One of, if not the, greatest challenges against a person’s belief in God is the existence of evil. More than once in my life I have heard the following argument:
1. If God is all good, then he would get rid of evil.
2. If God is all powerful, then he could get rid of evil.
3. Evil does exist.
4. Therefore, God must not exist.
Initially it looks like a strong argument against the existence of God. However, it is actually an argument for the existence of God.
In order for someone to call something “evil” they must assume that there is a standard of “good” by which one can compare. God is the only fixed and unchanging standard by which evil is identified.
Anytime someone says there is a way things should not be, they are implying there is a way that things should be.
The question is: where does this sense of moral obligation come from? Why ought or should anyone do anything? You can say that there is a plan that is unchanging. This can only be explained through the existence of God.
Another problem with the existence of evil is trying to identify good in it. If you have evil apart from God’s existence then it would be pure evil and nothing can be gained from it.
Think about the good things that have come from pain and suffering. At the time of our suffering we only see the pain and evil but in hindsight we can see the good that came from it.
Through evil, pain and suffering we acquire an absolute appreciation for life and the good things that are given to us. We also see a person’s character develop through an experience of pain and suffering. Finally, pain and suffering will often lead people into a closer relationship with God.
These are only three examples but none of them are possible without the existence of God.
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Update on my earlier comment - The third of these sites is no longer available. The first two can still be found here and here.
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