When it comes to pain, most of us are chickens. We do anything to avoid it, even a little needle prick at the doctor. We go to great pains to avoid pain including pain pills, sleeping pills and sedatives. The problem of evil is real for human beings, and the problem of physical evil is acutely real. The reason is that while moral evil can be explained by free choice, it is not apparent how all physical evil can be explained this way. No one wills a lightning strike or a tsunami on themselves. Much physical suffering results directly from misuse of our own bodies, smoking, alcohol, drug use, overeating, lack of proper exercise all cause physical problems. We can hardly blame God for things we inflict on ourselves. Some physical evil is the direct result of the free choices of others. The truth is that in a free world the result of one person’s freedom impinges on another person’s life. Drunk drivers often kill other people. Some physical evil is necessary for the greater physical good. The early bird gets the worm, but the worm gets eaten. Higher forms of life feed off of lower forms. Some physical evil is needed for a greater moral good. The truth is that we learn more enduring lessons in life through pain than through pleasure. Some physical evil may be inflicted by God’s justice in punishing evil actions such as plagues, famines, sickness and death. Some insist God could miraculously intervene and prevent these evil results, but without the regularity of nature, moral decisions are impossible and moral improvement cannot occur; both of these are necessary to producing the best of all worlds. God cannot perform any miracle that involves a logical or actual impossibility; He cannot make 2+2=5. Nor can be make two mountains together without a valley. God cannot make it rain and not rain at the same time to answer opposing prayers. Obviously there are some miracles God could do that He does not do. Sometimes the most loving thing God can do is not to supernaturally intervene to prevent all physical evil in our lives. Parents know that giving their children everything they want is not the most loving thing to do, sometimes tough love is necessary. Surely God has the power to stop all atheist, skeptics, and agnostics from expressing themselves but then they would not really be free to express themselves. Constant miraculous interruption of the natural order would destroy the very order necessary for making moral decisions. Few enduring moral lessons are learned through pleasure; most are learned through pain. This being the case, miraculous intervention to eliminate all painful consequences of actions would eliminate lessons on moral improvement to be learned through them. The truth is that higher virtues can only be attained by free beings that have struggled with evil and been victorious over it. Of course, not all persons will achieve the higher virtues and the greater good possible. Some will sufferers get better, some get bitter. Next week we will take our final look at “If God, Why Evil”, we will discuss Eternal Evil (Hell) and what about those who have never heard. Excerpts from chapter 7&8, If God, why Evil? By Norman L. Geisler, I encourage you get this book and read all of Dr. Geisler’s research and 50 years of knowledge in theology, philosophy, and apologetics on the college or graduate level.
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