong.

Again if evil is just a function of the human desires, then this says NOTHING about whether there is or is not a God.

For example, if I am wearing a red shirt and I pass someone on the street that thinks red shirts are evil, they may say “Look there is evil in the world, therefore I know there is no God!”

I may then pass someone who thinks red shirts are good! That person may look at the same shirt and say, “Look how much good there is in the world! Because of this I know there is a God!”

Neither of these people have proved their point because their conclusion is not based on an objective standard! It is based on their opinion.

If, however, there is a standard of evil that transcends subjective human feelings, if some things are intrinsically evil, if there is a “higher standard”, THEN there is proof about God!

If there is a higher standard of evil, then there must also be a higher standard of good! There must also be a source for that standard! That higher standard, and the source of that standard, is God! The existence of a higher standard proves there is a God!

The conclusion, therefore, must be since intrinsic evil exists, I know God exists!

Answer 3

Yes God gave humanity freewill , so thats why most of the world lives in poverty because of the selfish people up the top who neglect the rest, and that includes most of us in the western world.

although God allows evil things to happen, he is a just God and every person will be held accountable for their actions ont he day of judgement, although God judges people in this lifetime aswell,

God loves people, and he has given christians the responsibility for caring for the neglected and the poor and binding up the broken hearted, God wants to show his LOVE in US PEOPLE, its our Job to show jesus to the lost and the needy.

Answer 4

Yes he permits Satan to tempt us humans and permits Satan to let bad stuff happends to us,just like how he let Satan rob Job off everything he had in the Bible.
But as Hand says He is not the cause of it.

Answer 5

Since He's suppose to be the creator of everyone and doesn't stop "evil" from happening, then yes, that's pretty much the case.

Answer 6

Yes, but He is not the cause of evil.

Answer 7

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 willing and able?
Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither willing nor able?
Then why call him God?
---Epicurus

Answer 8

well, the Christians say God made everything, so he must of made evil too.

Answer 9

Permit it? Hell, he created it...(heh..that was sort of a pun...more or less).