Why is there evil in the world?

This doesn't have anything to do with the OP and I'd be happy to take it elsewhere but webdog, dude, Edwards is a thoroughly orthodox theologian. His theological positions are well within the bounds of orthodoxy and, honestly, his work on the economic and immanent Trinity defined the theological categories themselves.

I'd hesitate to say he's "hyper-Calvinist" because a) I haven't read that aspect of his work that well and b) we need to carefully define the hyper part of that.

Anyhoo, just saying...oh and if you want a citation about him being the most brilliant American theologian Gonzalez Christian History or History of Christian Thought would probably suffice. There are lots of others, but Gonzalez is a recognized authority.

 

Not as orthodox as you might think http://www.americanpresbyterianchurch.org/the_new_divinity.htm

 

Thanks for sharing the link WD. For myself, it simply supports my personal position that in fact "none of us" have this theology (God thing) completely "nailed down.". This, despite however loudly we may shout, nor how logically or eloquently we may argue. We can agree on many most certain and solid facts, but much of what we "thresh" here in this forum is not entirely knowable.

We are all, no matter our theological proclivities, nothing without a saving relationship with our savior. God bless You brother and all who contribute to the discussion. My desire is that we all keep the "ugliness" of our human side from being to brash and destructive towards fellow believers.

 

My friends, whatever your view of sovereignty, to say that God planned and set evil in motion is to say He created evil. Whatever nuance of language is used to justify it, if the meaning is that God willed, wanted, and created evil, then this is heresy. Flat out, plain heresy. Our view of sovereignty must stop before we get to the point of God planning evil.

Such teachings as I've seen here reaffirm my repulsion to such doctrine, and increases my resolve against it, for it ultimately has God the author of sin, a thoroughly distasteful concept. It shows a theology gone to seed. I say begone with it. I will not continue such a discussion. I am out of this one.

 

I'd challenge a lot of what is in this document in terms of severity and sincerity. Also, without footnoting and or references I am at a loss to find it awfully credible.

Listen, I'm not an Edwards scholar but this seems questionable to say the least.

 

I don't understand this thinking. How is God honored by evil?

God is glorified by His creation and His Son. Evil is an abomination to God. He hates sin and wickedness. It does not glorify God.
How does the rape and murder of a child for example glorify God? Your theology is messed up.

 

Maybe he is looking at this at another angle. Evil doesn't glorify God, but mercy does. How can you be merciful without evil? How does rape and murder glorify God? In itself it doesn't, but defeating evil in the end does. But you can't defeat something that doesn't exists.


We have to remember that evil isn't plan B. God isn't using evil because He is settling for it. It was always part of his plan. (why else would you plant that tree in the garden) Jesus Christ being the savior of the world was plan A. God didn't change his plans because Adam sinned, it was always part of his plan.

 

http://www.sgbcsv.org/literature/ProblemOfEvil.pdf

 

So God created the universe and all that is in it including evil so that He would have something to defeat? Do you have any scripture for that??

Maybe it was His plan to have a family that loved Him of their own free will, which required giving each of them a choice? Is that even a possibility in the mind of a Calvinist?

 

Is this much of your premise kinda sorta in agreement with this much of post #3?:

 

I didn't say that was the only reason. Do you think that God, who is completely sovereign, had to settle because of sin? Do you have any Scripture that Christ defeating sin was plan B? I see it in Scripture as the ONLY plan. If you have Scripture for an alternate plan then lets see it.

Ah, so you would say that God, to get people to choose to love him, would have to have evil in the world because that's the only way. Couldn't God have created a world without evil and man still choose to love him? Why even give the possibility of evil.

Any Scripture for your maybe?

 

Maybe, perhaps, those (of us) who feel that God purposefully and intently planned "free will" of his sentient creation might have some semblance of correctness? Naw, not to those convinced of the (Calvinisitc, Doctrines of Grace, Historical Baptist, Reformed) theological persuasion. According this position, any hint of "free will" is simply an illusion at best, or more properly simply a flawed and "purposeful" misstatement of who God really is.

 

I can see how the Calvinism/Arminianism debate can affect this too.

Are you saying that having a world with evil wasn't part of God's original plan?

btw...I believe in free will as long as you define it correctly. We are free to choose anything we want within our nature.

With the problem of evil...

1. God is good
2. God is great
3. Evil exists

It's hard to understand this. It's one of these things that it's easy to understand any two of these, but to add a third one messes with our brains. How can a God that is good and all powerful allow evil. Is He not big enough to not allow evil in the first place? It's something that we will not ever fully understand. My answer is that God allowed evil to show his mercy, his love to the world.

 

Luke....now you are a Hyper Calvinist.....LOL

That means you dont pray....do you pray brother?