If God knows each and every person before he or she is born, why does God allow or permit a truly evil individual to be born into the world?

[Neonap]

Evil.. It has plagued our world since the beginning of time, when Lucifer fell into darkness and rebelled against God. A angel who was created good by God, and yet evil found a way to corrupt his heart. If everything was created good, even Lucifer who later became Satan then how did sin enter into a perfectly good being despite being in the presence of God? It truly is a mystery that none of us probably do not have an answer for.

But this all leads me to another question that bothers me. The scripture tells us that God knows each and every one of us before we are born, then if that's the case why does God allow evil wicked men to be born? Like brutal tyrants or serial killers? You can argue free will, but if these people are born into their condition, then it's not a choice right?

Perhaps evil is a mystery that the natural human mind cannot fully understand. It's beyond understanding how a perfectly created angel who was created good, somehow fell into extreme evil and led other perfectly good angels to follow in his footsteps. As the word of God says, for now we see through a glass darkly. What do you guys think?

 

[Goodboy]

Evil.. It has plagued our world since the beginning of time, when Lucifer fell into darkness and rebelled against God. A angel who was created good by God, and yet evil found a way to corrupt his heart. If everything was created good, even Lucifer who later became Satan then how did sin enter into a perfectly good being despite being in the presence of God? It truly is a mystery that none of us probably do not have an answer for.

But this all leads me to another question that bothers me. The scripture tells us that God knows each and every one of us before we are born, then if that's the case why does God allow evil wicked men to be born? Like brutal tyrants or serial killers? You can argue free will, but if these people are born into their condition, then it's not a choice right?

Perhaps evil is a mystery that the natural human mind cannot fully understand. It's beyond understanding how a perfectly created angel who was created good, somehow fell into extreme evil and led other perfectly good angels to follow in his footsteps. As the word of God says, for now we see through a glass darkly. What do you guys think?

You kind of answered your own question, but just don't like the answer. Yes, free will is the answer. If you create a robot with programming such that it can only do what you say, you cannot brag about how obedient your robot is can you? If you put a spell on a women to force her to love you, is that really love? God wants his creation to chose him, not be forced to love and obey him.

As far as evil people not having a choice, it's just the opposite. If they could only obey God, that's when they would not have a choice. No one is born to have to do anything, all chose to do whatever it is they do. Do you believe that a murder is born to be a murder and cannot help themselves? If that were true, then God would be unjust and so would our justice system. Neither God nor us would be just to punish someone for something that they did not chose to do, but just had to. It would be like punishing someone for breathing, if that was something bad.

 

[Armor of Light]

The devil was full of Pride, he said he would be like the Most High
Isaiah 14:13-14
13 You said in your heart,
“I will ascend to the heavens;
I will raise my throne
above the stars of God;
I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly,
on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.[a]
14 I will ascend above the tops of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.”

He was a beautiful creation, he had a very important job given to him by his creator, he rebelled in his heart, he made a choice to turn against God Almighty.

 

[JoyJoyJoy]

My father once posed a similiar question....why was Satan sent to earth?

I dont truly understand it all. Why do evil people live and prosper? I have read the psalms and know they will be punished. But there is a depth of evil/depravity that is hard to grasp.
Interested to see the responses.

 

[RogerThat]

Honestly, I don't know. I've also heard the question, "If God created everything, then He must have created evil." or similar sentiments. I agree about free will and that we are not robots. God has ways and purposes that are beyond our understanding, for certain.

When I find myself befuddled, I read Isaiah 55:8-9:
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

There are just some questions that can and will not be answered until we are in the sweet by and by.
But I do enjoy contemplating and discussing them.

 

[RobinMc]

My father once posed a similiar question....why was Satan sent to earth?

I think Mars would have been a better place for him, but who am I to second guess God?

 

[cheeky200386]

It's also possible that those same evil people are led to Jesus Christ and this their transformations will be powerful. I think of Saul who became Paul. I'm so glad he was born as he became the greatest missionary of all time. As the Bible tells us, trials and tribulations leads to perseverance and our perfecting. God decided to use evil for our good.

Someone posted on here somewhere that someone's suffering at the hand of an evil person may lead to another person's salvation. That is worth all evil. If I know that my rape, torture, murder would lead to just one person getting saved, it's all worth it! I would give thanks to that evil because eternity is a long time.

Many came to Christ because of the holocaust. The testimony of Coorie Ten Boom is a great example of this. For all those saved and in eternity now, the holocaust and Hitler was worth it and God used it for good.

 

[Eric Nicholas]

You kind of answered your own question, but just don't like the answer. Yes, free will is the answer. If you create a robot with programming such that it can only do what you say, you cannot brag about how obedient your robot is can you? If you put a spell on a women to force her to love you, is that really love? God wants his creation to chose him, not be forced to love and obey him.

As far as evil people not having a choice, it's just the opposite. If they could only obey God, that's when they would not have a choice. No one is born to have to do anything, all chose to do whatever it is they do. Do you believe that a murder is born to be a murder and cannot help themselves? If that were true, then God would be unjust and so would our justice system. Neither God nor us would be just to punish someone for something that they did not chose to do, but just had to. It would be like punishing someone for breathing, if that was something bad.

That's exactly right, Goodboy. Free will is and always will be the very uncomfortable, yet completely observable and repeatable reality about us. Nobody likes the consequences of free agents with the ability to do evil, but there it is, nonetheless. Genetic determinists make up fantasies about free will or the lack thereof, so there is no accountability, which is far far worse and puts a jeweled crown on chaos.

Then about the evil? Which arbitrary level or percentage of evil is acceptable for you to be born? The "good person" myth has been devastating in regard to the formulation of bad worldviews. That myth will utterly frustrate anyone that believes it.

 

[usoutpost31]

Genesis 4:7
"If you do what is right, will you not be accepted? But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it."

Romans 6:16
" Don’t you know that when you offer yourselves to someone as obedient slaves, you are slaves of the one you obey—whether you are slaves to sin,which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?"

Brutal tyrants and serial killers give in to their worst impulses, over and over again until they are ruled by and dominated by them. Born into this world, they could've taken another path but I don't have to tell you how they dealt with the urge to sin.

 

[TheRedeemed]

We're all presented with a 'fork in the road' and have been given, out of love, a free will choice to choose which road to go down.

So although God knows the end from the beginning and knows the choice you and I will make in this world, His love for us all means He must let us choose and not force it on us.

Then when we stand before Him it will be our choice that He will call judgment on and not His decision prior to allowing us to be born.

To prevent someone coming into this world because He sees what they will do, would not be fair or just. Although the bible clearly states we were known before we were born, it remains silent on whether we pre-existed or not before our birth or whether this is as a result of knowing the end from the beginning.

In the case of pre-existing, the soul could say to God why did you not allow me the chance of life and salvation? I may have chosen the correct path, and so make God's judgment harsh and unfair.

Gods is just and fair even to serial killers, despots, dictators and truly evil beings like Satan and his minions.

All will be judged on their own choices and behaviours with no influence on what they do/did with their free will from God.

 

[Neonap]

That's exactly right, Goodboy. Free will is and always will be the very uncomfortable, yet completely observable and repeatable reality about us. Nobody likes the consequences of free agents with the ability to do evil, but there it is, nonetheless. Genetic determinists make up fantasies about free will or the lack thereof, so there is no accountability, which is far far worse and puts a jeweled crown on chaos.

Then about the evil? Which arbitrary level or percentage of evil is acceptable for you to be born? The "good person" myth has been devastating in regard to the formulation of bad worldviews. That myth will utterly frustrate anyone that believes it.

I agree. The problem with blaming genetics for evil behavior can be quite dangerous. People can claim they steal, lie, cheat, etc etc. Not because of sin but it's because they were born that way or due to bad genetics. Modern psychology only sees from a limited view, because the notion of sin is non existent in their vocabulary hence they view most people as good.

Modern psychology cannot explain how a perfectly created good angel who started with no evil within eventually became a prideful liar and murderer who seeks the destruction and damnation for the whole human race. But a secular pov will deny the bible because it tells us that no one is good and all have fallen short of the glory of God. I consider evil a mystery because only God can see the full picture of why someone would kill multiple people.

I remember when I asked God in prayer where does evil come from? He answered my prayer the very next day with pointing me to the verse; Matthew 17-20. The issue is the heart. Although how anyone can kill so many people without feeling a thing is beyond me only God alone has the understanding as to why. We all are created in the image of God, but sin has tainted that image. Some more than others. Maybe it's only due to God's given grace that we don't fall into the full depravity of sin.

 

[Dave]

I am a huge loner/outcast and had to put up with alot. I have had alot of head struggles of why me and such things and had some thoughts pop into my mind. One being that why didn't God just destroy Satan in the Garden and forgive Adam and Eve when they bit into the forbidden fruit. I think we are being allowed to see things for a reason. Being allowed to see a world filled with sin. We are given a simple choice and thats to choice Jesus or reject him. Salvation comes as a free gift by choosing him. We are saved by grace and not by works for no one can boast. When this war between God and Satan is over and we are forever with him then we will just look at these times as just the Dark Times and care not to remember them much. There is only one unforgivable sin and thats rejection of the Holy Spirit. The rest is sins of the flesh. This world is only temporary. It will soon pass away and all things will be created new except for us who have chosen him and we will have new bodies and forever be with the Lord.

When Adam and Eve bit into the fruit then this life here became cursed. Thats something I keep wanting to forget.

 

[Matthew6:33]

Proverbs 16:4 NKJV — The LORD has made all for Himself,
Yes, even the wicked for the day of doom.

 

[Work4Peanuts]

Something else to consider: we are, by God's standard, all evil, every last one of us. God doesn't see us as righteous until we look in faith to the cross for salvation. Would you have God destroy all of humanity? I prefer grace, and the option that free will gives to every person on the planet. Jesus didn't have to save us.

 

[sawas]

I haven't seen this view yet. Spoiler: I'm totally on board with the "free will" answer, btw.

Yes, God is typically characterized as "omnicient" (as per the OP) and "omnipotent". Hence, the OP's (and others) confusion. If He knows and can choose to eliminate evil, why doesn't He?

But, we forget that God is also "omnibenevolent". The purest expression of this attribute is love itself, which can only be achieved through the exercise of free will....the same door that (necessarily) opens the door to evil. Free will is (clearly, obviously, logically) required for love to be realized.

Remember, it's not (merely) obedience that He desires, it's devotion (i.e. Love). Obedience is just a secondary side-effect of that love.

 

[DanLMP]

To add:

Ravi Zacharias used this argument to explain why things are the way they are:

1. God could have created nothing at all.
2. God could have created a world where there was no good or evil.
3. God could have created a world where we choose only good.
4. God could have created this world where their is the possibility of good and evil and then we choose.

The only world where love is possible is choice 4.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I think we'll understand the beauty and wonder of what God has done for all of His creation after our transformation into our immortal selves. Meanwhile, I'm happy to trust that God knows best. I trust Him.

 

[Bethlehem57]

To add:

Ravi Zacharias used this argument to explain why things are the way they are:

1. God could have created nothing at all.
2. God could have created a world where there was no good or evil.
3. God could have created a world where we choose only good.
4. God could have created this world where their is the possibility of good and evil and then we choose.

The only world where love is possible is choice 4.

And remember, God does as He pleases because He is God. Everything is done according to His perfect will to accomplish all of His purposes.

I am amazed that He loves us! He doesn’t have to, but He does! Enough to know, before time began, that in order to save us, He would have to send His Son to die on a cross for those who would believe in His free gift of salvation. And in accepting this Gift, we repent, obey and grow in His love. “Oh, how He loves us!”

 

[Neonap]

Something else to consider: we are, by God's standard, all evil, every last one of us. God doesn't see us as righteous until we look in faith to the cross for salvation. Would you have God destroy all of humanity? I prefer grace, and the option that free will gives to every person on the planet. Jesus didn't have to save us.

I wholeheartedly agree that we all are fallen sinful people who deserve hell, we are all in a sense evil. But there are truly wicked individuals out there who seem to have no conscience whereas most of us do, which begs the question is it the lack of conscience that permits evil or is it something much more deeper?

In order for anyone to destroy multiple lives has to have their conscience seared because most people couldn't become a serial killer or a brutal dictator. I remember reading about a case a while back where there was a certain serial killer who had took the lives of over 300 young innocent girls. That level of wickedness is mind boggling to the average mind.

Either someone like that is missing a component that prevents that individual to love others or there is something truly diabolical at work behind such a cruel and unrepentant person. It is true that we all are sinners in need of a savior, some may fall into acts of depravity but there are others who stay soaked in it.

Perhaps someone like that is a full picture of sin which is unfiltered and has run amok within that person's heart.

 

[Work4Peanuts]

I wholeheartedly agree that we all are fallen sinful people who deserve hell, we are all in a sense evil. But there are truly wicked individuals out there who seem to have no conscience whereas most of us do, which begs the question is it the lack of conscience that permits evil or is it something much more deeper?

In order for anyone to destroy multiple lives has to have their conscience seared because most people couldn't become a serial killer or a brutal dictator. I remember reading about a case a while back where there was a certain serial killer who had took the lives of over 300 young innocent girls. That level of wickedness is mind boggling to the average mind.

Either someone like that is missing a component that prevents that individual to love others or there is something truly diabolical at work behind such a cruel and unrepentant person. It is true that we all are sinners in need of a savior, some may fall into acts of depravity but there are others who stay soaked in it.

Perhaps someone like that is a full picture of sin which is unfiltered and has run amok within that person's heart.

I'm not so sure. I think "the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked: who can know it?" (Jeremiah 17:9) We all cut ourselves slack, thinking that "I would never do that" but the horror that happened in Nazi Germany wasn't Hitler's alone. It happened because ordinary people encouraged each other to commit atrocities by saying evil was good, and that they were just following orders. Look up the Milgram experiment. How many are on the internet right now bragging about their abortions? Murder and abomination! How much "pride" is out there for the abominations of sodomy and pedophilia? Yet we meet these people on the street everyday. They are just ordinary unsaved people and they outnumber us greatly.

I think without God's restraining influence on society and culture, we are about to see just how wicked common everyday people can be, and how close we all really are teetering towards true unrestrained evil. The Bible says that in the last days, lawlessness will abound, and that it would be like the days of Lot and Noah. Evil will be called good, and good evil. If we could see how truly wicked and rebellious our own personal sins are (that "don't seem to harm anyone") from God's point of view, we might be a little more inclined to get on our knees a little more often in both worship for the One who saves us from ourselves and in true repentence. Because the only thing that separates us from everyday unsaved people is the "heart transplant" we receive at the cross.