Is God the author of Evil?

[Cary.Melvin]

In light of the following scriptures, Is God the author of Evil?

I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things. (Isaiah 45:7 KJV)

and

Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? (Amos 3:6 KJV)

Thanks,

[C.F.W. Walther]

This is such a convoluted subject as to be answered by many avenues. I don't understand the reasoning behind the question. We all know that evil was here before creation because God gave Adam and Eve the choice to chose from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. That's Gods reasoning behind the choice even for us today. We are not automatons that know only good and have no choice. God wants us to come to him and seek his face with his word working in our hearts. Beelzebub, Baal-zebub, the devil, the angel of light; whatever you want to call him has his part in this whole biblical scnerio. How could God not have created evil for it is the design of His plan? How could redemption be manifested? It's not that God wanted to make things hard for us but in our original fallen state he gave us a way out from Adam's original sin which was Chist's crucifixtion otherwise we would have perished from our own evil. Your statement has such broad rammifications. Maybe you could be more specific.

[MORTANIUS]

This is a very interesting post indeed!

Is God the author of Evil? Not exactly. In giving the angels freewill to recipricate love endlessly to God, from God etc. Some Angels wished to elevate themselves above the Throne of Heaven.

In doing so, evil is born. Then again, in freewill, one has the choice of good or evil (or to accept God or oppose God). With such a choice, God defined what is Evil. This however does not make God or any of his attributes known to us as "evil"

Instead, as the Creator, evil is part of creation. Why? Evil would never have existed if it did not serve Gods purpose. As the author of life God would not introduce evil accidentally or out of malice.

Also, by the term "darkness" as you quote above, it may not necessarily refer to evil of Angels or Mortals. It may refer to the creation of all things, with darkness representing emptiness and not evil.

As for creator of evil. It wouldn't make sense that evil directly comes from God, as evil only emerged through opposition from what was created (i.e. angels, adam and eve, humanity etc)

Then again, what do I know? lol

[Protoevangel]

God created everything that exists, visible and invisible. All things work according to His plan. Evil, in the sense of adversity, calamity, distress, injury, misery, pain, unhappiness, etc., do seem to be conditions created, caused, and/or authorized by God. Evil, in the sense of that which is contrary to God's Will (sin), on the other hand, is caused by the will of the devil and wicked ungodly men, unaided by God, as attested to in the Augsburg Confession, Article 19 and John 8:44.


Of the Cause of Sin they teach that, although God does create and preserve nature, yet the cause of sin is the will of the wicked, that is, of the devil and ungodly men; which will, unaided of God, turns itself from God, as Christ says John 8, 44: When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own.


You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources, for he is a liar and the father of it.