Did God Create Evil?!?! [Archive]

yoki

June 26th 2003, 07:58 PM

06-20-2003 @ 05:26 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=129059#post129059)
Gordo:

I have had people try and prove to me that God created evil by saying that God created everything. They say that even if darkness is simply an absence of light, something still had to create the darkness. They use this same logic concerning evil to come to the conclusion that God created evil. But, most importantly they say that God created everything, so then God must have created evil. I would just like some opinions on this logic.

God Bless

Sam

God did not create evil, but God's existence is necessary for evil to exist.

Ice Monkey

June 26th 2003, 08:01 PM

who created god created evil.

PS... Great to see you here, Yoki.

Hey Ice Monkey, please review this area's guidelines when you get a chance. Thanks.

Socrates

June 26th 2003, 08:37 PM

06-21-2003 @ 08:26 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=129059#post129059)
Gordo:

I have had people try and prove to me that God created evil by saying that God created everything. They say that even if darkness is simply an absence of light, something still had to create the darkness. They use this same logic concerning evil to come to the conclusion that God created evil. But, most importantly they say that God created everything, so then God must have created evil. I would just like some opinions on this logic.

What "logic"? :huh: God created every thing. Darkness is an absence of a thing, not a thing. Evil is likewise a privation of good, as Augustine pointed out, and this is consistent with the biblical definition of sin as "missing the mark".

yoki

June 26th 2003, 08:38 PM

Today @ 08:01 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=133578#post133578)
Ice Monkey:

who created god created evil.

PS... Great to see you here, Yoki.

Hi Ice Monkey, and thanks. It is good to see the same user names.

For those who are theists, we all do create the gods we follow. Some are simply better than others. But when the real mcCoy shows up, there will no longer be need of faith.

Socrates

June 26th 2003, 09:03 PM

Today @ 11:38 AM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=133600#post133600)
yoki:

For those who are theists, we all do create the gods we follow.

Nice we assertion here. But don't expect the antitheists to lower themselves to proving an article of their faith.

Some are simply better than others. But when the real mcCoy shows up, there will no longer be need of faith.

Shows a complete misunderstanding of the Biblical concept of faith, which does NOT mean blind faith in the complete absence of evidence, but trust because of sufficient evidence. See also Fallacious Faith Correcting an All-too-Common Misconception (http://www.tektonics.org/whatfaith.html).

Ice Monkey

June 26th 2003, 09:25 PM

is blind.

Hey Ice Monkey, check your PMs

yoki

June 26th 2003, 09:32 PM

Today @ 09:03 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=133622#post133622)
Socrates:

Nice we assertion here. But don't expect the antitheists to lower themselves to proving an article of their faith.

Shows a complete misunderstanding of the Biblical concept of faith, which does NOT mean blind faith in the complete absence of evidence, but trust because of sufficient evidence. See also Fallacious Faith Correcting an All-too-Common Misconception (http://www.tektonics.org/whatfaith.html).

Well Socrates, I'm glad to see that you resurrected from that hemlock induced death. Thank you for pointing out my misunderstanding of the Biblical concept of faith, but I hardly see how I even implied that faith must be blind.

Anyway, it is very good to see you well and spouting. That seeing through the glass darkly business is a real stiffler, eh?

seer

June 28th 2003, 06:36 AM

...all faith, by definition,is blind.

Really - why?

Theolog

June 28th 2003, 09:42 AM

06-20-2003 @ 02:26 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=129059#post129059)
Gordo:

I have had people try and prove to me that God created evil by saying that God created everything. They say that even if darkness is simply an absence of light, something still had to create the darkness. They use this same logic concerning evil to come to the conclusion that God created evil. But, most importantly they say that God created everything, so then God must have created evil. I would just like some opinions on this logic.

God Bless

Sam

If the Bible says that God created evil would you believe it?
If God said He created evil would you believe Him??

hal weeks

June 28th 2003, 11:29 AM

Did God create rotten apples!

I was not implying that he did but to illustrate that evil is the result of a degenerative process. Evil is the fruit of disobedience to God. He did not create disobedience but when he gave man a free will, it made it possible for evil to result.

mickiel

June 28th 2003, 05:00 PM

Today @ 04:29 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=134944#post134944)
hal weeks:

Did God create rotten apples!

I was not implying that he did but to illustrate that evil is the result of a degenerative process. Evil is the fruit of disobedience to God. He did not create disobedience but when he gave man a free will, it made it possible for evil to result.

God created the degenerative process in all matter and in the spirit world. Their is no such thing as natural selection, or its cousin- evolution. All matter was created to have a life span, then it will be no more. Degerneration is a creation, as is evil. By the way, free will is the creation of men. Evolution is the explination of life independant of God. It trys to explain things comming into existance on their own. Evil and sin have no evolution, no creative independance of their own. Christians just do not understand Gods intent for evil. They think God "allows" this great power to be and had nothing to do with it. They have taught and believed this for so long, nothingelse can penertrate their minds.

hal weeks

June 28th 2003, 06:02 PM

The pot calling the kettle black?

mickiel

June 28th 2003, 09:34 PM

Yesterday @ 11:02 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=135106#post135106)
hal weeks:

The pot calling the kettle black?

So fed up with the thoughtless traditional cover they have placed over themselves. They claim to know God, yet they are the real ones who spread confusion concerning him over this planet. They do not preach the gospel of the kingdom, they preach damnation and selfish gain. Nothing with that between its ears can see the true picture of God, muchless explain him.

seer

June 29th 2003, 08:27 AM

Perhaps God created evil (or rather men to sin) so that He could display the full range of His attributes through this human drama we call life. If we had never fallen could we, in any real way, have know the mercy of God or the depth of His love? 1 John 3:16 says this is how we "know" the love of God - that Christ laid down His life for us. If the fall never happend then Christ would not have needed to give up His life for us. And a important aspect of God's love would have forever remained hidden, for all practical purposes...

JCA

July 11th 2003, 01:22 PM

Gee... another degenerating thread?! How surprising :teeth:

This is interesting, because on one hand you have all the Theists who do not want to have God responsible for Evil, and all the Atheists who do, so they can point out how silly it all is..

However, I think the answer lies somewhere inbetween..

No, God is not directly responsible for Evil.. BUT, God is responsible for giving us choices, with which WE can choose to do evil..

In other words, having the knowledge of Evil - which God obvioulsy had before Mankind/Adam, as it was contained within a "Fruit" - is not the same as being, or performing Evil. It was this knowledge that Adam and Eve got hold of..

Now, if Evil is the twisting of Gods will etc.. then who was it who actually 'started' Evil? Was it Lucifer, who turned against God? Or Adam & Eve? After all, one of them came first.. was it Lucifer or Man?

As it was put here, or in another thread somewhere, there is a link between the two - good and evil - one that allows us to judge the other by, so we can make our moral conclusions.. God gave Man the ability to perform Evil via his Free Will..

So, I would conclude that God did indeed create everything, it was AFTER that creation that the choices that allowed Evil to roam free where made.. but as stated, just having the knowledge of Evil isn't evil in itself.. it's using that knowledge to perform evil that is 'wrong'.. God hoped we wouldn't do that.. but we did/do.

It is the same as trying to blame God for people who die in EarthQuakes.. just because God built a Universe that has some random properties - not just in Universal Laws, but also within Man - does not make Him directly responsible for what these random factors do.. especially the random factors that are working under an 'intelligent' model.. such as Man.

This is an old argument that can't hold water.. No, God did not create Evil.. Having knowledge of evil is not the same as having or being evil.. Only those creatures that are capable of, and have knowledge of Good and Evil, can create Evil... God is knowledgable of Good and Evil, but not responsible for it's direct creation, as He is not capable of it Himself.

JMHO.

In Love and Peace

JCA

LoStVoLcOmStAr

July 15th 2003, 02:06 AM

I like reading all the comments about this subject and i have been wondering the same thing myself. Sam said that many people have said in the past that God created everything so of course he created sin/evil. The question is, is Evil a thing? Yet how can evil not be a thing? It is so tangible. And if yet he didnt create it my question for you is who did? Satan? Man? I could be totally off but i thought i would put in my input and see what some people had to say. Also when the bible say he created all things, does it not mean ALL?...Revelation 4:11...THANK YOU! :yes:

mickiel

July 15th 2003, 02:32 PM

Genesis 2:9, is the first mention of evil in the bible. Notice it reveals that GOD planted a garden in Eden. This is Gods doing, no onelse. He caused everything in this garden to GROW. The tree of life was planted by God and its growing still today. Life is still growing. God planted the tree of the knowledge of good AND EVIL, both those trees are still growing. The trees are symbolic of POWER, good is a definte power, evil is a definte power. God created, planted, and causes both powers to grow.

Now on to Gen. 3:1, the first mention of satan in the bible. satan is the serpent here in this verse, it is not refering to a common snake. A common snake is by no means the wisest of all the beast GOD MADE. Notice that expression, GOD MADE. The serpent, the devil, is the craftiest being that the LORD HAD MADE, a clear revelation that God MADE THE DEVIL, he didnot create himself, nor did evil form in him, that is evolution, evil has no evolution, nothing evolves on its own.

Now John 1:3, all things CAME INTO BEING by CHRIST, APART FROM JESUS, NOTHING that has come into being evolved on its own. Evil has definitely come into being, and Christ created it, as he did everythingelse. There are the scriptures for those who can see.

Neison

July 16th 2003, 03:59 PM

The point needs to be made that evil came from good.

God made a perfect universe and provided free will as a manner for His creation to love Him in return. Satan wanted to be God's equal and was banished for the desire, but he was good prior, just as Adam and Eve were good prior.

I would simply say that evil is perverted good, but in itself was not created by God, but was allowed by God because He chose to give us free will. -- essentially what hal weeks already described above.

mickiel

July 16th 2003, 04:17 PM

Today @ 08:59 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150306#post150306)
Neison:

The point needs to be made that evil came from good.

You think evil evolved from good. You think evil developed itself, sneaked past God and jumped into lucifer. You believe power can develop itself independant of God. You need to study the description of lucifer in Ezk . 28. You seem to know he was good before he became evil. I am not so sure that lucifer is satan, they may well be entirely different beings. If lucifer is the being in Ezk. 28, then none of us can hope to make it. Ezk. 28:12, he had a seal of perfection ( who broke this seal of God?) he was FULL of wisdom, vs.14- he was ANNOINTED BY GOD HIMSELF, vs. 15- he was BLAMELESS, he had NEVER SINNED. If a being like this cannot stay that way then i submit that neither can a human born again. If God could not protect something he sealed an annointed from evil, then we all are doomed.

God made a perfect universe and provided free will as a manner for His creation to love Him in return. Satan wanted to be God's equal and was banished for the desire, but he was good prior, just as Adam and Eve were good prior.

I would simply say that evil is perverted good, but in itself was not created by God, but was allowed by God because He chose to give us free will. -- essentially what hal weeks already described above.

Neison

July 16th 2003, 04:50 PM

LOL -- there are several definitions of evolution, some meaning advancement, others simply meaning to change or alter. I'd rather state that evil is the ill state of good.

I am sure that Lucifer is Satan. He was in the presence of God prior to his fall, and his mistake (as mentioned prior) was that he wanted to contend with God by way of his free-will. Verse 17 states 'Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.' Pride is probably the one thing God hates most.

Now comparing Lucifer to us is an interesting point. I don't feel that I'm so spectactular as to contend with God. As a 'born-again,' I do fall away as any other human being, but we have the blood of Christ to help us with our faults. The question as to why Lucifer wasn't offered a chance (in context anyhow) to repent is curious.

:smile:

mickiel

July 16th 2003, 05:01 PM

Today @ 09:50 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150368#post150368)
Neison:

LOL -- there are several definitions of evolution, some meaning advancement, others simply meaning to change or alter. I'd rather state that evil is the ill state of good.

I am sure that Lucifer is Satan. He was in the presence of God prior to his fall, and his mistake (as mentioned prior) was that he wanted to contend with God by way of his free-will. Verse 17 states 'Your heart became proud on account of your beauty, and you corrupted your wisdom because of your splendor.' Pride is probably the one thing God hates most.

Now comparing Lucifer to us is an interesting point. I don't feel that I'm so spectactular as to contend with God. As a 'born-again,' I do fall away as any other human being, but we have the blood of Christ to help us with our faults. The question as to why Lucifer wasn't offered a chance (in context anyhow) to repent is curious.

:smile:

If Lucifer is satan, then how can he have broken a seal of God? God sealed the being in Ezk. 28. God seals christians also. I do not see anything as breaking Gods seal, but God himself. I do not believe evil or sin is more powerful than Gods personal annointing, God annointed the being in Ezk. 28. This being was also sinless, so you are believing one sin created the devil. One sin doomed this being to eternal misery. This is saying many things; God is merciless, his annointing is worthless, lucifers billions unpon untold billions of faithful sinless years of life meant nothing to God, and that any of Gods creations can break his holy seal. You are believing all of this with your stated views. You need to reconsider.

JCA

July 16th 2003, 05:18 PM

I would also argue that the snake in Genesis in fact wasn't Satan, but was as the Bible describes.. the craftiest of Gods creatures.. whether or not the snake was influenced by Satan or not, is another matter..

But, my main reasoning for saying so is because unless Gods curses are no good, Satan should be slithering on his belly from that piont on.. and yet, when spoken to in JOB, and God asks where he has been, Satan says "walking back and forth.." etc..

However, the sneakiness of the serpent in Genesis is often given to being a 'gift' of Satan, but Satan is a GREAT Serpent - meaning the Dragon.. and I think this is where that confusion comes in.

Biblical References:

Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Not only does this speak of just a serpent, and not the Great Dragon, subtil does not mean evil... and this is a beast that God has made not too long ago, and Adam named.. Adam named it "serpent" apparently... would it not have said "wait, my name is Satan?".. or do you truly believe that Satan was wondering around Eden too without God knowing? Genuinely curious..

Genesis 3:14
And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou art cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Seems like a pretty powerful curse to me.. The serpent that tricked Eve, and so Adam, was cursed to crawl upon his belly and eat dirt.. and yet:

Job 1:7
And the LORD said unto Satan, Whence comest thou? Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.

Did Satan overcome Gods curse that quick? I think not.. I think there is a tie in to the pair of them.. maybe the serpent was working for Satan (shrug).. but the serpent wasn't Satan himself, nor does it say in the Bible that the serpent in Genesis was evil. Satan is obviously walking about, and so was not the one cursed..

I think people kepe getting the idea that the serpent was Satan, from this passage:

Revelation 12:9
And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Dragons have always been considered Serpents.. be them flying or underwater.. and I will admit they share a lot of similar characteristics.. even the beguiling and subtilty.. but I have yet to see compelling evidence from the Bible that the snake and the devil are the same..

Of course, I could be misisng something.. :smile:

In Love and Peace

JCA

Xmansmommy

July 16th 2003, 05:22 PM

My 2 cents.....

Isa:45:7: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Notice in this passage how creating darkness came about after God "formed the light?" Likewise, evil was created after God made peace. When we realize that darkness is the opposite of "light" we can certainly apply this same thought process to the rest of this passage. Evil is the opposite of peace. :gim:

mickiel

July 16th 2003, 05:43 PM

Today @ 10:22 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=150397#post150397)
Xmansmommy:

My 2 cents.....

Isa:45:7: I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.

Notice in this passage how creating darkness came about after God "formed the light?" Likewise, evil was created after God made peace. When we realize that darkness is the opposite of "light" we can certainly apply this same thought process to the rest of this passage. Evil is the opposite of peace. :gim:

In my view, the plan of salvation couldnot be possible WITHOUT EVIL. God needed "the oppisite", the other side, the other "way", in his plan. Evil is the oppisite of peace, its the "other tree in the garden", God created them both.

JCA

July 16th 2003, 05:58 PM

Hmm.. isn't there a difference between KNOWING evil, and creating it? Just because there was knowledge of evil, does not mean that it had actually been used to create evil.. if you get my drift..

God had/has knowledge of Evil.. however, He would never act upon it.. it's not in His unchangable nature.. only creatures with the knowledge of Good and Evil, and the ability to ACT upon that knowledge can "Create" evil..

You can even go as far as to say God created the knowledge of Evil.. still doesn't make Him responsible for the ACT of evil that would be 'creating evil'.

If I give you a gun and a bullet, and tell you that you can kill with that weapon, have *I* pulled the trigger when you fire it? Just like the gun and the bullet aren't evil of themselves, they can be used for it's creation.. the knowledge that one can kill with them can either be used, or not.. The one who pulls the trigger is responsible for their own actions, made their own choices..

I do agree that without the knowledge of Good AND Evil, we would not be able to make moral choices. A common argument against that would be that Adam and Eve didn't have that knowledge, and so could not have been doing wrong when they 'ate' the apple, but this would be wrong.. I would say that Adam, being made by God at least had some idea of GOOD.. if not evil.. and so knew it was GOOD to follow Gods commands..

So God can still have created everything, including the knowledge of Evil.. but this stil doesn't make God one who 'creates' evil. IMHO.

IN Love and Peace

JCA

mickiel

July 16th 2003, 10:52 PM

Hmm.. isn't there a difference between KNOWING evil, and creating it? Just because there was knowledge of evil, does not mean that it had actually been used to create evil.. if you get my drift..

Study these words well. Vs. 3- ALL things CAME INTO BEING by Christ. Translation, Jesus created everything. -Cont.- APART FROM him nothing came into being that has come into being. Translation; nothing has evolution, or came into existance independant of Christ. Evil has come into being, it does not have an evolution, it didnot evolve inside of satan on its own. satan didnot create evil, it is a great power, nor did he create himself.

Now Colossians 1:16. For by Jesus ALL things were created, satan is a thing, evil is a thing. - cont.- Jesus created all things BOTH in the heavens, translation; spiritual things, satan is a spirit being, evil is spiritual, - cont.- and on earth, translation, Jesus created all matter, - cont.- visible and invisible, translation; spirit and physical, - cont.- weather thrones or dominions, translation; good or evil angels, good or evil human kings, - cont.-, rulers or authoritys, Jesus created all things of power including evil.

Isaiah 54:16, God CREATED the destroyer(satan) so he could ruin things. Job 31:23, evil comes from God. Job 42:11, God brought all the evil on Job, not satan. Isaiah 47:11, God BRINGS more evil on people. As he does again in Ps. 90:15.

There are many more scriptures, but one must have a minds eye to see and understand them, or you simply will not see them.

BeHereNow

July 26th 2003, 11:34 AM

Edit: Thought I was in another forum.

~Love~

KrisLang

July 27th 2003, 11:57 AM

Evil is not eternal. It is the individual perspective that defines something as evil or not. Refer to Thessalonians 2:11, Samuel 16:14-16, and Samuel 16:23.

The people that flew the planes into the world trade center defined that action as good. The followers of Christ who murdered the priesthood of the Egyptian nation state defined their actions as good.

Evil does not exist at the spiritual level. Lucifer 'fell' from the heavens.

There is a reason for all things and that reason is good. The good may only exist at the spiritual level and not be comprehensible to our human perspective but the good remains to the end, the evil does not.

mickiel

July 27th 2003, 01:00 PM

Today @ 04:57 PM post located here (http://www.theologyweb.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&postid=160488#post160488)
KrisLang:

Evil is not eternal. It is the individual perspective that defines something as evil or not. Refer to Thessalonians 2:11, Samuel 16:14-16, and Samuel 16:23.

Agreed.

The people that flew the planes into the world trade center defined that action as good. The followers of Christ who murdered the priesthood of the Egyptian nation state defined their actions as good.

Agreed.

Evil does not exist at the spiritual level. Lucifer 'fell' from the heavens.

Disagree. Evil began AT THE SPIRITUAL LEVEL. It was Planted in the garden of Eden by God himself, God CREATED the tree of the knowledge of good AND evil. Nobody "fell from heaven", they were "thrown out". It is not possible to fall from heaven, once in your always in.

There is a reason for all things and that reason is good. The good may only exist at the spiritual level and not be comprehensible to our human perspective but the good remains to the end, the evil does not.

Armand

July 27th 2003, 05:44 PM

Just a thought, maybe God created the possibility for evil but not the evil itself. So he gave man the oppurtunity to do either thereby giving man free will. I dont think it counts a creating evil if you are giving someone else the possibility to commit evil.

Also, I do agree, from the individuals perspective the thing he does is never evil, he only does what is right except in a few very rare circumstances. People always believe they are doing Gods will, and there are few battles where the generals didnt tell their side of the evil of the opposition.

My point was that man creates his own evil, God merely fulfilled the promise that man could commit evil. Also, if evil is only by perspective then if man became ... better then he would commit no evil and no evil could be commited against him because he simply wouldnt mind it. If man is pure then pain is nothing and death is simply movement, meaning a natural disaster is not evil in this perspective.

Also, many diseases are not a problem if man is far enough from sin to help his fellow man. If America wished there would be no aids problem in Africa, but it apparently does not wish so.

Good luck looking for an answer, cos i know mine probably has lots of holes in it :smile:

SlaveofChrist

July 27th 2003, 07:16 PM

This is the way I see it......

Evil was already existent before mankind was created, at exactly what point I am not sure. The real issue then is what happened when Satan fell? What happened is God created his angels, serifs, cherebum, and what not and said worship me. They did and then Satan chose to go against God's will. He ran from God, didn't know where he was going, so he called it evil. God, being point A and all creation gravitating toward Him did not create a point B. He didn't say there was a point B. He just gave his creatures free will and they chose to disobey Him, ran away from point A, and called their "destination" point B even though it is not a point, only a distance from A.

Also.....
I think it is interesting to note all the allusions to light and darkness in the NT. I John, Ephesians 5, etc. In all those illustrations light represents Good and darkness represents evil. As darkness is just a lack of light, evil is just a lack of good.

Merlin137

July 29th 2003, 11:44 PM

In the Bible we read "In the beginning God" and the Bible goes on to describe those beings, animals, plants etc. that were created. The Bible then states that creation was "good". Nowhere does it say that God created the "nothingness" which results from evil and destruction. Sure I agree that God had knowledge of evil but God surely did not create evil otherwise it too would be "good" which is an impossibility. I have not searched the scriptures on this particular issue but I do trust my professors and teachers on this point. I just can't see "I Am" creating "nothingness" and destruction when God has asked us to "do good" which involves many positive actions that have an absence of evil. I believe when Adam and Eve chose evil over good and sinned that somehow that caused the rift between man and God. The death of God's Son Jesus has healed and reconciled us to God. I will inductively search the scriptures on this subject as soon as I finish the three books I have lined up to read. God's best for you all. :bunny:

zionstructure

July 30th 2003, 11:25 AM

Did God create evil?
Well like slave of christ said, evil is simply the lack of good. The thing about good and evil, light and darkness, any two opposite forces really, is that they need each other to exist. now some say that we don't need evil. but then how would we know good? if there was no evil , there would be no good. things would just be.

The zohar (book of splendor, a kabbalah text) has a parable about the role of satan. i'll paraphrase for time sake. A king sent his son out into another country, and told him he wanted him to have no sexual relations with any woman. After his son had arrived, he sent out his most beautiful maiden in order to tempt the son. The son, after much temptation, listened to the King and did not sleep with the woman. After such a trial, the King and son were closer, had a more of a bond. Now who brough them together? The maiden, the temptation.

Darkness exists so that we may give off light. so did God create evil (darkness)? most definately. for our own benefit.

if there was no challenge to the game of life, no darkness, no oppenant...what would we talk about in the locker room?

:cheers:

mickiel

July 30th 2003, 11:43 AM

[;good" which is an impossibility. I have not searched the scriptures on this particular issue but I do trust my professors and teachers on this point.

This is a classic problem with people, a very very common error. We put our trust in teachers, believing THEM to be right. We ignore 2 Tim. 2:15, and we do not search the scriptures for ourselves. Classic christian error that has resulted in giving strength to traditional views being passed down from generation to generation. Tradition IS the teaching of men. Observe Jeremiah 16:19, our fathers have inherited nothing but falsehood, futility and things of no profit. This basically describes the teachings of men. Again in 23:11, BOTH prophet and priest ARE POLLUTED, EVEN IN MY HOUSE i have found theirWICKEDNESS, declares THE LORD, so this is God speaking. Even in the church of God, teachers are believing polluted knowledge and passing it on to lazy believers who are unapproved by God and lack knowledge. Its just a shame not to study.

I have observed a major problem in many who post here and other places. They just do not study, they depend HEAVILY on OTHERS for their comsumption of knowledge, a very serious mistake in spiritual matters. God created evil, a minimal amount of study proves it. Isaiah 54:16, Job 31:23, 42:11, 2 Chron. 7:13, 15:6, Gen.2:17, Ps 66:11, John 1:3, Gen. 3:1. Study these verses for yourself, ask God to help you, not people.