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From: rjb@akgua.UUCP (R.J. Brown [Bob])
Newsgroups: net.religion
Subject: Re: A Little question for Christians....
Message-ID: <738@akgua.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 27-Apr-84 12:33:05 EST
Article-I.D.: akgua.738
Posted: Fri Apr 27 12:33:05 1984
Date-Received: Sat, 28-Apr-84 09:32:34 EST
Organization: AT&T Technologies, Atlanta
Lines: 55

|
|
|	I have a little theological question about Christianity,
|    that I would like some Christians to take a stab at.   You
|    see, I know that there are at least four tenents held by
|    Christians which seem to be contradictory, and perhaps if
|    you have some insight, you can tell me why they are not.
|
|	The tenents are:
|
|	    *   God is Good ("He" loves us, and doesn't want to hurt us).
|	    *   God created Satan
|	    *   Satan is Evil ("He" wants to hurt us)
|	    *   God is omniscient (God knows all -- including the future)
|
|	Now the question that I have then, given the above tenents are
|    true in the Christian world-view, is this:
|
|	Why did God, knowing what terrible suffering Satan would bring
|	    on humanity, create him in the first place?
|
|    Steven Maurer
|
|
 
 If God wanted to create beings with the capacity to really love
 Him, then He would of necessity have to allow them the alternate choice
 (i.e. to reject Him).

 To do otherwise would imply the creation of automatons.

 According to the scriptures Satan was Lucifer, the covering
 cherub, in the beginning.  A pretty high position in the
 Universe ... es verdad, no ??  Lucifer was not created evil.
 It was his choice to go that route.

 However, your more general question is "Why is there evil ?"
 This has indeed been the thorniest of questions for Christian
 theologians.

 There have been attempted explanations over the millenia - 
 some more plausible than others.

 GUESS WHAT ??  We (Christians) do NOT completely understand
 the existence of evil.  (Please forgive the arrogance of my "We")

 (ED. Golly...A Christian who doesn't have all the answers!)



Bob Brown {...clyde!akgua!rjb}
AT&T Technologies, Inc.............. Norcross, Ga
(404) 447-3784 ...  Cornet 583-3784