The existence of evil does nothing to undermine the case for the existence of God. On the contrary, the fact that we can identify evil in the world is proof that there must be some kind of objective standard to measure it. That objective Standard is what we call God. But that doesn’t end the debate (in case you haven’t noticed). There’s a reason this whole topic is usually referred to as “the problem of evil.” It’s a problem for sure. But remember, it’s a problem for everyone. Everyone wants an explanation. And every view of the world needs to give one.

Evil actually eliminates atheism as an explanation because atheism can’t explain the basis for judging anything as evil. It turns out atheism has no basis for saying anything is wrong, or bad, or evil. All atheism can say is that there are some things atheists don’t like. Evil is proof that God exists.

But what kind of God?

The problem of evil demands an explanation. We see a lot of evil things going on in the world. Why is a good God is more plausible than an evil God?

The Free Will Defense

The key to understanding this is in the power and importance of free will. Here are a couple of short videos that give a good summary of what we mean by the “free will defense.” Watch these to see how the free will defense points to a good God:

Our ability to love requires free will. And free will entails the possibility of committing evil. Unfortunately, we humans are pretty adept at exploring that possibility. We find some pretty astounding ways to do that. But that is a reflection on us, not on God.

Natural Evil

The free will defense is fine for explaining why there is moral evil in the world. But what about “natural evil”? What about things like earthquakes, and tsunamis, and cancer?

This is a far more difficult issue because these things seem to inflict unnecessary suffering on humans. They also impact animals who have no moral agency at all. But a little closer look at the issue reveals that there is more to natural evil than meets the eye. I think there are three categories of natural evil that make sense in a theistic world.

Processes and Repercussions

Processes Required For Life. Some of the things we see as unnecessary “evil” are actually features of the world that are required for us to exist. For instance, the water cycle and the uneven heating of the planet create sometimes violent weather events. But without those two features, the planet could not sustain life at all. The same goes for plate tectonics. It causes earthquakes and triggers volcanic action. But these produce life sustaining nutrients and regulate the planet’s temperature. In short, we live in a churning ecosystem that threatens life. But it also sustains it.

Repercussions Of Human Choices. Some human suffering happens because we ignore the processes that allow and support life. We build resorts on waterfront property, Then, we suffer when catastrophic weather and flooding events occur. But we rebuild in the same locations. Is the suffering the result of some unfair, evil characteristic of the world? Or is it a secondary effect of human free will?

A Purpose For Pain

Pain Perfects Us. No one likes suffering. We go to great lengths to avoid it. But suffering also forces us to realize we are not self-sufficient. We are not invincible. Suffering reminds us of our mortality. It forces us seek and provide mercy. Difficult life experiences mold and improve our character. It is the reason that someone like Joni Eareckson Tada, a quadriplegic since age 17 from a diving accident, can say that her accident was the best thing that ever happened to her.

“God is more concerned with conforming me to the likeness of His Son than leaving me in my comfort zones. God is more interested in inward qualities than outward circumstances – things like refining my faith, humbling my heart, cleaning up my thought life and strengthening my character.”

~ Joni Eareckson Tada

None of this makes the problem of natural evil go away. But each of them show that there are ways to make sense of evil’s existence in our world. It is also important to see that each of them only makes sense in a theistic world. That’s the point.*

Christianity Is Unique

In the end, a theistic worldview is the only way to make sense of objective morality. It’s the only explanation for moral and natural evil. That is the only point I am trying to make. But, there is another thing that sets Christianity apart from every other world religion. When it comes to pain, suffering, and evil Christianity is unique.

God came down. Jesus came to Earth. He lowered himself to take on the flesh and blood existence of a human being. God allows us free will. But he does more than that. He participated in our pain. He experienced suffering. He lived in a world where free will creatures do evil things. The Christian God loves us in spite of our rebellion against Him. He allows the pain but rescues us from its consequences.

No other God does such a thing.

 

++++++++++

Other Resources

Greg Koukl’s two-part Solid Ground series on “God, Evolution, and Morality” is an excellent resource for explaining why Darwinian evolution cannot account for objective morality. Access both here:

God, Evolution, and Morality (Part I)

God, Evolution, and Morality (Part II)

*J Warner Wallace’s blogpost,  “Why Would A Good God Allow Natural Evil?” is a great discussion of these issues, but categorizes them a little differently.

Norman J. Geisler, If God, Why Evil?

William Lane Craig, Reasonable Faith (Part III, Chapter 4, pp. 172-182) gives a classic defense of the moral argument for God