Why is there evil in the universe?

Answer 1

Nobody knows. We are designed to take the best for ourselves and ruin other people's lives. We will eventually destroy our own race.

How can one be so sure that "nobody knows?" Only those who haven't found absolute truth "don't know."

Christian world view(Condensed answer): Original Sin. (See Genesis Chapters 2 & 3 in the Christian Holy Bible)

More detail: Because of original sin(Adam & Eve/Forbidden fruit), every individual ever born (past, present and future) was/is/will be born with a preexisting sin condition. It is only when we, as individuals, recognize this condition as explained in the written word of God(Bible) as truth and something that we need redemption from and call on the name of the Lord; Jesus Christ, that we can be delivered (spiritually) from this evil for all of eternity and can begin to resist it in this temporal world.

When compared to the "Big Bang" Theory and "Evolution" Theory, Creation is not that hard to believe. Seriously! Take a look at them side-by-side.

Answer 2

Because God gave mankind free will to choose, and ever since Adam, people have chosen evil, and we are now all born with a sin nature.

Roman Catholic Answer

The definition of evil is a lack of God. God created everything in the world, and called it good. Anything that has being or existence is good. God created angels and men with free will so that they could choose. They do not always choose God, when they choose something other then God, they are committing sin and evil enters in. Think of it like this: if God was the sun shining in the sky, now, turn around, away from the sun. What do you see? A shadow. The shadow is NOTHING, it is an absence of light. That is what evil is. The devil, himself, was created good, it was only when he turned away from God and in on himself that he became evil.

The only one who has existed forever is God; he is the only beginning of everything, and he created only what is good. The Bible reveals to us a God who is pleased because he has created everything beautiful and good, with the goal of life and happiness.

Evil entered the world when God willed to create beings of extraordinary greatness because he made them intelligent and free. Freedom, both for angels and for men, is an irreplaceable greatness. Evil came into being because first an angel and then man abused this gift of God. Therefore, evil did not always exist. It originated when some of the angels rebelled against their Creator. Even then, God manifested His divine mercy and wisdom, because, even though he tolerates evil--he never rejects his creatures--nor does he take away their power to harm others--he is able to bring about good from evil. Therefore, even though diseases, suffering, persecutions, perfidy, and all the evil in the world did not originate with God, he can use them for our sanctification and, therefore, for our own good.

Answer 3

Because Satan can take many forms. Christians, like the Bible itself are realistic about the world that is. Even most people who are not Christian acknowledge the existence of real evil. September 11 is just one example, in one context. This belief of Christians, many would hold as a self-evident truth. The differences would come in relation to what has caused it. Christians teach that just as there is a real thing as evil, there was a real fall to explain its origin.

Answer 4

to much freedom

Another answer

Like everything we the people and our earth are full of imperfection, we can never be perfect. Evilness will always surround us, as it did our ancestors, and as it will our children, and the generations to come! Only heaven is perfect for there lives the mighty God, the Son and the Spirit! Perfection is for the souls in heaven. Earth exists so we can show others His goodness so that we all have a happy end.

Answer 5

That was in the Garden of Eden all was well and sinless. After Eve and Adam disobeyed they were thrown out and sin and evil entered for ever.

A:2

Man created evil it`s the absence of God`s presence in the heart`s of men.

If God is responsible for all of creation then obviously he is also responsible for evil. God is responsible for the evil act of punishing an innocent child by placing him/her in the home of uncaring and evil parents. It is only an evil God who would discriminate against those who don't follow his prescribed doctrines and the attendant dictates of the religious leaders. It is only an evil God who would punish anyone who dares to challenge his absolute and dictatorial authority with eternal damnation in a dungeon called Hell. It is only an evil God who would also create numerous disasters and plagues to annihilate those who do not find his favor, but makes no effort to eradicate the scourge of vicious criminals who continue to terrorize good people in society. It is only an evil God who would blame his vicious and oppressive actions on some fake character called Satan.

Answer 6

The following answers are based on Judeo/Christian tenets. Most other religions avoid the concept of good vs evil, original sin, forgiveness and base the sense of good vs evil on adherence to government/social-made laws and assess penalties accordingly i.e., they are not bad or evil, they are simply lawbreakers. For anybody who notices that the 'DingoBot' flags this answer as one-sided, It is my opinion that the response, by nature of the terminology, must be one-sided.

TD

Bad people exist because God gave man the right of free will to do as they please.

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I would offer you a very serious caution: If this is part of your thinking: "I'm such a good person-- or at least one of the 'ok' people. Why is it necessary that the 'other kind' be here too?" then you may be falling into one of the worst possible traps. God is completely unimpressed by the goodness of good people, or by the evil deeds of bad people. It is about his mercy, not our judgment. 'Bad' people exist because people exist. That is the nature of the world. Judgement is the work of the deity, and the deity does not share this work. From the perspective of Christian theology, the deity has judgment against you, too. The whole invitation is to look to things other than yourself for comfort and inspiration.

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To add to the great answer above, bad/good is a matter of perspective and not a definitive thing. It is a matter of opinion, and therefore is different to each person. Thus, as the person above said, we cannot give judgment but only the deity can(if you believe in God(s)). Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. Ecclesiasticus 25:24 Of the woman came the beginning of sin, and through her we all die

Answer 7

There are probably more... but two reasons spring to mind.

1) The Bible reveals that the Devil [the Dragon, that old serpent and Satan - Rev.12:9] once held a high position of responsibility and authority within God's Government in the beginnings of the universe before man was created.

The evidence is that he was given the earth as his seat [throne] from which he executed his office [the specifics of which are not revealed in God's Word].

In the course of time [a period that is undisclosed in the Bible between verses 1 and 2 of Genesis 1]... the powerful angel, Lucifer, PERVERTED HIMSELF by rejecting the Love of God, and turning it into inwardly directed "self-love" -- "selfishness." He became the "father of the attitude of selfishness" and was the first to suffer its effects... "envy, jealousy, lust and greed." And he spread it around and contaminated those angels under his authority and the earth "became without form and void."

In a nutshell -- the first reason the Devil is in the world is: the Devil's rebellion against God's Government in the beginning disrupted the "continuity" of God's Government in the universe, and made it necessary for God to "restrict and restrain the Devil and his angels and their activities to the earth [where the corruption originated] -- UNTIL A REPLACEMENT COULD BE FOUND TO QUALIFY TO LEAD THIS BRANCH OF GOD'S GOVERNMENT... WHO COULD BE TRUSTED TO FULFILL THE OFFICE.

"...the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, He hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the Judgment of the Great Day [Judgment Day]." (Jude 1:6)

The Devil has not yet been judged and sentenced for his treasonous crime against God. God does all things with "justice and equity"... and He is correcting the Devil's abomination in Righteousness and in a "law-abiding manner."

As the Bible reveals... Jesus Christ has "qualified" to replace the Devil... and the RESTORATION of the "Kingdom of God" ON EARTH [as it is in heaven] is near. The "throne of David" awaits His return, when He will remove the Devil from being the ruler and "god of this world."

Until Jesus returns -- the Devil is in the world.

2) Also, in the beginning... God began to make plans to "expand His Family" [to "make babies"... have Children] through the concept of the creation of "man."

The Bible doesn't say it in so many words... but, these "Family Plans" of God could very well have sparked a chord "jealousy and envy" in the heart of Lucifer, which could have started him on his perverse road of dischord and disharmony.

He could have resented the idea and plans that these "clay molds" would become God's Children, His Family, instead of the angels. They were here first. Why should the angels play second-fiddle to a bunch of "lumps of clay?"

This is just a theory, of course... but the fact is that it was the Devil, that old serpent [not Lucifer] in the garden waiting for Eve after their creation. And the sins of the god of this world [envy, jealousy, lust and greed] were introduced to God's special creation, man, "created in God's image."

The second reason that comes to mind that the Devil is in the world -- is for him to teach God's future Children the perverse depths of sin, the transgression of God's law - I John 3:4, [of the Devil's way of living]... so that they might, before they are given immortality, choose whether they will obey their Creator's laws or reject them.

In God's wisdom, He isn't calling all of mankind now... but is calling the "first generation" of His Family to know and understand the Devil's way... and learn to choose righteousness and reject evil, that they might co-rule with Jesus Christ in the restored Kingdom of God on earth.

Therefore, as long as the Devil and his angels are restrained on the earth pending their "trial" -- they might as well teach God's Children the most valuable lessons of the consequences of disobedience and lawlessness.

For these "called-out-ones" of God are to become the "faithful and obedient rulers" of the restoration of God's Government on earth.

The rest of God's Family... the vast majority of mankind... the "ordinary citizens" of God's Kingdom will enter therein at the "Last Day," Judgment Day.

The Father has been "calling" this faithful and obedient first generation of His Family since Abel. The Devil has "targeted" them throughout history, and taught them well his attitude and ways. The love of God is best learned when one is raised from its depths.

The Devil, restrained on earth against his will, is helping God "teach His future Children all the errors of the Devil's way"... that in the end, they might learn to choose God's way of outgoing love and concern for others.

Even Jesus Christ, the WORD of God made flesh, had to be brought low to be tested by the Devil in order to dethrone him... and replace him. It wasn't until He had successfully accomplished this that His earthly ministry began, and He could preach with certainty that the Kingdom of God was near.

"...He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan... after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel [good news] of the Kingdom of God, and saying, The TIME IS FULFILLED, and the Kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel." (Mark 1:13-15)

No doubt this all sounds bizarre to many -- but the question brought these reasons to mind. To believe the Devil remains on earth against God's will, is confessing that God is powerless to defeat him.

He has already defeated him, however... and the Father is presently raising up a "jury" for the Devil and his angels' coming "trial."

"Know ye not that WE SHALL JUDGE ANGELS?" (I Cor.6:3)

Answer 8

Consider the two following quotes, which seem to clash. One is Isaiah 45:7, which clearly states that God "creates evil." The second is Eichah (Lamentations) 3:38, which says "from the mouth of the Most High, evil...did not result."

The answer to the contradiction may be seen in a third verse, Proverbs 19:3, which says "the foolishness of a man corrupts his way, yet his anger is directed against God." Meaning, that while some suffering is undoubtedly created by God (such as the death of an infant), a lot of evil is the result of humans' choices. The Torah reminds us that we have free-will (Deuteronomy 30:15-20); and without the possibility of bad results, free-will would be vitiated.

Further discussion of theodicy is beyond the scope of this answer, and entire books (such as Job) have long ago been written about it. Suffice it to say that Judaism sees the existence of suffering as a test, and/or the result of our own (humans') bad choices, and/or a warning (such as pain, which shows you what part of your body needs repair) or a message (Genesis 42:22), and/or mere misinterpretation (such as the bee's sting, which to a child is unmitigated evil but which adults recognize as a protection for that insect which pollinates all fruit-bearing trees).
Also, when viewed in the context of the afterlife, when worthy people who suffered may be recompensed and the prosperous wicked will have the opposite, the apparent injustices of this world become easier to understand.

What does suffering teach us?

Suffering is meant to teach us many things. It teaches us:

• our mistakes (Genesis 42:22)
  
• to repent
  
• that we are not all-powerful or in control
  
• that this life is not meant to be uninterrupted pleasure
  
• to have sympathy for sufferers (Exodus 23:9)
  
• humility; maturity; acceptance; fortitude.

Answer 9

There is Evil in the world because of Satan you let him do it. Try to go to Church every Sunday and good will happen.

Answer 10

To give life meaning. Evil is the opposite of good just as darkness is the opposite light. Without one you couldn't recognize the other.