Why Does God Allow Such Evil to Continue?
Why Does God Allow Such Evil to Continue?
We look around and see that abortion is the most common surgery on earth. We see war, human trafficking of children, drug dealers getting young people addicted, mutilation of children in the name of supporting gender identity… No one has all the answers, but several sources help us to understand. (1)
Free Will: One reason that God allows evil is of course that He gives us free will. It is difficult to understand how God can allow free will but remain in control, but we believe that He does. He never wills anyone to sin, but he allows it because he will not take away our free will, and He is capable of taking evil actions and having something good come out it. Joseph’s brothers sold him into slavery in Egypt. He was sent to prison unjustly, and waited years for release. But he eventually saved many from famine and led his family to come to Egypt.(2) The Israelites endured hundreds of years of slavery before God showed them his power by sending the plagues, leading them out and feeding them with manna. The Exodus experience led to the Passover celebration (3) and was a foretelling of Jesus setting us free, and becoming himself the Passover lamb of sacrifice to save us from destruction.(4) No matter how bad things look now, God is in charge of the future, and He’s got this. In the long run, justice will be done and unexpected benefits may happen. A 12 year-old girl became pregnant after rape. She resisted much pressure to abort her baby. As an adult, she said that her daughter was the greatest gift of her life. (5)
He allows us to experience the consequences of sin, and calls others to show His love for them by providing help. For example, growing up with a physically or emotionally absent father (most often caused by sin) brings a greater likelihood of depression, low self-worth, risky behavior, involvement with drugs, and premarital sexual activity. (6) God will then call individuals to show God’s love to their neighbors by working to provide help to single mothers, healing to the children who suffered, provide positive father-figures for children, or by working to find ways to prevent the loss of fathers from the home. Those who give the help also benefit and learn to trust God for the outcomes they may never see. As Mother Teresa said, “God doesn’t require us to succeed, He only requires that we try. “
We learn of our dependence on God. When we face evil and feel helpless to stop it, we realize our inadequacy in taking care of ourselves independently. We can remain in anger and bitterness, or turn to God for wisdom and help, bringing you to a closer relationship with Him.
- Suppose you pray for a friend fighting cancer, but the treatment isn’t working. You get impatient, and your friend eventually dies.
- Your car breaks down in a remote area. Your phone is out of power. You pray for rescue. You are fearful of what might happen as the temperature drops or the wrong person comes along. You keep praying but hours pass with no rescue.
- You are in a terrible accident and are paralyzed, confined to a wheelchair. You have difficulty adjusting to your new limitations and there is a significant burden to your family for the cost of the medical care and the loss of your job.
In all these cases, it is natural to be angry with God. We hurt and a normal response to hurt is anger, a valid emotion that Jesus himself showed when he overturned the tables in the temple and told them to stop making his Father’s house a marketplace.(7) But in time we have to let go of the anger, and even forgive those responsible.
- In the case of your friend dying from cancer, you realize that their suffering from the cancer and the burden on the family to care for him did end. It is the end of his life on earth, and we will miss them, but he lives on. Death is part of life on earth, as a result of sin. Perhaps God will bring good by drawing the remaining family closer, and increasing awareness that death will come to us all.
- In the case of being alone on the road, rescue does come and all ends well. You learned that you can trust in God, who was with you in the car. You are so thankful that the rescue did happen, and you are safe. Perhaps you learn to be more careful with your car maintenance, and that you have ample power for your phone as you travel, which prevents a more serious problem in the future.
- In the case of being paralyzed, after a long process of adjustment, you are able to learn to function in a reasonably comfortable way, that there are jobs you can do, and that you can still participate in many activities. You accept your new way of life, and thank God that you are alive.
A man who had been rendered quadriplegic fought depression and self-doubt, but with a year of rehabilitation, he learned to adapt. He has a fully accessible van and commutes to work as a business consultant. He says that the near- death experience changed his life for the better. “The way you know how exceptional you are is by the way you overcome, you don’t know how good you are until you overcome something that’s immovable,” Evans explained. (8)
These kind of “bad things happening to good people” are invitations to grow in our trust in God’s love, wisdom and mercy. We are invited to find comfort and peace in trusting that whatever we experience, He does love us more than we can imagine, and while we can’t see the whole picture, He can. He chooses the best for us, not always what we are praying for. He may then call us to be a source of comfort and help to others who have suffered similar tragedies.
- A woman who was “all about the money” lost first her son and about a year later her husband. Although they had done nothing wrong, both were murdered. Instead of pulling away from God, “I chose to go closer.” She went to every retreat she could find, spoke at a retreat, and became active in inviting others to retreats. She started a ministry in her church to help others who had lost loved ones in a violent way. (9)
- About 73% of women who have become pregnant through rape have their babies.(10) Some mothers who have been interviewed after raising their child regard their son or daughter to be the greatest gift of their life. Many mothers make an adoption plan, but in one study, no one who had their babies regretted doing so.(11)
Sometimes God does do miracles to answer prayers. Many have been cured after a pilgrimage to Lourdes or other religious site, prayers of healing by someone who had that charism, or simply much faith-filled prayer. Here are some stories of recent miraculous rescues:
- Angels Rescue Car Crash Victims From Certain Death
- ‘Angel’ Rescues Baby From Car Crash #angels #angelstory #bibleshorts #bible #story
References:
- Some sources for these ideas :
Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. (James 1:2-4)
And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. (Rom. 8:28-29)
Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. (Rom. 5:3-5)
The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. (2 Pet. 3:9)
Why Does Evil Exist if God is Good? – Catholic Heroes
How to Answer the Problem of Evil | Catholic Answers Magazine
- Genesis Chapters 37, 39, 47
- Exodus
- What is the Passover Lamb? How is Jesus our Passover Lamb? | GotQuestions.org
12 Amazing Similarities Between Jesus and the Passover Lamb | Hear God’s Heart, - Face to Face video from Live Action: Rape Victims and Children of Rape
- Father Absence: Psychological Effects and Long-Term Impact
- John 2:15-16
- Paralyzed man overcomes obstacles to continue working, inspire others
Also see: ‘I’m still here’: He was paralyzed at 20, he found peace through woodcarving, and
- Personal knowledge of the experience of a woman in my church.
- David C Reardon, Julie Makimaa, and Amy SobieVictims and Victors: Speaking out about Their Pregnancies, Abortions, and Children Resulting from Sexual Assault (Springfield, Illinois: Acorn Books, 2000)
- Women Who Became Pregnant Through Sexual Assault Say, “Ask Us” • AfterAbortion.org
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