Introduction to a Series Why Evil?

I spend a lot of time listening to people’s views and opinions on a wide variety of topics.  As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, we each have a personal filter through which we form those views and opinions.  One topic that has been discussed and debated for centuries is God.  I hear people use the name God with little meaning such as “oh god”, “by god”, or “god I can’t believe it!”.  I have talked to people who don’t believe in God.  Some have had personal tragedy that makes them believe no god could allow such things, so one must not exist.  I have met people who said they had a relationship with God, and then stopped believing for some reason, usually because of a life experience.  I know many agnostics, by definition that is a person who holds that the existence of the ultimate cause, as god, and the essential nature of things are unknown and unknowable, or that human knowledge is limited to experience.  I know a few atheist, who by definition is a person who denies or disbelieves the existence of a supreme being or beings.  I am a Christian, I believe in God, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit.  While I was raised in church and around Christians, I didn’t have a real honest relationship with God until my forties.  Prior to then, I kind of ignored God, because I was doing things that in my heart I knew He did not approve of.  I hear so many people who speak against God for various reasons, but one comes up often, if God is real then while is there so much evil and tragedy in this world?  So, over the next several weeks I want to share some information with you on that topic with the help of Dr. Norman L. Geisler, who wrote If God, Why Evil?  This book, about 170 pages, answers some very tough questions in a concise way that helps us understand what evil is and why it exists.  Dr. Norman Geisler is the author or co-author of some 70 books and hundreds of articles. He has taught theology, philosophy, and apologetics on the college or graduate level for 50 years.. For more information on Dr. Geisler visit www.normangeisler.net .  Now let me say that while I will be  using the assistance of Dr. Geisler and his work to discuss this topic, his writings and beliefs come from the one true authority, The Bible, God’s Holy Word.  If you want to know God, you must get into the Bible.  I personally believe in God without question.  He exists and has my heart, mind, and soul. I am not an ignorant, naive, or a stupid person.  I do not think myself so intelligent that I have all the answers, I do not.  I’ve always known that for every birth, there is death, life has joy and tragedy.  It never occurred to me to question just why things are as they are, I’ve always believed it’s just as God planned it.  But many don’t hold to my beliefs.  So whether you are a believer or not, I hope you continue to read Why Evil over the next few weeks… I will attempt to give you some new Food for Thought.

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