How can there be the possibility of evil if God exists?
545201
well done your getting there carry on thinking this way and you will soon be unbrainwashed if you already are congrats xxxx
642608
Evil is a consequence of the presence of free-will. Given free-will, some people will choose good, and some will choose evil (some fraction of the time).\n\nFor good to exist, evil does not need to exist.\n\nHowever, for good to be truly appreciated, evil may be a backdrop that makes good that much more appreciatable (to coin a term).\n\nAlso, there is greater virtue in being good when everyone around you is being evil. \n\nAnd, the presence of evil provides an environment (for a limited period of time) where souls can grow and develop character (in a manner consistent with God's purposes for our universe and for us).\n\nFor a brief explanation of God's purposes in creating the Universe and human beings, see http://www.godsci.org/gs/new/godspurposes.html\n\nCordially,\nJohn
688739
"Evil" can only be attributed to human consciousness. In this respect evil does not exist in nature. In a human society, however, "evil" is a term used to describe behaviour of individuals and groups, which is generally harmful to other individuals, groups or the society. So, evil does exist as an intentional choice of actions, which would make others unhappy; of thoughts and feelings of personal satisfaction, despite or because of somebody else's misfortune. Therefore, evil is wrong in every aspect - moral and natural, as it threatens both a normal persons feeling of inner peace and the protection of humans as a species.
692075
Yeah, always wondered that myself. Just what could one do to warrent ETERNAL suffering? Forever and ever.\n\nEven if such a god existed, who in their right minds would follow him? Those that follow such a god without even evidence that he exists must be especially foolish...
405878
I'm agnostic, myself. But if God does exist, it doesn't seem like there's much he won't allow to happen. Whether or not he favors the idea would probably be a better question. And to answer that one...I don't know. I can't know. And neither can anyone else here, regardless of what they may tell you.\n\nn4mwd: You seem pretty arrogant, for someone who has no idea what he's talking about. How does spelling God incorrectly...no, not even spelling it incorrectly, just not capitalizing it, equate to not believing in God? That is complete and utter nonsense. And I have no idea whether or not the soul exists, or what it is, but identical twins are not clones.
677669
Well, if God is the Creator of everything that is and everything that will be.....the Alpha and the Omega (and everything in between!)\n\nThen it stands to reason that God also created evil, as well as good.\n\nThe answer to your question is yes....evil CAN exist in the presence of God.\n\nIf you need proof, then read in the Bible the book of JOB. In the book of JOB, Satan goes up to God and they both start "placing bets" on poor, defensless Job.\n\nFor further proof, you will find a passage in the New Testament where Jesus is wandering alone and he is being tempted by Satan three times (supposedly, Satan is in the guise of a woman for one of those occasions?)\n\nSo, if Satan (who is supposed to be the embodiment of pure evil) can be in the presence of both God and Jesus, then that right there should answer your question.
1071749
If evil exists and god is against evil then god cannot be all good all knowing and all powerful at the same time.He either doesn't know about evil, doesn't have a problem with evil, or can't do anything about evil. \n\nThis is not about free will either, as if god is all knowing he would have known about evil before it happens, If he were all powerful he would be able to stop the evil, and were he all good he would not have created people who were going to do evil in the first place. \n\nThere is no way arround it, such a god would have created the universe for evil to be in it. He would have wanted evil. Thankfully there's polytheism.
1023718
Yes...\n\nWe find in nature things that are possible to be and not to be, since they are found to be generated, and to corrupt, and consequently, they are possible to be and not to be. But it is impossible for these always to exist, for that which is possible not to be at some time is not. Therefore, if everything is possible not to be, then at one time there could have been nothing in existence. Now if this were true, even now there would be nothing in existence, because that which does not exist only begins to exist by something already existing. Therefore, if at one time nothing was in existence, it would have been impossible for anything to have begun to exist; and thus even now nothing would be in existence--which is absurd. Therefore, not all beings are merely possible, but there must exist something the existence of which is necessary. But every necessary thing either has its necessity caused by another, or not. Now it is impossible to go on to infinity in necessary things which have their necessity caused by another, as has been already proved in regard to efficient causes. Therefore we cannot but postulate the existence of some being having of itself its own necessity, and not receiving it from another, but rather causing in others their necessity. This all men speak of as God.
412008
No - because belief in God is different from proving His existence - Faith allows and encourages belief in the creator without physically dragging God into a room and shouting - Here He is!.\n\nAs a christian, we believe we face evil everyday. It is either natural evil (Natural catastrophes) or evil inflicted on others by man.\n\nEvil exists - we can clearly see it, however this does not necessarily make it necessary to "believe" that there is an entity called "the devil" - however it's easier to believe that he exists than it is to believe that God exists.\n\nChristians believe that God is the Creator -look what he created - this wonderful and beautiful planet, He is the Saviour(and I use this not in the evangelical sense as I am a Catholic - and don't believe that God the Father willed his son to die in an atoning sacrifice.  I don't believe that his blood "had" to be shed for people's redemption - however it was a fact that it did take place - and it allowed the Christian community to accept the validity of Christs death on the cross.\n\nJesus preached forgiveness which was unconditional - the same applies with redemption -I dont believe that God the Father "willed" this to be the way of salvation.  God, being God could have chose another way.  If the forgivness of Jesus was limited to "asking for our own forgivness on the condition that we do the same too - then the same would apply to God the Father as the son of God is equally God in our own human state. \n\nMy rant is now over - I hope that this throws a wee bit more light on what your looking for.
262160
The short answer is that God is loving enough to allow us to suffer the effects (both good and bad) of our actions and the actions of others. If God did not allow us to experience the consequences of our actions (and others'), then free-will would be only an illusion, and God would be unjust in judging some worthy of hell, and others being admitted to heaven. OUR ACTIONS CAUSE EVIL, not God! Does God allow evil? Yes! Did God create evil? NO! God merely created free moral agents with the ability to choose to follow Him, and do no evil, or to rebel against Him, and do evil things.\nThat begs the question, why did God create free-will? Because without free-will, we would be nothing more than robots, or puppets on a string. God created man for the purpose of having relationship with, and to serve and protect the lesser creations of God (animals, the earth, anyone or anything less powerfull than ourselves).\nHaving said that, God does use evil (when it happens), to further His agenda for the earth, and particularly for those that love Him, and are called according to His purpose.\nGod created the POSSIBILITY of evil, He did not create evil, and along with the possibility of evil, had a plan to turn what was evil into something beautiful. THAT is why Jesus MUST BE God, Because God Himself stepped in and bore EVIL on His own self, in order to undo the power of evil, Jesus must also be man, because evil was introduced to the earth through a man, and a man must then break the power of evil.\nJesus was both 100% God and 100% man - fulfilling justice for both God and Man.
47645
God exists. His existence is a fact. \n\nIf the Gospel is simply fiction then it would be terrible terrible for us all...
902713
no...if it were possible there wouldn't be these fun debates on yahoo answers..gotta love some of these answers though lol..stuff exists..that means gods exists..nice!..and the ever popular..can you prove he doesn't....burden of proof is on the believer
334746
There is no devil.  The universal power of belief has made the image of evil, and maintains it.  You have but to resist, and it flees from you...how powerful is a thing, or a force, if all you need do is speak to it, and it vanishes?  \n\nEvil is the exact opposite to God...and God has no opposite.\n\nGod is All That Is.\n\nIf you want a true answer, stop believing in the insanity of devils and evil, and anything that pretends to stand between you and your Father.
310896
1. If God exists, then God is omnipotent, omniscient, and morally perfect.\n   2. If God is omnipotent, then God has the power to eliminate all evil.\n   3. If God is omniscient, then God knows when evil exists.\n   4. If God is morally perfect, then God has the desire to eliminate all evil.\n   5. Evil exists.\n   6. If evil exists and God exists, then either God doesn't have the power to eliminate all evil, or doesn't know when evil exists, or doesn't have the desire to eliminate all evil.\n   7. Therefore, God doesn't exist.\n   8. If God doesn't exist, hell can't exist either.
691863
God chose to make it impossible to prove his existence so that he could seperate those with faith from those who cannot believe in things greater than themselves.  Proof of God's existence would eliminate free will and the ability of humankind to become more than it is.  The universe was created by intelligent design so that an alternate explanation for existence was possible so that faith would be possible.  You can believe that God created himself and the universe or you can believe that all of the matter and energy in the universe suddenly created itself but you cannot prove either.  We live in a universe bound by the laws of causality.  Every thing has a beginning and an end and for every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.  There has to be a starting point to causality and you must decide what you believe in based on what you can perceive in the human spirit and the world around you.
775980
That's a great question. Very succinctly stated, as well.  I wish I could come up with an eloquent and convincing answer but I'm afraid I can't... How can we ever know the answer to a question like this? It's like asking what the meaning of life is....\nIf God truly and unequivocally existed, I would say that he/she would definitely be limited by our perception of him/her. However, considering there's no way to know if there even is a god, I'd say that the idea is limitless and therefore all-encompassing and in no way limited or susceptible to limitations since it's all imagination anyway.
1070249
"If God is good and all-powerful, why does evil exist in this world?"\n\nTime to bust out the big words:  Theodicy.\n\nTheodicy:  "an explanation for the presence of evil and suffering that is consistent with the nature and character of God."\n\nBoy, I'm not sure where to start.  There's so many points to make and I'm not sure how to organize my thoughts....but here goes nothing.  This is my theodicy:\n---------------------------------------------------------\nFirst, let's start by defining "evil."  Evil is not a force or a created thing, so it would be faulty to use the circular logic that either God created evil (meaning God isn't good) or that God isn't the Creator of everything (since He didn't create evil).\n\nEvil is the absence of good, much like rust on a car.  God, by giving us free will, allowed us to "create" evil by choosing against Him.  For, if God is good, then to choose against Him would by evil and the consequences would be death (since God gives life).  Just as darkness is the absence of light, so evil is the absence of good.\n\nSometimes evil is the perversion of good.  Cancer is a good non-moral example.  It's a harmful mutation of otherwise healthy cells.  Whether evil twists good or flat-out rejects it, the results are the same.\n\nEvil is not God's fault.  He created only good and we distorted it, which is evil.\n\nEnough on this topic.  I'm leaving a few loose ends and there's much more to say on this, but I would be getting off track.\n\nSecond, let's point out a major implication of the question.  Anyone who asks our topic question for today is demonstrating the influence of Christianity on western thinking.  Hindus don't ask this question.  Animists don't grapple with it.  To them, the gods themselves are evil and corrupt and evil is to be an expected, embraced part of this world.  Suck it up and live with it.  It's the ying and the yang.  The Dark Side and the Light Side of the Force.  It's still the same Force.\n\nBut by asking the question, you are saying that there is a definite "evil" in this world that can be defined and identified.  There's something wrong and not right.  There is injustice.  And you presume that whoever this God fellow is, it's supposed to be His job to oppose this stuff and He's doing a lousy job.\n\nThis is a Christian worldview:  that evil is not normal and should be opposed.  The Red Cross, Salvation Army, etc. are Christian influences in our society.  There is something in us as human beings that desires to fight injustice, help the suffering, etc.  This would make sense if we are made in God's image... but I'm getting off track again.  Let's move to the third point.\n\nThe question is usually vague and impersonal.  What I mean is that people who ask this question usually have in mind for God to go over and fix that mess in Iraq, or do something about sweat shops and child labor in China.  Why doesn't He oppose child pornography, or hold to account genocide in Africa?\n\nBut they don't want God to interfere with the sin and evil in their own hearts and lives.\n\nSee, for God to come in judgment, He would have to be fully just and judge all...  and this brings me to my final point.\n\nThe question neglects another key element of God's character.  Yes, He is good.  Yes, He is omnipotent.  But He is also merciful.  This may seem like a contradiction (i.e., why would He then allow suffering?), but let me explain.\n\nGod holds back His judgment with patient love in order to give us time to repent and be set right.  The painful side of this is that we also then have more time choose evil.  But the day will come when He will judge the earth.  The sweat shop owners will be held to account...and so will you and I.  God is good.  He is perfect, holy, and righteous.  He is pure.  He opposes evil.  We all have evil in our lives:  the t