Why Does God Permit Wickedness?

If he is all powerful, he could stop it. If he is love, why doesn’t he stop it?

This sounds very simple and straightforward to those who raise the question, Why does God permit wickedness?

But it is not all that simple. Are those who raise the question willing to accept the remedy? Wickedness does not create itself. Wickedness is an effect created by causes. What are the causes? If wickedness is to go, so must its causes.

Who or what causes wickedness? And who or what, therefore, must God eliminate to end his permission of wickedness, as these questioners apparently want him to do?

The matter is not so simple after all, is it? Other questions need our consideration: He permits wickedness, but who practices it? He could stop it, but what if he did? While it continues, what can it teach us? Finally, why does he permit it, and will he ever stop it?

The eight pages that follow probe these questions, their implications and their consequences, and the outcome.

He Permits It, But Who Practices It?

What is the wickedness that God permits and that people lament? That which results in human suffering.

WAR’S TOLL

Nations declare wars, slaughter soldiers, bomb cities, kill women and children, litter the earth with dead bodies. Pestilence flourishes. Scorched-earth policies are implemented. Famine follows. This generation has suffered two world wars. The first killed 10 million men, the second claimed 55 million lives. Bombs rained down on vast areas, and atomic bombs incinerated two large cities.

FAMINE’S COST

In 1979 some 50 million people in Third World nations starved to death. Some 25 million children under five in those nations die every year, and a thousand million people are chronically hungry. This wickedness is preventable, by man. The earth is capable of producing food far in excess of the needs of its inhabitants. Bringing the Ganges basin under cultivation, for example, would create a food production potential of 150 million tons, but it is not done because of the cost. Yet a tiny fraction of the $500 thousand million spent in 1980 on the world’s military budgets would finance it. What does this say about man’s priorities?

VANISHING FOREST

“In the time it takes to read this sentence, 8 acres of forests will disappear.” That is how “Newsweek” magazine introduced its article on vanishing forests. Since 1950 half of the world’s woodlands may have been lost. Twenty-five to 50 million acres are now disappearing yearly. In Africa five million acres are cut annually, 90 percent of these burned as fuel. The result? Spreading deserts and increasing famine. Bulldozer mentalities hungry for quick profits are ravaging the rain forests of the Amazon basin, with disastrous consequences. One ecologist says: “At the present rate, they could end up creating another Sahara.”

When man skins the forests off the earth, the topsoil is washed into the sea​—and it is the earth’s topsoil that grows the plants that feed the world. One example: In India 6,000 million tons of this precious resource, 10 tons for every person in the country, slips away downstream each year. It takes thousands of years for rock to be pulverized into soil, and centuries more for such soil to become enriched enough to support food crops. Dirt cheap? Not this dirt! It’s far more precious than gold. Less topsoil, less crops, more famine​—this is man’s doing, not God’s.

POLLUTION’S PLAGUES

Permitted by God but perpetrated by men is worldwide pollution of air, water and soil. This is wicked, if wickedness is measured by human suffering. Miscarriages, birth defects, diseases, deaths​—no one knows how many millions are victims. One flagrant example: an industrial community of 80,000 in Brazil where petrochemical centers are located. It is called a “valley of death.” Spewed daily into this city’s air and water are 1,000 tons of toxic gases, poisonous mists and venomous liquids. The rivers billow with suds, the fish are born blind and deformed, the atmosphere is heavy with industrial smoke. There are no insects or birds or butterflies whatsoever in the area, and when it rains the acids in it burn the skin. Thousands die.

As these horrors of human suffering continue to unfold, another kind of pollution becomes obvious, the pollution of mind and morals. Before men can deliberately and flagrantly pollute the earth and thereby destroy beauty, property, health and life, they must first be polluted inwardly​—mentally, morally and spiritually.

MAN AGAINST HIMSELF

But it is not only nations and industries and other powerful groups that inflict suffering upon millions of helpless victims but individuals victimize other individuals. Crime soars to new highs as people murder, rape, rob and assault other people.

Then there are those millions who victimize themselves. They overeat, get too fat and strain the heart; diet fanatically, get too thin and weaken resistance; refuse to exercise and become flabby; overindulge in alcoholic drinks and get cirrhosis of the liver; smoke tobacco and die of lung cancer; use marijuana and damage brain, heart, lungs and the reproductive and immunity systems; practice adultery and sodomy and contract venereal diseases; drive recklessly and injure or kill themselves and others; greedily pursue money and power, position and possessions, and in so doing create stress that causes ulcers and heart attacks​—each reader can continue the listing of preventable evils that people bring upon themselves.

MISUSED FREE WILL

God does not permit wickedness in the sense of issuing a permit to practice it; he does allow man to misuse his freedom of choice and cause it. Ecclesiastes 7:29 interestingly comments: “God made the race of men upright, but many a cunning wile have they contrived.”​—Moffatt’s translation.

He Forbids It, Yet Gets Blamed for It

IT IS people who wage war, maim and kill millions, cause famine and pestilence. It is people who pollute the environment, exploit and exhaust earth’s resources. They decimate wildlife and level forests as though they were harvesting wheat, and leave the denuded land to be eroded by rain and communities to be flooded. It is people who cause the spiraling crime rates, until many areas are not safe even in daytime. Millions turn to self-destructive conduct, take drug trips to escape their boring and miserable reality, and make bad matters worse.

The point is, it is people who do these calamitous things and it is people who have the power to stop them. Most of the suffering that people endure would be avoided if they heeded God’s commands. He forbids murder, stealing, fornication, sodomy, greed, gluttony, drunkenness and other acts of wrongdoing that work injury to people. He tells us to take care of the earth, the plants and the animals, to love our neighbor, to treat others as we would like to be treated.​—Gen. 1:28; 2:15; Matt. 22:39; 7:12.

Why Me?

Nevertheless, multitudes refuse to follow his counsel and follow their own ways instead, and when this leads to calamity they blame the one who warned them against their course in the first place. Then they bewail their plight and cry out, ‘Why me?’ They act as though divine providence had singled them out to be innocent victims. At Proverbs 19:3 the Bible points this out as a tendency of such ones. The New English Bible translates it: “A man’s own folly wrecks his life, and then he bears a grudge against the LORD.” The Revised Standard Version says: “When a man’s folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” Interestingly, such persons are quick to blame God for the bad, but when good happens to them they never ask ‘Why me?’ They only blame, they never thank.

Most of the wickedness man laments is that which people do to other people or to themselves. There is some suffering, however, that comes from natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, prolonged drought and other such calamities. Even in these, damage can be held to a minimum by proper construction of homes and other buildings and by preserving natural forests that influence rainfall. And when damage does occur, individuals are not singled out as targets, but it is as Ecclesiastes 9:11 says: “The swift do not have the race, nor the mighty ones the battle, nor do the wise also have the food, nor do the understanding ones also have the riches, nor do even those having knowledge have the favor; because time and unforeseen occurrence befall them all.”

God forbids wickedness, but he permits it, even though he is all powerful and could stop it. Why, then, doesn’t he stop it?

He Could Stop It, But What If He Did?

DO THOSE who criticize God for permitting wickedness really want it stopped? Whose wickedness do they want stopped? Theirs, or only that of others? What if God stopped lung cancer by snatching the cigarettes from their fingers? Or cirrhosis of the liver by emptying their cocktail glasses into the sink? Or venereal diseases by separating fornicators? Is this acceptable to them, or would they scream in protest at this interference with their freedom of choice?

Maybe they are unanimous in favoring God’s knocking the guns from the hands of robbers. But what about their white-collar and blue-collar crime, which involves far greater sums of money? Would they favor God’s depositing them in the boss’ office with their loot in their hands? Is it all stealing that they want stopped, or just certain kinds?

Would they rejoice if God closed down the factories that flagrantly pollute and cause sickness and death, if it included the factory where they work and get a paycheck? They lament the wickedness of war, but would they approve the end of armament industries that would ruin the economy? And what if God divided their food with the hungry and their wealth with the poor?

How far, really, do they want God to go in ending wickedness? Maybe it is not wickedness, after all, that they want eliminated. Maybe it is only the elimination of the penalties for wickedness, the consequences of it. Is it sexual promiscuity without venereal disease that they want? Heavy drinking without liver trouble? Tobacco smoking without lung cancer? Marijuana highs without brain damage? Do they want to sow evil without reaping its harvest? It does not work that way​—no more than apples can be plucked from weeds, or grapes gathered from thistles.

When True Feelings Surface

The willingness to do wickedly, if the penalties can be avoided, is shown when disasters strain police action and stealing can be done with impunity. Floods or fires that cause residential areas to be evacuated, or power outages that plunge cities into darkness, bring out the looters, and homes and stores are stripped of valuables. It is as the Bible says: “Because sentence against a bad work has not been executed speedily, that is why the heart of the sons of men has become fully set in them to do bad.”​—Eccl. 8:11.

Men have tried to stop some evil by laws, courts, prisons and rehabilitation, but they admit failure. Much evil, however, is practiced and there is no desire on the part of many people to halt it. But they criticize God for permitting it, and if he stopped it they would decry his interference with their freedom to practice it. Either way, they berate God.

Nevertheless, in all of this Jehovah God’s purpose is being served, as lovers of righteousness will come to realize.

While It Continues, What Can It Teach Us?

SOW AND REAP

Sow wheat seed and you get wheat. Sow rye and rye comes up. Sow barley and you harvest barley. Logical. No one expects anything different. Yet, when it comes to conduct, many think they can sow evil and reap good. Not true, as Galatians 6:7 indicates: “Do not be misled: God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.” Much time may pass between the sowing and the reaping, but the day of reaping will come. It’s a lesson for us to learn.

EXPERIENCE CAN TEACH

Jehovah allowed his Son Jesus to suffer at the hands of wicked men and learn from it: “Although he was a Son, he learned obedience from the things he suffered.” It also prepared him to be a high priest able to “sympathize with our weaknesses.” (Heb. 4:15; 5:8) The enduring of wickedness strengthens integrity, obedience to God, and helps us to be sympathetic with others who suffer, as it did for Jesus. Often parents today let their children learn by hard experiences, allow them to suffer the consequences of their folly, knowing they will learn some things in no other way. Jehovah’s permission of wickedness can teach us valuable lessons.

APPRECIATION ENHANCED

Many of our blessings we take for granted. The energy and health of youth is relished without thought, until advancing age robs us of them. Good eyes, sharp ears, good food, warm clothes, comfortable homes​—these blessings and others are taken for granted by those accustomed to them. But go blind or deaf, be cold or hungry, have a leg amputated, lose a loved one in death​—then you will appreciate as never before what you had and have lost. Blindfold yourself for a week, or for just one day, and you will realize what your eyes mean to you. Experiencing wickedness may rob us of some of our blessings, but it can teach us appreciation of what we have.

WISDOM’S WAY

Millions today do not appreciate the guidelines God has given us. That is, not until they have ignored them and reaped the consequences. How much better to have heeded them in the first place and avoided the suffering! We do not have to learn by bitter experience: “The reminder of Jehovah is trustworthy, making the inexperienced one wise.” (Ps. 19:7) By observing the hard experiences of others, inexperienced ones can learn: “By the laying of a fine on the ridiculer the inexperienced becomes wise.” He does not have to suffer the hardship himself: “Shrewd is the one that has seen the calamity and proceeds to conceal himself.” (Prov. 21:11; 22:3) Seeing the consequences of wickedness can teach us to avoid it.

THE HARD WAY

Because Jehovah’s nation of ancient Israel would not accept his guidelines, they learned their value the hard way​—by suffering the consequences: “With trouble he proceeded to subdue their heart . . . Those who were foolish . . . due to their errors, finally caused themselves affliction.” (Ps. 107:11-17) “Your badness should correct you,” Jehovah told them, “and your own acts of unfaithfulness should reprove you. Know, then, and see that your leaving Jehovah your God is something bad and bitter.” (Jer. 2:19) Many incorrigible ones, however, refuse to learn from correction: “Even if you should pound the foolish one fine with a pestle in a mortar, in among cracked grain, his foolishness will not depart from him.”​—Prov. 27:22.

HOW MUCH SUFFERING?

There is much suffering now by innocent victims. Many are disturbed by this, but it should teach us that evil systems make millions suffer. However, we should not make the suffering worse than it is to an individual. People speak of the appalling sum of human misery, but this should be remembered: a thousand people may have headaches, yet no individual suffers the pain of a thousand headaches. No one suffers more than one headache; each suffers only one one-thousandth of the total. Also, wickedness has been permitted for 6,000 years, but no one person has suffered 6,000 years of it. Each endures it for only one lifetime. That is more than enough.

REMEDY BEYOND MAN

The important thing: learn the lesson continuing wickedness teaches. When we sow wickedness we will reap it. When nations do, millions suffer. In 6,000 years men have tried many forms of government; not one has brought peace and happiness. Over and over it has been proved: “It does not belong to man who is walking even to direct his step.” (Jer. 10:23) Politicians, militarists, financiers, clergymen​—all have failed humanity. Do not these millenniums of harvesting wickedness teach us the need to sow differently, and tell us that more than man’s efforts are needed?

Why He Permits It, How He Will Stop It

LONG ago a blameless and upright man underwent an ordeal he did not understand​—loss of property and family, and painful disease. He doubtless felt like many today who, when afflicted, cry out, ‘Why me?’ He blamed God, declaring: “Almighty God has shot me with arrows, and their poison spreads through my body. . . . If only he would go ahead and kill me!” Later he cried out: “Take pity on me! The hand of God has struck me down.”​—Job 6:4, 9; 19:21, Today’s English Version.

Faithful Job blamed God. A look into the courts of heaven, however, reveals the culprit. Before an assembly of angels Jehovah called Job to Satan’s attention, saying, “He worships me and is careful not to do anything evil.” Satan snapped back: “Would Job worship you if he got nothing out of it? You have always protected him.” He then added: “But now suppose you take away everything he has​—he will curse you to your face!” Also, “Suppose you hurt his body​—he will curse you to your face!” This indicates that Satan had previously challenged that God could not have on earth persons who would remain faithful under test. In this instance, Satan claimed he had not been given the opportunity to test Job. So Jehovah said: “All right, he is in your power, but you are not to kill him.”​—Job 1:6-11; 2:1-6, TEV.

So it was Satan that afflicted Job, by Jehovah’s permission. Job did not understand this and blamed God, but, nonetheless, kept integrity to him and proved Satan’s challenge false. (Job 2:7; 27:5; 31:6) Faithful persons down through time to our day have done likewise. (Heb. 11:1-39; Rev. 7:9, 10; 14:1, 4) Now, in these last days, the troubles intensify. Revelation 12:12 tells why: “Woe for the earth and for the sea, because the Devil has come down to you, having great anger, knowing he has a short period of time.” It is only Jehovah who can stop this invisible source of wickedness, and he will soon do so.​—John 12:31; Rev. 20:1-3.

But what about the wickedness and suffering caused by human societies​—corrupt politics, greedy commercialism, warmongering militarism? And incorrigible individuals that prey on others​—how will their wrongdoing be halted? Sincere persons hating this wickedness have tried to stop it by laws, courts, prisons and rehabilitation programs​—but with no success.

Face the Facts!

This hard fact emerges: To end wars, end warmongers. To end famine, end profiteers. To end pollution, end polluters. To end crime, end criminals and the conditions that spawn them. To end the immoralities that destroy families and breed disease, end the practicers of immorality. Six thousand years of reformers, social workers, politicians, policemen, peace organizations​—all have failed. If the wicked refuse to reform, what solution is there but their removal? Can you safely have chickens with foxes in the hen house, or sheep with wolves in the flock? No more than you can have peace on earth with evildoers infesting it. God’s permission of wickedness will end by his removal of Satan and all others who insist on practicing it. The time allowed for Satan to prove his challenge is fast running out.​—Ex. 9:16.

Actually, the trouble had its beginning with the first human pair. Jehovah God created the earth, put man in charge of it, told him to care for it and the plants and animals on it. Adam and Eve were given the divine guidelines​—obey and live, disobey and die. Satan disputed this. Adam and Eve were free moral agents, could choose as they wished, and they followed Satan’s lead. Mankind has been misusing its freedom of choice ever since.

Freedom of Choice Today

The results of this misuse are apparent in the wickedness that surrounds us even now. By their own choice men have sown evil and reaped suffering. Have they learned the lessons of their miserable history? Have they observed the failure of all kinds of human governments, and realized the need for God’s kingdom under Christ? Have they noted the disastrous reaping of greedy men and nations that have polluted the earth and soaked its soil with innocent blood? Have they learned by bitter experience that in choosing materialism, immorality, crime and selfish ego trips millions have used their freedom of choice unwisely and have brought down upon their heads untold suffering and agony?

Has God’s permission of wickedness taught them to use their free will to choose Jehovah’s guidelines, to treat others as they want others to treat them, to love their neighbor as themselves, to keep integrity to God and gain his approval? The world’s condition answers, No! Has experiencing 6,000 years of war, famine, disease and death put many of the human race in a position to appreciate all the more the blessings available in a paradise earth under God’s kingdom? Hopefully so, for such blessings are God’s promise to obedient mankind. It is recorded at 2 Peter 3:13: “There are new heavens and a new earth that we are awaiting according to his promise, and in these righteousness is to dwell.”

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked; rather, he desires all to repent, and mercifully he will accomplish his original purpose in creating the earth. He “did not create it simply for nothing”; he “formed it even to be inhabited” by people who of their own free will choose peace and tranquillity. He is not oblivious to those who are “sighing and groaning over all the detestable things that are being done.” He knows that “all creation keeps on groaning together and being in pain together until now.”​—Isa. 45:18; Ezek. 9:4; 18:23; Rom. 2:4; 8:22; 2 Pet. 3:9.

And God will bring relief. He will answer their yearnings. He will fulfill his promise to sweep the earth clean of wickedness so that the meek and peaceful ones of mankind may have their heart’s desire:

“Just a little while longer, and the wicked one will be no more; and you will certainly give attention to his place, and he will not be. But the meek ones themselves will possess the earth, and they will indeed find their exquisite delight in the abundance of peace. The righteous themselves will possess the earth, and they will reside forever upon it.”​—Ps. 37:10, 11, 29.