Floyd wrote: ↑February 27th, 2007, 10:30 am
If there is a God, why is there evil?
Many end their question here, and to them I reply, "Why wouldn't there be?"
Ultimately, that will be my reply to you, but you have already begun to offer an answer to my question by asking a slightly more specific question:
Floyd wrote: ↑February 27th, 2007, 10:30 am
Why would a loving God do this?
Why would there exist evil if there exists a
loving God?
What do you mean by God? I'm guessing you mean something roughly along the lines of, "that entity which makes the universe as it is." Now, depending on the limitations of your God's omnipotence (assuming He is omnipotent in any sense), evil might exist because of powers outside of His control. For example, perhaps He willingly surrendered some of His power to the free will of His creations, thereby allowing them the power to create evil.
What do you mean by evil? If you have any notion of "evil" such that you and your God might have differing notions of "evil," then perhaps you have your answer. Perhaps God's ways are not your ways. Perhaps that which is "evil" to you, one of many biological mortals, is not "evil" by God's standards.
What do you mean by love? God's love is often understood as being
agapé.
Agapé is unconditional. Being unconditional, it is extended equally to the "good" and to the "evil." In other words, I don't see why an unconditionally loving God would love good any more than He loves evil.
So, why
wouldn't there exist evil if there exists a loving God?