The Tolerance of Evil

By William Mellen

Reading the all-too-often tragic headlines of any newspaper today makes one wonder whether or not God really has any control over the things of this life.  Well, God can control all things and is, in fact, in control of all things.  So then, why does God tolerate the presence of evil?  And why does He allow bad things to happen to good people?  As James Gray points out, questions such as these are “often asked with the hope of finding some flaws in God’s character whereby He may be blamed, and man in some sense justified.  But it is always a failure.”[1]  For, God is blameless and holy, we are sinful and imperfect. (more…)