Question: If God is good, why is there evil in the world?

Answer: The problem of evil is perplexing. If God is all-powerful and all-good, why doesn’t He stop bad things for happening? He must either not be all-powerful, or perhaps He’s not very good after all. Human beings have faced the possibility of evil since the very beginning of our existence. In granting us free will, God gives us the ability to make free choices. God does not force us into moral perfection. We are not forced to love Him or to love our neighbor. We must make the decision ourselves. This means, of course, that we have the ability to choose against love.

One small decision of selfishness, jealously, or pride may not seem so bad. But every decision — good or bad — is like a stone dropped into a still pond. The ripples extend much farther than the original stone. When decisions against love begin to compound, they affect families, neighborhoods, and nations. This is all the more reason for Christians to be faithful to our baptismal call to love one another as Christ has loved us!