If God is truly all-loving, all-good, and all-powerful then why is there evil and suffering?

The “theodicy” objection in question asserts: If God is truly all-loving, all-good, and all-powerful then why is their evil and suffering? If God allows suffering to continue is either a) not all-powerful (not omnipotent) and is thus unable to prevent the suffering; b) not loving because this God has the power to prevent suffering but is unwilling to do so; and/or c) not all-knowing (not omniscient) because God only is aware of the suffering after it has already occurred and it’s too late to prevent it. 

The existence of the entirety of Christian faith is the answer to this question.[1] A swift approach reveals the reason why evil and suffering are mentioned closely together in this kind of question. Imagine the world prior to the first sin. No one is hurting or sinning. When one sins the effects of the sin are harm to self and others, in the present and future. It offends God by this harm because He wills our good as not just loving us but is Himself the source of all love. God does not desire our harm but He cannot force us to love Him, make us do what is right for others and/or ourselves, or even to accept His love for us. Insofar as God permits us free-will there will be an option to misuse (When humans misuse or take this freedom into their own hands they limit it because they are finite.) our freedom. As long as there is an opportunity to misuse freedom there will be someone who will decide to misuse it. When freedom is misused there is sin and evil. 

Where there is sin there is suffering. People assume doing whatever they want with there freedom won’t hurt others and/or it is what is best for them (relativism). Here is society’s deception. Another deception is that we operate without influence. If there is deception in and of society, where can it come from but Satan, the highest angelic sinner and the father of lies? Then one may ask, "Why would God allow the devil to exist?" This is a very similar answer except for a couple differences. The Angels were given the same freedom we have, although arguably less because their choice is eternal. They cannot change their state after they fall. "Why does God keep them alive and continue sustaining them is existence?" [The next sentence answers this]

Further, God is so great and His will so all-encompassing that there is no bad which He cannot make the cause of good. He knows His creation. Another related question,“Were all involved in the crucifixion doing God’s will?” The truth of the matter is that they were not doing God’s Will, to be technical. God would never will us to kill His Son, directly. Killing His only begotten Son would be the worst thing humans could do. God loves us and thus allows us to use our free will to act and respond. God knows our minds and tries our hearts.[2] God knew precisely what their decisions would be in a specific situation because He knew them. He employed each of their own free wills. Out of their distaste and hatred toward God, they committed the worst of all sin’s, “deicide”. Through the sheer treachery of this sin, He brings forth the greatest reality, the salvation of all. God thereby brings about the drama of salvation. 

Without the resurrection of Christ, we would not have Christianity.[3] Without Christianity, there would be no complete answer to this question.[1] It is through Christianity, thus, that God explains and reveals Himself most fully, therefore one can only truly know the answer to this question if they believe that God is good. Saint Thomas Aquinas holds, “The certainty that the divine light gives is greater than that which the light of natural reason gives”.[4] Saint Augustine also comments, “I believe, in order to understand; and I understand, the better to believe”.[5] Until one understands what it is meant by the sayings of these Saints the question can be temporarily answered in saying, “We know that all things work for good for those who love God”.[6] 

FN:

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 309.
2. The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org. (Jeremiah 17:10)
3. The New American Bible, Revised Edition (Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org. (1 Corinthians 15:12-14)
4. Thomas Aquinas, Summa theologiae, II-II, q. 171, a. 5, at New Advent, www.newadvent.org.
5. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 158. (St. Augustine, Sermo 43,7,9:PL 38,257-258.)
6. The New American Bible, Revised Edition_(Washington, DC: Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, 2011), at United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, www.usccb.org. (Romans 8:28)

Final Thoughts:

• Man sins by seeking to “attain his goal apart from God”. We know this can be problematic by what Jesus says in the parable of the vine and branches, “without Me you can do nothing”.

• God bringss forth His only begotten Son, sparing not even this Son in efforts to save His people, and through the worst man’s sins, brings forth the salvation of all.[1]

FN:

1. Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 309.

“Where sin increased, grace overflowed all the more”