Nothing exists outside of creation. To quote president Obama, "You didn't make that". So who is ultimately responsible for the evil in the world?
Am I responsible for the laws of nature? Am I the one who created the law of the jungle? Do I have any real control over anything, including my own determination? If I do have the ability to be more than what I am, what natural incentives are there for trying? I may want to fly, but God never gave me wings, and jumping off a cliff produces undesirable results without wings.
It is easy to blame devils, demons, and Satan himself for the evil in the world, but these are created beings, just like we are. They had no say in their creation; they couldn't change anything in heaven, much less on Earth. When the fallen angels were cast out of heaven for rebelling, they ended up on Earth with us humans. Why would a good and loving God do that to us? God could have done anything with his rebellious fallen angels. There is the pit where they could be imprisoned, and the lake of fire where they could be destroyed, but no, God let them loose on Earth to cause death, destruction, and the eternal loss of human souls.
I don't see why humans carry any responsibility for the way things were when they got here. Yeah, sure, we can change things if we try really hard, as if that were our true natures, but we work against ourselves and the entire universe by trying. Enter Jesus, some will say. I'm not going there in this discussion.
So why is it that when humans create a system that causes suffering and death, it is evil, but God creates an entire universe like that and it is called good? As a part of creation, we aren't any better or worse than anything thing else in the universe. When God was done with his work week, He called it good, even though there was evil even in the garden as well as everywhere else outside of it. I have trouble resolving these issues and when I meet my maker, if I don't get an answer that I like, I'm punching God in that all seeing eye of his. I might as well go to hell for giving God a black eye, I don't believe that I deserve eternal damnation otherwise.
Am I responsible for the laws of nature? Am I the one who created the law of the jungle? Do I have any real control over anything, including my own determination? If I do have the ability to be more than what I am, what natural incentives are there for trying? I may want to fly, but God never gave me wings, and jumping off a cliff produces undesirable results without wings.
It is easy to blame devils, demons, and Satan himself for the evil in the world, but these are created beings, just like we are. They had no say in their creation; they couldn't change anything in heaven, much less on Earth. When the fallen angels were cast out of heaven for rebelling, they ended up on Earth with us humans. Why would a good and loving God do that to us? God could have done anything with his rebellious fallen angels. There is the pit where they could be imprisoned, and the lake of fire where they could be destroyed, but no, God let them loose on Earth to cause death, destruction, and the eternal loss of human souls.
I don't see why humans carry any responsibility for the way things were when they got here. Yeah, sure, we can change things if we try really hard, as if that were our true natures, but we work against ourselves and the entire universe by trying. Enter Jesus, some will say. I'm not going there in this discussion.
So why is it that when humans create a system that causes suffering and death, it is evil, but God creates an entire universe like that and it is called good? As a part of creation, we aren't any better or worse than anything thing else in the universe. When God was done with his work week, He called it good, even though there was evil even in the garden as well as everywhere else outside of it. I have trouble resolving these issues and when I meet my maker, if I don't get an answer that I like, I'm punching God in that all seeing eye of his. I might as well go to hell for giving God a black eye, I don't believe that I deserve eternal damnation otherwise.
A trail goes two ways and looks different in each direction - There is no such thing as a timid woodland creature - Whatever does not kill you leaves you a survivor - Jesus is NOT a bad word - MSB