How Do You Prove Evil Exists Without God?

Don’t you know that Adam ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil? They go hand in hand and can be distinguished but not separated. Good and evil are metaphysical ideas and not physical ones. They can be logically deduced but not proven by normal means as you would think. Note that you cannot prove anything without making some assumption that cannot be proven, even in science they assume that nature is orderly, consistent, and knowable and put faith in the scientific method. NOTE: All knowledge is contingent and begins in faith!

You would have to first assume that good exists, and then define evil as its privation, distortion, or twisting. For instance, if you assume justice, injustice must also exist by definition whether realized or not; also laws exist so lawlessness must also even if not reckoned; and if there can be righteousness, there is also unrighteousness by nature. An atheist may even assume he is good without God in the equation and even think evil of others or think they are evil compared to him (not God!).

Note: there’s no perfect evil but it’s always mixed with enough good to deceive just like lies that have an element of truth—enough to make you immune to the real thing or the ultimate Truth with a capital T. That’s why cults thrive—they have enough truth to inoculate from the truth and reality which it corresponds to.

It is difficult to define good without God in the equation as Plato defined God as the only Supreme Good and standard of it to recognize it by. How can you conceive of justice without a Judge, order without an Orderer, laws without a Lawgiver, righteousness without rights? You may ask how is this possible, yet Communists believe in justice without a Judge and laws without a Lawgiver. Atheists will tell you they are or can be moral without a moral center to the universe, God the Judge.

If there were no moral or good and evil, what is the purpose of our conscience or moral compass (given us by God)? Does anything repulse you at all, not even the Holocaust? Is there anything you wouldn't do because of your principles, scruples, or inhibitions? That’s why we see good in light of evil, light in view of darkness, blessings in spite of cursing, love in contrast to hate!  Soli Deo Gloria! 

Why Is There So Much Evil? ...

"The LORD saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time" (Gen. 6:5, NIV).
"The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" (Jer. 17:9, NIV).
"As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today" (Gen. 50:20, ESV).

Evil is not the opposite of good, but its perversion or deprivation--evil couldn't exist in its own right unless good did. In the beginning, there was no evil in the world. There is no such thing as a struggle in life between yin and yang like Eastern mystics believe. God created everything and said it was good! But He also created the possibility of evil. For if evil had not been possible, there would be no way to see good in contrast. We see good in light of evil and shouldn't ask where's God, but where isn't God and where's the church. God did something about evil; He made you and me! He created us for such a time as this and we must let our light shine in the darkness and it shall not be put out or extinguished. John Donne said, "Don't ask for whom the bell tolls, it tolls for thee." Evil gives us the opportunity to overcome it with good and to bring glory to God with victory in Jesus' name.

There is a very good reason why evil must exist: different people respond to the same event in different ways--one becomes better and one bitter! The same sun hardens the clay, melts the butter! The same knife can cut butter and be used in war. If evil didn't exist, how would we know if we would choose God for ourselves? There so much evil now because God knows how to turn it into good and sees a silver lining behind every cloud. God works the wrath of man to His glory and there is so much of it to work with--but God doesn't allow anything that doesn't fit His ultimate purpose (cf. Psa. 76:10). We must never question God's wisdom and blame Him for our problems.

God could stamp out evil in the world with one stroke, but you and I wouldn't be here, for everyone has some evil inherent, for man is a totally depraved being in need of salvation. Who is it that would determine just how much evil is to be tolerated, if not God? We must trust God who is too deep to explain Himself, too wise to make a mistake, and too kind to be cruel. Job wondered why God was getting on his case because he saw himself as righteous. His error was that he was self-righteous! We all deserve far worse from God than we receive at His hand--God tempers His justice with mercy and remembers mercy in His wrath (cf. Hab. 3:2).

Instead of charging God with error, we should thank Him for His mercy and grace--We don't get what we deserve and get what we don't deserve! God is good to all in some ways and to some in all ways who are doubly blessed (cf. Psalm 145:9). But God's common grace extends to all and He calls all men to repent, but most men don't see their sins.

There are no easy answers to evil in the world and no religion has a complete answer but leaves room for faith to come into play. God isn't accountable to us, but we to Him and He doesn't have to explain Himself. A lot of evil we experience is of our own doing as we reap what we sow, some sow the wind and reap the whirlwind even. A man ruins his life and then blames the Lord (cf. Prov. 19:3), but when he's successful he gives himself all the credit! We must rest in faith that God allows evil to happen according to His providence and has a purpose for everything, even the wicked for the day of evil (cf. Prov. 16:4). According to Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz, sometimes referred to as the best of all possible worlds in which evil is minimized and goodness maximized, God cannot make a world with men having the ability to choose evil if they will, without some choosing it to their damnation!

God always makes it up to us for the evil done us and rewards us for the days the locust has eaten (cf. Psalm 90:15; Joel 2:25). We never come out losers with God on our side and always with us. Jesus expects nothing more from us He didn't do: all sufferings, trials, afflictions, tests must inevitably come but our crosses pale in comparison to His. In the final analysis, we must view evil in our lives as a test of faith and God doesn't allow any evil that isn't Father-filtered and He has a purpose for it--"All things work together for good to them who love God..."

NB: The world is not as evil as it can be for God's grace is at work always restraining it lest it gets out of hand. We live in the day of grace when God is keeping the door open to the gospel and not judgment. Someday God will judge the world and make His wrath known.  MAYBE WE SHOULD ASK: "WHY IS THERE SO MUCH GOOD?"


"The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good" (Prov. 15:3, ESV).

God didn't create evil (cf. Isaiah 45:7 refers to natural evil, not moral evi of man and should be translated as "disaster")  but did make it possible for it to exist by virtue of giving the gift of free will to innocent sentient creatures and to Adam and Eve. Evil entered the human race via the Fall instigated by Satan. There are many who wonder why doesn't God eliminate evil; Robinson Crusoe answered that question to Friday: Why doesn't God get rid of you? The point is that God is in the process of doing something about evil--He made you and me!

God has no hands to help but ours; no mind to think with but ours; no voice to speak through but ours; and finally no heart to love through than ours. The dilemma of God being almighty and good poses the question of why does there seems to be no justice and why do the good suffer. First of all, there are no good people--we are not basically good, but evil in God's estimation. Second of all, why do good things happen to bad people, not why do bad things happen to good people? Without evil in existence, or its possibility we all would be automatons with no will of our own to choose to obey or disobey God freely.

God did give mankind a chance in the Garden of Eden and he blew it--Adam represented all of mankind and we would've done the same thing (the original sin prefigures all sin and is a denial of God's attributes one by one. The proverbial apple showed the entirety of the sin question: Adam rejected God's authority; he doubted His goodness; he disputed His wisdom; he repudiated His justice; he contradicted His truthfulness; he spurned His grace (source unknown).

Edengate, as it has been dubbed as the very first cover-up and God didn't hide from Adam, but Adam from God in shame, because he knew he had done something wrong and felt guilty. God cleansed their guilt and wiped it away by clothing them in skins. This was the prototype sin and we should all see ourselves as doing ditto. Adam sought his own goodness, delight, and wisdom, having rejected God's. That's the epitome of sin: man's declaration of independence from God!

When asking why do the good suffer, the real question should be why are they blessed? God gives man less than he deserves punitively. God is good and so there is a standard of Supreme or Ultimate Good (per Plato) and God is omnipotent, almighty, and plenipotent. God is also just, kind and good; so why do we suffer? There is an invisible conflict between good and evil (evil has been dethroned at the cross and Christ reigns), but the mop-up effort and consummation are in process. In the end, God will turn the wrath of man to praise Him (cf. Psalm 76:10).

In the meantime, we find ourselves in the enemy-occupied territory--the devil's turf or domain! We fight evil from the vantage point of victory, not for a victory--Christ already won the battle! Evil must exist and it's not the counterpart of God nor its opposite, but a parasite and perversion of good (it couldn't exist in its own right).

Without God, there can be no evil or sin and without the possibility of evil, there can be no good expressed, for we only see and behold goodness in contrast to evil and sin. Someone said that one might ask: Do you see the evil and say "why?" Or do you see the good and say "why not?" We see good in light of evi; we have the opportunity for good with evil; we endure short-term evil for long-term good; realize that there can be no objective evil without objective good. In the final analysis, we must not lose faith in the fact that God will someday settle the score and mete out justice at Judgment Day; justice delayed is not justice denied! Soli Deo Gloria!

What's The Motive When People Don't Believe?

 "Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross and then we'll see and believe..." (cf. Mark 15:32, CEB).  

The common notion is that seeing is believing, but believing is seeing!  We see by faith.  The Greeks who came to Jesus said, "We would see Jesus."  But the writer of Hebrews adds, "But we do see Jesus..." (cf. Heb. 2:3).  Jesus had performed many miracles and still the religious leaders "would not believe." Not that they could not but they refused to and would not as a choice of theirs. They couldn't deny Christ's miracles but even demanded He would do them on-demand and with some biggie miracle to cast away all doubts.  They demanded more evidence!   But Jesus would not accommodate them and the only sign He would give is the resurrection on the third day.  The fact of the matter is that no amount of evidence will convince a person who chooses not to believe.  You must want to believe!  "A person convinced against his will is of the same opinion still!" 

The heart of the matter is that it's a matter of the heart and the Pharisees had none!  We must believe in our hearts (cf. Romans 10:9-10).  Their hearts were hardened and they could not see the love of Christ which surpasses understanding. It is with the heart that we believe, we don't just acquiesce in the mind or simply assent or agree to the truth.  Jesus wants our hearts and to enter them!  Romans 11:7 says that the elect attained unto it but the rest were hardened!  Satan has blinded the minds of those that believe not (cf. 2 Cor 4:4).  Jesus saw through their veneer and their duplicity and insincerity.  The example of Mary's anointing of Jesus was to be told throughout the world exemplifying her genuine love of the Lord. Once you've experienced it, you want to pass it on! But love seeks to express itself! 

Saving faith isn't about how much we believe, for it only takes that of a mustard seed, but how well we obey. We don't believe despite the evidence but obey in spite of the consequences.  Belief is simply putting our trust in what we have good reason to believe and we are accountable for God as we do know Him.