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?

[Wings Like Eagles]

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.

Evil is simply the absence of good (the word "good" means "like God" or "godly") just as darkness is the absence of light. There is NOTHING godly about Satan (by his choice) and it is hard for us to imagine such a being. We are used to ordinary human sinners--most of us do not encounter thoroughly evil humans (and I thank God and His mercy for that). Even mass murderers like Adolf Eichmann, was said to love his wife and children.

 

[Medowmuffin]

I think most people have wondered why? I’ve learned in my 63 short years that God had my family in his hands even when it looked like he didn’t. We had to deal with what I believed to be evil people coming against us. In the end, looking back that was the time when we grew the most. Satan tried to tear our family apart. The evil actions of people are principalities. Stand with God, pray, believe him in the darkest times and he will show you how much he loves us. I look back and see the miracles that he performed and how he makes ALL things work together for good for those that he loves. All is all.

 

[mattfivefour]

Why did God create man even though He knew he would sin? Best answer I ever heard was this:

Because He looked forward through eternity and saw the possibility of YOU... and He loved you so much that He figured it was all worth it just to have you with him to love and be loved forever.