Theodicy (reasoning for why almighty God allows evil in His universe)
It is good to view all of God's actions as ones done in love. With that in view, the existence of evil in the world is ordained and allowed by God as an act of love ultimately and fully realised on a long enough timescale. Without evil we would never need nor see the mercy and grace of God, without evil we would never need nor see the love displayed by Jesus as he willingly went onto the cross. Yes, freewill plays a part in explaining the existence of evil but only at the very beginning. From the first sin onwards there was only slavery to sin and devotion to rebellion until God acts upon individual's lives. Evil was allowed for Jesus sake and as the ultimate blessing of all the saints.
What theodicy do you favour? Thoughts?
Update: further consideration: The universe is proof that God exists and that He is good. But wait - there is clearly something wrong - as good as the universe is, we have to admit that in all its glory and splendour and intricacy and scale there is also hate, guilt, pain and death. Could it be that the Maker is letting us know that something is wrong? A commercial aeroplane is clearly a made thing: its superb design and aesthetics and smooth running let us know that it was lovingly crafted and carefully maintained. But if I'm sitting on a flight enjoying the beauty and power of the engineered thing and alarm bells and flashing lights are going off everywhere then I am going to know that something is wrong. I'm not going to start with the absurd reaction of saying that the aeroplane has no designer or that, because the alarms are so loud, the designer, if he exists must not be very loving. Instead I'm going to find out how to escape the doom presaged by the sirens - I'm going to read the emergency card (Bible) and look for a saviour (Jesus Christ).
