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If God Created Everything, Doesn’t That Mean He Created Evil?

13 snips
Feb 10, 2025
The podcast dives into a thought-provoking question about whether God created evil along with everything else. It uses relatable analogies, like a broken pencil, to explain that evil is more about the absence of goodness. The discussion touches on how to help children navigate complex topics like cancer and suffering. Personal stories shed light on the nature of God's goodness in times of hardship and the purpose behind suffering. Biblical narratives, particularly Job’s story, are explored to highlight God’s sovereignty and trust in challenging times.
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INSIGHT

Evil as Privation

  • Evil isn't a substance created by God, but a privation, a lack of goodness.
  • Badness is a reduction of good, like a broken pencil losing its usefulness.
ANECDOTE

Broken Pencil Analogy

  • Greg Koukl uses a broken pencil analogy to illustrate the concept of evil.
  • Breaking a pencil doesn't add anything, it removes its goodness and function.
INSIGHT

The Language of Evil

  • Words for evil (unrighteousness, malpractice) imply brokenness or absence, not addition.
  • Sin (hamartia) means "missing the mark," reinforcing evil as a deficiency.
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