For follow-up discussion and general commentary on the topic. Comments are sorted chronologically.
Allyse C
This is a great question. Now, if we turn over to Genesis chapter 1, we'll see basically, the whole chapter of Creation. For a bit of background, we all know that the Elohim created everything! In addition, we also know that at the end of every thing being created, each verse ends saying, "And God saw that it was good." So, if we dig a little deeper, you'll see what I'm trying to get at here. Anyway, during Creation, Elohim made many things! Some of which are fowls, beasts of the earth, marine animals, and also man! All things in this chapter were described as good individually, but once we pan our eyes over to the last verse of the chapter, Genesis 1:31, we see clearly, an extremely important phrase; "It was VERY good." Obviously, "very" wasn't really in capitals, but I was using the capitals to make a stress on that word. If we reflect on what we already know so far in regards to this topic, we know that Elohim made everything, such as beasts, fowls, marine life, and man. Elohim also created more than this, as described in Genesis 1:3,5,7,9-10, 11-18...etc. Anyway, that's beside the point! So, we also know that all things that Elohim made were very good! Also, nowhere does it say that Elohim made evil. BUT, Elohim did make creatures that were capable of sin. If we think about the serpent in Genesis 3:4, he told the first lie. One might ask, "Is lying a sin?" The answer is yes! See Proverbs 6:16-19. That describes the 7 abominations to God.
Ni Jay
To add to Michael Houdmann's excellent brief, sin a state and not a thing. A state is something we reach as a result of thought and action e.g. feeling of happiness, sadness, good and evil. Sin is an act we undertake which creates an evil state. That is why the Genesis emphasises that God considered it good. He knew of the possibility of the state being reached by us just like we will be in a heavenly state when we die through Jesus' sacrifice on earth. Although hell is described as real fire to help people understand the gravity of the suffering, I believe the result of sinning (our actions) means that we would be deprived of God's presence, a state we reach as a result of sinning.
Paul Mannon
I agree that evil is not a “thing”, however if the question arose as to where evil comes from I would have to say that man is responsible for evil. God gave us free will and with free will we make decisions that are both good and bad. Saying evil is the absence of good, is the same as saying good is absence of evil. Good is not something that is created, it is the same as evil; it is a choice or a result of a choice that we make with our free will. I believe the same can be said for hot and cold. I like the analogy use with the hole, digging the dirt out of the ground would be the same as our action, the hole in the ground is the result of digging the dirt as evil or good is the result of the choices we make with our free will.
God created us to worship Him; he gave us free will because if we have free will and we worship and love him on our own free will then there is no greater love. I like to think of it when it comes to my 4 year old daughter, if I tell her “I Love You” she will respond back “I Love You Too”, this is something that she has just picked up, she will do it much like an assembly line robot does the same thing over and over, there is no joy in that for me. Now when I come into a room and she just comes up to me and says “I Love You Daddy” there is no greater feeling. I know she is telling me she loves me because she feels it and she know that everything I do for her is because I love her.
Miho Valle
We all have nice "Opinions" about the character of The Living God. But, our opinions cannot override what God's word says.
Isaiah 45:7 "I form the light, create darkness; I make peace, and create evil; I the LORD do all these things".
No one can explain who, and what God is really like (1 Corinthians 2:16). The author of the article, S. Michael Houdman stated that God did not create evil, well, this passage says that God did create evil. Who knows why He did. Our ways are different from His ways, as our thoughts are different from His (Isaiah 55:8).
Let God speak through His word. He created darkness. He created evil. He the LORD do all these things.
Did you know that God does evil too?
Nehemiah 13:18 "Did not your fathers thus, and did not our God bring all this evil upon us, and upon this city?......
Who inflicted Job? Satan?
Job 2:3 ".....(God speaking) and still he holdeth fast his integrity, although thou moved me against him to destroy him without cause."
Is evil a thing?
Deuteronomy 30:15 " See, I have set before thee this day life and good, death and evil".
If he has "Set" before thee this day, than it sounds like a thing. If life and good is a thing, than death and evil is also a thing.
1 Corinthians 15:26 " The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death"
Mark 7:23 " All these evil things come from within and defile the man"
Or how about this passage on does God does evil....
Deuteronomy 28:63 "And it shall come to pass, that as the LORD rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the LORD will rejoice over you to destroy you, and bring you to nought; and ye shall be plucked from off the land whither thou goest to posses it".
Remember, Isaiah 45:7...".I the LORD do all these things."
Shirley H
Excellent, Miho Valle, let's let the Bible speak for itself! AMEN!