Why would a loving God permit wickedness?

TL;DR

God permits wickedness to prove Satan's challenge wrong and to give humans the opportunity to recognize and follow His authority.

Transcript

well uh first I'd like to mention it's a kind of a pleasant situation to be able to come and see some familiar faces the names are all gone but the faces are there and I appreciate it thank you for helping me to remember various states that I've been in in times past this question uh most of us here are Jehovah's Witnesses probably all of us but th... Read More

Key Insights

• 😷 The question of why God permits wickedness has been asked by both Jehovah's Witnesses and people of other faiths or belief systems.
• ❓ God permits wickedness to settle the issue of authority and to give humans the opportunity to recognize and follow His authority.
• 🥺 Satan challenged God's right to govern and misused his authority, leading to a world filled with problems and suffering.
• 🥺 By permitting wickedness, God proves that following Satan's direction results in pain and injustice, while following His direction leads to peace and justice.
• 👶 God's ultimate purpose is to establish a new heavens and a new Earth, where the painful and weary past will be forgotten and His original intentions for humanity will be realized.
• ↩️ Humans have the freedom to choose between following Satan's path of wickedness or turning to God's direction for a better future.

Questions & Answers

Q: Why would a loving God permit wickedness in the world?

God permits wickedness to disprove Satan's challenge and to demonstrate that He is the rightful authority to govern. This allows humans to see the consequences of following Satan's direction versus following God's direction.

Q: Does God enjoy or tolerate wrongdoing?

No, God hates wickedness and is not the source of evil. He permits it temporarily to settle the issue of authority and to give humans the freedom to choose between Satan's direction and God's direction.

Q: Why does God not intervene to stop crime, injustice, and suffering?

God has allowed Satan to be in control of the world, as stated in 1 John 5:19. If God were in direct control, these problems would not exist. However, God permits this period of wickedness to demonstrate the consequences and to prove His authority as the rightful ruler.

Q: How does recognizing Jehovah as the proper authority lead to a peaceful existence?

Just as obeying man-made laws results in a peaceful society, recognizing God as the ultimate authority and obeying His direction brings peace. If all humans willingly subject themselves to God's authority, true peace can be achieved.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• The question of why a loving God permits wickedness arises due to the presence of crime, injustice, and terrorism in the world.

• Jehovah's Witnesses believe that God does not enjoy or tolerate wrongdoing, but permits it to settle the issue of who has the right to govern - Satan or Jehovah God.

• Jehovah's Witnesses recognize that God's ultimate purpose is to establish peace by having humans willingly subject themselves to His authority.