Frank

I am really wanting some input from other Christians on this subject. Could I please ask fellow Christians to pick which view out of A, B, or C they believe, and maybe a short reason for your choice. There are many questions that could be asked, but to keep it simple I've narrowed it down to these 3.

I hope that I'm not out of line in asking this, because I don't want to go out of bounds in this forum.


A) God created evil and evil people.

B) God created potential for evil, and people could choose evil or Him.

C) God has nothing to do with evil or its creation. It was always outside of his control.


Just for the record, at the moment I agree with B, but I am only in search of truth. Maybe it is not to be known down here

elijah

B.....He gave everybody freewill......whats evil to me, may not be evil to you, but anything short of Jesus teachings, is evil to Him.

HisManySongs

I submit that evil was not created by anyone.

Just as cold is the absence of heat and dark is the absence of light, evil is the absence of good.

So I would choose a variation on B. By not choosing God, a person chooses evil.

__________________
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We are called to take His Light ... Shalom and Keep the Son in Your eyes!

Posters on my Pastor's wall:
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Pastor Gary

Your option 'B' is about the closest, but that has to be qualified. God created all souls including that of Satan. Therefore, what you have written in option 'B' is technically correct.

Those who have studied in depth know about the three earth and heaven ages. See 2 Peter 3 (KJV), but put on your thinking caps because you're going to have to take most of it back to the Original Greek through a Strong's Concordance. You can also refer to The Companion Bible Appendix 146 for the explaination AFTER you read 2 Peter 3 (KJV). That Appendix can be found here for those who do not have a Companion Bible:

http://www.levendwater.org/companion/append146.html


All souls were created by God in the first age, including that of Satan. Old Slewfoot was a great Cheribum in the early times, but wanted MORE than he was allowed to have. He got a little too much ego and rebelled against God and took a full 1/3 of God's children, in that age, with him. God took care of matters and the Katabole was the result. More information can be found here as well:

http://www.biblestudysite.com/146.htm

As the Katabole ended, the current age began... with Satan's spirit free to roam the earth and to place evil into those flesh persons who allow it. As Christians, we have the power to order evil out of us in the name of Jesus Christ. It is our responsibility not to allow the Desolator's (Satan's) spirit to take hold of us.

`

Joyful

God is Love. He created all things. He gave us free will to love Him or hate Him. He does not force us to love Him.

I guess my answer is B.

שׁמע ישׂראל

Things to consider.

YHVH is Holy. As Holy, he cannot:

1.) Create evil.
2.) Influence others to evil.
3.) Be the Cause of evil.

These things all void holiness, and since YHVH is perfect and holy, he could not have done these things and retain his holy state. That being said...

YHVH can create intelligent self thinking beings, but this does not mean he created them as influenced or partial to sin. Being an intelligent self thinking being means you are able to reason, and use logic. But that doesn't guarantee your logic or reason is free from self corruption. (i.e. Satan)

But one must not think that the absence of anything always equals the presence of it's polar opposite.

I don't agree with any of these choices.

Shalom

Banarenth

That post opens up so many questions for me that I simply don't know where to begin, so for once, I'm just gonna rest on this on and give the lazy option "B".

God created us, he gave us the ability to choose, and we are not puppets. But, if God is by definition, Holy, perfect, "un-evil", then anything and everything "not-God" could be defined as inherently evil. I guess, it could be argued that the first thing he created that wasn't 100% God, would be some portion evil, since some portion of it would inherently be in defiance of His Holiness. Perhaps evil is just a corruption of something the God created to be Holy. It also could be that evil only really has meaning when you have choice since all other things would work "as designed" by God. I guess, the real answer would lie in finding out what would God consider to be evil. No so much evil for us to do, or evil for humans, but evil for God. From his persepective, though I wonder if humans possess the capacity to view anything from God's perspective to begin with.

Meh...definitely food for thought, but fully conjecture. I'd be interested in hearing some realy scripture-based explanations for it. It's good for discussion, but I wonder about our inability to come up with a "true" answer, and it's importance or relevence in our lives.

elijah

I think the more important question is would you consider yourself to be a good person?

Joyful

Oh come on. Are you taking Ray Comfort's class?

Frank

Thank you for all your replies. It is very encouraging to know that I am not alone. ,,,,Wow! This is all food for thought.

Pastor Gary, I'll check out those websites. I have heard of this and 2 Peter 3.

I'm very interested in hearing peoples views.


Frank