Why Did God Allow ______ to Happen?

Where was God when this happened?
Why did God allow that to happen?

Those who attempt to deny the existence of God because a gross evil has been allowed to happen misunderstand some very basic principles. Everything has its opposite. If there is evil, then there must also be good. If you were stranded on a desert island with only horseradish and onions to eat, would you deny that sweet fruit exists? Would you refuse to be rescued from that island because you were so bitterly disappointed that you refuse to believe that sweet food exists elsewhere?

To understand why evil happens, first you have to know the rules.

1. Man has agency, meaning he is allowed to choose good or evil.
2. Actions have consequences. This is a corollary to agency. We learn from consequences. If we were constantly propped up every time we were about to fall, we wouldn't learn how to walk. If there are consequences for good actions, there must also be consequences for evil actions.
3. We are here to learn through personal experience the difference between good and evil, and that everything has its opposite - good and evil, life and death, pleasure and pain, sweet and bitter, etc. Imagine living in God's kingdom before you came to earth. If you never experienced anything bad, how would you truly appreciate living with God?

If God prevented us from doing evil to others, how would we learn that what we did was bad?

We experience evil to learn through our own experiences to cherish the good. Sometimes we experience hardship to remind us to turn to God. When nobody can make it better, and only God can, hopefully we turn to Him.

How to avoid being a victim of evil

1. You need to learn how to recognize the voice of God. Reading the word of God is an excellent way to learn that. Pray and listen.
2. Obey the word of God. If you knew someone that never took your advice even when they asked for it, would you keep advising them? Or would you just say "You seem to be determined to follow your own advice. Why don't you just figure this one out on your own." God knows what is best for us. That is why He gave us commandments. God wants us to be happy like He is. Satan wants us to be miserable like himself. The master you choose to follow is the one you become more like every day.
3. Trust in God. Sometimes we don't understand why bad things happen to good people. God's ways are higher than our ways. He is wiser than us. The scriptures counsel us to be patient in our afflictions. Shadrach, Mesach, and Abednego didn't give up hope when they were cast into the fiery furnace. They trusted in God even to death, but they were spared. There are others like Abinadi that weren't saved from physical death at the hands of their enemies, but what really counts is they were saved in the kingdom of God.
4. After you have learned how to recognize the voice of God, that still, small voice that speaks to our hearts, learn to understand and act upon those promptings. We still have the agency to choose whether or not we will do what God tells us to.

Overcoming Trials

Finally, Nobody in this life is exempt from pain. The more we try to avoid our problems, the longer they take to overcome. Pain and suffering are part of life. Deal with it. That's the opposite of "avoid it". Work through it and you will grow in character. You are what you make yourself to be.

Originally posted December 19, 2012