Questions Atheists Can’t Answer: The Problem of Evil (Part 2)

In my previous article, I argued that atheism fails to provide a satisfactory answer to the problem of evil. My position can be summarized as follows:

• Atheists recognise evil as a real problem, yet their worldview assumes an absolute moral standard. However, atheism denies the existence of an absolute moral lawgiver, creating a philosophical contradiction. This renders the atheistic explanation of evil internally inconsistent.
• Atheism cannot provide a purpose for suffering. If atheism is taken to its logical conclusion, suffering becomes meaningless — just a product of random chance in a godless, indifferent universe. There is no real hope, only chaos.

You can explore my full argument http://jeetwincasinos.com/@Ore-OfeNikan/questions-atheists-cant-answer-the-problem-of-evil-part-1-eaf3cf5c2ff2

This naturally leads to the question: Which worldview provides the most coherent and hopeful explanation for the existence of evil? My simple answer is this:

The Christian worldview offers the most intellectually and emotionally satisfying answer to the problem of evil. Let’s explore how.

The Origin of Evil

Christianity acknowledges the reality of evil and offers a logically consistent account of its origin.

According to the Christian worldview, there is an absolute moral law, given by God, the moral Lawgiver. Evil is anything that deviates from this standard. Scripture teaches that God created the world good and without evil (Genesis 1:31). However, evil entered the world through human sin.

When humanity disobeyed God, sin entered the world, and as a consequence, creation was judged, leading to suffering, death, and disorder. Evil, therefore, does not originate from God but from human rebellion against Him. God created humans with moral freedom, but they chose to reject His authority. Thus, evil exists because sin exists.

The Mystery Behind Evil

While the Christian worldview explains the origin of evil, a deeper question remains:

If God is all-powerful and perfectly good, why does He allow evil and suffering to persist?

This is a fair and weighty question, one that deserves deep reflection. But there’s a perspective often overlooked in such discussions: What if God has a good reason for allowing evil?

If this is the case, then the existence of evil doesn’t contradict God’s goodness. Let’s consider an illustration from Michael Kruger:

“Imagine if we applied the same logic to parenting: ‘Good parents would never let their children feel pain; otherwise, they aren’t good.’ But this only holds if parents have no good reason for allowing pain. In reality, we can easily imagine such reasons. A parent might allow the pain of surgery to save a child’s life, or administer discipline to teach boundaries and ensure safety. In all these cases, the parent remains good while allowing temporary pain for a greater good.”

Likewise, God’s allowance of evil might serve a greater purpose, even if that purpose isn’t fully apparent to us. The inability to comprehend His reasons doesn’t prove they don’t exist. Again, Kruger offers a compelling analogy:

“It’s like walking into an MIT physics lab and claiming an experiment won’t work simply because I don’t understand it. Or watching Magnus Carlsen at the World Chess Championship and declaring he’s stuck because I don’t see a move. The problem isn’t with the experiment or the chess master — it’s with my limited understanding. Just because we can’t see all of God’s reasons for allowing evil doesn’t mean there aren’t any. Unless the sceptic can prove that God could not possibly have a good reason for permitting evil (which is logically impossible)”

So yes, we may not fully understand why God allows evil, but here’s what we can know: We can trust God.

Why? Because God sent His Son to die for our sins and to experience the greatest evil imaginable, all to save us from our rebellion. The cross is both God’s solution to evil and the greatest evidence that we can trust Him.

At the cross, God used human evil to accomplish the greatest good: the redemption of mankind. So even though we may not explain all the whys behind evil, we can confidently say that God allows evil for a good reason.

God’s Love in a Suffering World

Yes, suffering exists in the world, but so does the love of God. God’s love for sin-marred humanity is demonstrated through Jesus Christ. What kind of love is this, that God would choose to suffer evil in its highest form for our sake? This offers deep comfort to anyone experiencing suffering: God’s love is not diminished by our pain. Rather, our pain is given meaning and hope through the cross. In Christ, we can be assured that God loves us and will work all things, even our sin and suffering, for our ultimate good (Romans 8:28).

God’s Justice and Suffering

The Christian worldview also offers ultimate Justice for the existence of evil, and all things will be made new. We all long for justice, for when the evil in this world will be punished. Rightly so, it’s right to ask when there will be an end to all suffering in the world and justice. The bible answers yes! God will put an end to evil, and we can look forward to that.

However, when we ask for justice for evil, we often advocate for selective justice, justice for the vilest evil in this world, but what about our moral evil? If God were to rid the world of evil today, he would have to punish us all for our sins.

Hope in Christ

The gospel offers us hope beyond human comprehension, although the gospel doesn’t promise us a life without suffering in the world. Nonetheless, the gospel offers us forgiveness for our sins, a life with God forever in heaven, and purpose for our suffering.

Yes Christians suffer, but we have Christ in our bosom, a hope that stands the test of time and an assured promise of being with God forever. What more can we possibly ask for?

So my friend, the Christian worldview offers a more satisfying answer for the existence of evil, far better than the randomness and life without purpose offered by atheism. So why not consider the Love of God in Christ? Why not embrace His compassionate Love? He bled and died to show you that your suffering can be purposeful. He died to show you that though you experience great grief, he is a compassionate and merciful high priest. So why not embrace His love rather than living a life of suffering without purpose?

May God help.