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If God did not create evil then God did not create light and darkness. You can't deny one without denying the other.
God is not evil in creating evil.
You say "Evil is simply absence of GOOD. There is no such thing as evil."
You contradict yourself above. If Evil is the absence of good then there is such a thing as evil since there is an absence of good at times.
Let me may this a bit more simple.
Heat is energy and warmth.
Cold is absence of heat. But, cold has no energy. if there is no energy then there is nothing.
GOOD is all energy.
EVIL is absence of GOOD.
This is a very important theological point so we do not associate God with the creation of EVIL. Because God cannot create evil. God is infinite goodness.
Quote:
Two problems of evil
In fact there are at least two problems of evil. The first is the logical problem of evil. It begins with the thought that the claim
(1) There exists an all-powerful, all-knowing and all-good God
Cold is absence of heat. But, cold has no energy. if there is no energy then there is nothing.
GOOD is all energy.
EVIL is absence of GOOD.
This is a very important theological point so we do not associate God with the creation of EVIL. Because God cannot create evil. God is infinite goodness.
Trying to figure out God with logic does not always work. God is sovereign. God's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than our thoughts and ways. God created everything...including evil. The fact that most people don't understand this or can't comprehend this of God does not negate this fact. All that it means is, that if we think differently from God, then WE need to change our thoughts. Evil is one tool that is used to "grow us" into the beings that God desires. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...Evil included.
"Evil" is a value judgement in relation to a person. Calamity is the event that causes such a judgement. The Calamity is a part of the world God created, the value judgement is ours.
Quote:
Originally Posted by trumpethim
Trying to figure out God with logic does not always work. God is sovereign. God's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than our thoughts and ways. God created everything...including evil. The fact that most people don't understand this or can't comprehend this of God does not negate this fact. All that it means is, that if we think differently from God, then WE need to change our thoughts. Evil is one tool that is used to "grow us" into the beings that God desires. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...Evil included.
Sorry trumpethim . . . evil only exists in relation to the acts of human beings. Nothing natural is evil . . . it just IS. Humans DO evil when they act without agape love for life and each other. God IS love and life and Love does no evil, period.
Trying to figure out God with logic does not always work. God is sovereign. God's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than our thoughts and ways. God created everything...including evil. The fact that most people don't understand this or can't comprehend this of God does not negate this fact. All that it means is, that if we think differently from God, then WE need to change our thoughts.
Up to this point you were brilliant. We cannot know God, I agree.
Quote:
Evil is one tool that is used to "grow us" into the beings that God desires. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...Evil included.
And here you went magical and immersed yourself in mythology. This is the primitive OT view of God. Wake up this is the 21st century. No need to look at God with the mindset of the Old testament.
Up to this point you were brilliant. We cannot know God, I agree.
And here you went magical and immersed yourself in mythology. This is the primitive OT view of God. Wake up this is the 21st century. No need to look at God with the mindset of the Old testament.
Trying to figure out God with logic does not always work. God is sovereign. God's thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than our thoughts and ways. God created everything...including evil. The fact that most people don't understand this or can't comprehend this of God does not negate this fact. All that it means is, that if we think differently from God, then WE need to change our thoughts. Evil is one tool that is used to "grow us" into the beings that God desires. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." ...Evil included.
I used to believe that wholeheartedly, then came to understand we are the cause of all that is not God by this verse of scripture.
Above everything else guard your heart, because from it flow the springs of life. Proverbs 4:23
This verse of scripture is telling me where the cause of all my issues( whether they be good or evil) in life lie and come from,it also tells me how to control what enters me and ultimately issues from me.
"The good man brings out of his good treasure what is good; and the evil man brings out of his evil treasure what is evil. One of these 2 men learnt the secret of life, how to guard is heart.
45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.
This does not describe a loving God at all.
How does this reconcile with the usual believe that God is only loving?
It is written to man's perspective. God is Love. The EVIL we see now is accomplishing Good. It would only be evil should the Good never come to its realization. Contrary to what others have reported here. This EVIL actually means EVIL as we know it. This means the murderer, rapes, etc.. All of this God is responsible for. He does hold us accountable because our conscience bears witness to our delight in these things but He knows that in time the reconciliation of these events will manifest the greatness of His Goodness. This also includes the storm, the hurricane, the tornado, the meteor from space, etc.. All of it is OF GOD.
The killer kills because God has set that to be the case. The thief steals because God has set that to be the situation. Our fates are all in His hands. The haters hate because God has directed it.
I know God, and I know it to be True. Others know this also. Consider the following from Saint Auustine of Hippo written way way back in the early Church era:
You see many are ignorant of this because of Him as well. The atheist is an atheist because of God as well. The agnostic is on the Fence because of God. You see ALL things are going AS He directs them to be at ALL times.
He will eventually have ALL to be saved and come to the realization of His Goodness.
God could of destroyed the devil after the cross of Christ but left him for the age of Grace to be the only challenge of God power .............. God said if people want sin then they can have it and live under it as curses cannot be broken but through repentance ...........God could of destroyed the devil after Adam disobedience , but instead cursed the earth and the devil was cursed by God to have power below the cattle which means God power would be absent for the devil ............ God created the demons spirits for His creation benefit , but they were given free will and they all rejected God the creator because they all believed that God did not care which came from the selfishness of the demons ............ The devil where also the Holy Angels of God which one third of the multitude rebelled as they were given free will , which became a corruption by selfishness and ought against man to reject that man would usurp their authority in the earth of God`s plan ...... God motives where to create for Goodness original creation , but as free will corrupted demons and fallen angels and man , all God can do is leave them lost to God , but for Man there is a promise of salvation
Sorry trumpethim . . . evil only exists in relation to the acts of human beings. Nothing natural is evil . . . it just IS. Humans DO evil when they act without agape love for life and each other. God IS love and life and Love does no evil, period.
I never said that God DIRECTS evil. He created it. He also allows it within His parameters. He created everything. Yes, it's up to us to make the choice, but God ultimately can and will use all things to bring about His desired end result. And that end result is a universe full of love. But getting there is a process that includes a lot of ugliness, because human selfishness stands in the way, and evil is something that God uses to process this end result.
Love is another thing...in respect to evil, it can be looked at from different perspectives. I can love my boy by not giving him something that I know will harm him; but my boy may take this as an evil act.
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