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Some people who are opposed to Christianity claim that God and the Bible are evil. Many times those who do are not looking at the Bible in order to seek the truth regarding its teachings, but are instead coming with a biased, critical approach in order to speak against the teachings of the Bible. Yet these questions of whether God and the Bible are evil are important and do deserve answers.
First, is God evil? Those who would suggest this view typically do so by finding places in which the Bible notes violence or judgment. In this view, if God condones the death of someone, then He must be evil. However, it is also clear that the Bible does not approve everything it records. The book of Judges, for example, chronicles many evils from its time period, yet does not state the events in an approving manner. Likewise, David's adultery was recorded in the Bible, yet was condemned as sinful rather than as something of which God approved. Even the death of Jesus is something that took place that many would consider evil (the death of an innocent man), yet was recorded because it is an important part of the account Scripture seeks to communicate.
God is not evil simply because the Bible includes violence or mentions sinful actions. Instead, God condemns evil and teaches people to live holy lives.
But if God is not evil, is the Bible evil? Again, the Bible records both righteous and evil actions. However, just because evil actions are recorded does not make the book evil. Instead, sinful actions are condemned while righteous living is promoted.
First Corinthians 2:14 explains why those who oppose the Bible's God-honoring message would stand against it: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." The barrier is not merely an intellectual issue with the Bible, but a spiritual one. Those who oppose belief in God prior to studying the Bible are those who will be quick to oppose the message they find concerning God in the Bible. This is not simply a bias against Scripture, but a spiritual struggle with the message it contains.
Another way to look at these questions is to ask how one defines God and evil. If the God a person speaks of is the God of the Bible, one will find much revealed about His greatness, love for people, and His concern for all creation. Likewise, the person who defines evil according to the Bible's view of morality will find that God opposes evil and supports justice and holy living. Those who claim God or the Bible are evil either redefine God, the Bible, or both in their pursuit of proving them as evil.
First, is God evil? Those who would suggest this view typically do so by finding places in which the Bible notes violence or judgment. In this view, if God condones the death of someone, then He must be evil. However, it is also clear that the Bible does not approve everything it records. The book of Judges, for example, chronicles many evils from its time period, yet does not state the events in an approving manner. Likewise, David's adultery was recorded in the Bible, yet was condemned as sinful rather than as something of which God approved. Even the death of Jesus is something that took place that many would consider evil (the death of an innocent man), yet was recorded because it is an important part of the account Scripture seeks to communicate.
God is not evil simply because the Bible includes violence or mentions sinful actions. Instead, God condemns evil and teaches people to live holy lives.
But if God is not evil, is the Bible evil? Again, the Bible records both righteous and evil actions. However, just because evil actions are recorded does not make the book evil. Instead, sinful actions are condemned while righteous living is promoted.
First Corinthians 2:14 explains why those who oppose the Bible's God-honoring message would stand against it: "The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned." The barrier is not merely an intellectual issue with the Bible, but a spiritual one. Those who oppose belief in God prior to studying the Bible are those who will be quick to oppose the message they find concerning God in the Bible. This is not simply a bias against Scripture, but a spiritual struggle with the message it contains.
Another way to look at these questions is to ask how one defines God and evil. If the God a person speaks of is the God of the Bible, one will find much revealed about His greatness, love for people, and His concern for all creation. Likewise, the person who defines evil according to the Bible's view of morality will find that God opposes evil and supports justice and holy living. Those who claim God or the Bible are evil either redefine God, the Bible, or both in their pursuit of proving them as evil.
