The Problem of Evil
By Janina Leone
The problem of evil has had devastating consequences since the dawn of man. When Adam and Eve mistrusted God in the Garden of Eden, and ate of the forbidden tree, they opened the floodgates of evil and mankind has suffered since. The existence of evil is problematic for many who struggle to reconcile this reality with the existence of a God who is all love.
God is infinitely good and all of His works are as well, yet no one can escape the experience of suffering or evil. The question of where evil derives from has puzzled even the greatest of saints such as St. Augustine, who could find no solution for where it came from outside of Christ. Evil comes from sin, and sin comes from the fall of mankind.
God did not create evil. Rather, man chose to ignore God’s warning of evil and brought it upon themselves. Evil is not an entity; it is the absence of good, just as how darkness is the absence of light. Evil is the absence and rejection of God. Because God loves us, He gave us free will. He actively wills that man should choose good, but gives us the choice to choose good or evil. God cannot force us to love Him, but He still loves us so much that, even though we did not listen to Him in the Garden of Eden and chose to eat of the forbidden fruit, He sent His only Son to redeem humanity and die for their sins. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son, that whosoever believeth in Him, shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Man chose evil, and when we choose evil, it hurts others and ourselves. Man is fallen and broken, and in need of redemption. Peter Kreeft explains it this way, “If the origin of evil is free will, and God is the origin of free will, isn't God then the origin of evil? Only as parents are the origin of the misdeeds their children commit by being the origin of their children. The all-powerful God gave us a share in his power to choose freely. Would we prefer he had not and had made us robots rather than human beings?” People freely choose evil, but they are just as capable of freely choosing good if they were to repent and turn back to the source of good, God.
Former atheist CS Lewis (Who was said to have inquired upon RCIA before passing) says, “My argument against God was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got 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?” For any human to have a sense of evil, they must have some sense of what is right. Without a source of objective good, we cannot in our hearts recognize evil. But God himself says that even the law is written on the hearts of men. Romans 2:15 says, “They show that the requirements of the law are written on their hearts, their consciences also bearing witness, and their thoughts sometimes accusing them and at other times even defending them.” Evil does not disprove God. Instead, it further proves there is a loving God whom humanity desperately needs, and in His perfect love, is waiting patiently for us to recognize Him so He can save us.
People argue that bad things happen to good people, but we know from Sacred Scripture that not one of us is good. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We have all at some point or another, caused or inflicted suffering upon another person. God is patient with us in our repentance because He wants no one to perish.
God also uses evil to conform us to His image and make us better people. A great example of this are the Saints, who suffered all kinds of ailments, trials, and even martyrdom for the sake of Christ. In these sufferings, they were conformed to the image of Christ, who all good. It could have gone either way. Our sufferings can turn us into deformed bitter monsters or they can make us the embodiment of love itself: Jesus Christ, who Himself suffered and died on the cross at the hands of evil men who did not recognize God. Death is transformed by Christ, who also suffered death which is part of the human condition, but that He also freed us from death.
St. Padre Pio is a great example of a saint who suffered. His words in his sufferings were, "Fear nothing. On the contrary, consider yourself very fortunate to have been made worthy to participate in the sufferings of the Man-God." God Himself suffered, and He is the very source of good and light. This is why the Apostles Creed states, “I believe in God the Father Almighty, Creator of Heaven and Earth, and in Jesus Christ our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. If God Himself suffered due to man’s evil choices, what makes us believe we are exempt? Our sufferings mold us in the trial of affliction so we come out as gold.
Isaiah 48:10 says, “Behold, I have refined thee, but not with silver; I have chosen thee in the furnace of affliction.” He uses things we consider evil for our good.
