Does Evil Disprove God?

The real question has been most famously stated by Epicurus:

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - See more at: http://americanvision.org/7989/epicurus-problem-of-evil/#sthash.nKV5ovLw.ZuleLuw4.dpuf

“Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?”

Essentially he says, "If God wants to and can abolish evil, but then God is evil. If God cannot and is unwilling to abolish evil, then He is not God." Sounds like he puts Christians in between a rock and a hard place. According to Epicurus, evil disproves God's goodness, if not His existence entirely.

This is a difficult subject and I, in no way, want to portray that I have all of this figured out and I know all that there is to know about the depths and mysteries of our eternal God. However, I do believe that understanding that evil does not diminish God of any glory is possible and necessary. That's where I want to lead us today. The question stands "Does evil disprove God?" My answer is an emphatic no. Here's why:

Evil Proves God's Existence

Epicurus was attempting to disprove God's existence in his question. He believed that since evil existed, a good God could not. My question to him, and to all others who hold his view, is "how do you know evil exists?" How can you honestly say what is evil? By what standard are you holding these "evil" people to? Are you a standard in of yourself or do you have a standard outside of you? If you are your standard, why can't they be their own standard? If they feel like blowing up people for the sake of their god is righteous, who are you to say other wise?

C.S. Lewis can help us here:

My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I gotten this idea of just and unjust? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust? If the whole show was bad and senseless from A to Z, so to speak, why did I, who was supposed to be part of the show, find myself in such violent reaction against it? A man feels wet when he falls into water, because man is not a water animal: a fish would not feel wet.

Lewis calls to our attention that there must be an objective moral standard that we all know. When we reject that moral standard, that is evil. Lewis' conclusion is that God is that objective moral standard. Without God (who is the standard of good, righteousness, fairness, justice, etc.) we would not have anything to define what is right and what is wrong. So when we look at evil in the face, that indignation we feel, is because God has given us an objective moral standard to know what is good and what is evil.

On the flip-side of this coin, there is the problem of good. If an atheist feels that evil disproves God, the good disproves the atheist. Why would there ever be anything morally good in a universe that had happened by chance? Why would there be love, selflessness, and patience? There wouldn't.

Evil Proves God Wants Us to Love Him

Think about this for a second with me: if I program a robot to love me, does it really love me? Of course not. The same goes for God and His creation of us. God created mankind with free will. We get to choose whether we love God or not. Without that choice, love would not be real. If we did not have free will, nothing on this earth would be real. We could not be responsible for good or evil, but we are. Here is another helpful piece from C.S. Lewis:

God created things which had free will. That means creatures which can go wrong or right. Some people think they can imagine a creature which was free but had no possibility of going wrong, but I can't. If a thing is free to be good it's also free to be bad. And free will is what has made evil possible. Why, then, did God give them free will? Because free will, though it makes evil possible, is also the only thing that makes possible any love or goodness or joy worth having.

Love of God is the most ultimate virtue a human being can possess. This must be a real love, not a manufactured love. Love is not forced by God, though I believe He can strongly persuade us, but that's another blog.

Another point that can be derived from this point is that God did not create evil, He merely created the possibility. Satan was supposedly the first to "create" evil by acting it out. Adam and Eve were the first humans to "create" evil. God is never blamed in the Bible for creating evil, Satan and man are.

Evil is Used by God for Good

This isn't a point about evil disproving God's existence as much as it is evil disproving God's goodness. Even though there is evil in this world, God is greater than evil.

You may have heard of the story of Joseph. It is a long one (Genesis 37-50), so I won't go over the whole story in detail. Looking at the things that went wrong in his life is most beneficial for our discussion.

• sold into slavery by his brothers because of their jealousy
• wrongly put in prison for allegedly raping an officer's wife
• forgotten in prison by a friend for two years 

After all of this, Pharaoh gave Joseph great power in the land of Egypt because he could interpret Pharaoh's dreams. One of his dreams was that there would be great prosperity in the land for seven years and then great famine for seven years. Joseph was in charge of making sure there was enough food for everyone.

His brothers eventually come to Egypt for food, and after many schemes to get his whole family there, they finally come. His brothers thought they would hate them and he would want to return all the evil they had done to him. But Joseph replied with this statement, "“Do not fear, for am I in the place of God? As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen. 50:19-20). 

What people mean for evil in this world, God means for good. Another verse that brings this reality to the forefront is Romans 8:28: "And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good for those who are called according to his purpose." God is not ruled by evil, but He rules it. 

I can't answer why things happen the way they do sometimes, but I know God is good and that He can change any evil into good. 

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - See more at: http://americanvision.org/7989/epicurus-problem-of-evil/#sthash.nKV5ovLw.ZuleLuw4.dpuf

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - See more at: http://americanvision.org/7989/epicurus-problem-of-evil/#sthash.nKV5ovLw.ZuleLuw4.dpuf

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - See more at: http://americanvision.org/7989/epicurus-problem-of-evil/#sthash.nKV5ovLw.ZuleLuw4.dpuf

Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?
Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God? - See more at: http://americanvision.org/7989/epicurus-problem-of-evil/#sthash.nKV5ovLw.ZuleLuw4.dpuf