How can we think that God is good when there is evil? | N.T. Wright

[ibperson]

To the people saying God is good but man chooses evil: True on one level, but God made man. And God is sovereign. He in some sense DID ordain evil.

The Biblical and correct view is that God subjected the world to the curse and even suffers with us for the long and beautiful game of redemptive history, which is better than sterile perfection sans redemption. Read Galatians 3, esp 22 - 29.
(Also explains why He doesn’t just announce Himself. If everyone knows it’s all fine along the way, then you can’t very well wash the world in suffering and redeem it and wipe every tear. He is doing something greater. ✝️)

[ibperson]

“If there is no God, why is there love and truth and beauty and hope? You either have God, and a problem of evil. Or no God, and a problem of good.”

[lumartin]

Would you recognize evil if good did not exist?

[hermanwooster]

I find the problem of evil to be a challenge for atheism. Atheism says there is no God or objective good and evil, and the things we suffer do not have intrinsic meaning for eternity. In a truly atheistic world, there is no good or evil. So how can evil exist if atheism is true? Christianity teaches evil does exist but that God will fix all things in the end. The things we suffer now have purpose and intrinsic meaning for eternity.

[tatie]

It is not that God is evil, people are.

[atrainc]

God gave you free will. Man chooses evil repeatedly. That's not god being evil, that's man choosing selfish endeavors. Man makes God out to be evil by not owning up to their weaknesses.

[justinwimer]

It’s to bad Hitchens didn’t get a hold of this guy. 🤦‍♂️

[lumartin]

Is a coin a coin if it doesn't have an up side and a downside?

[randyschmidt]

That was a lengthy non answer that actually tipped into showing that we have created all of these situations and depending on the situation and perception some things are bad and some are good.