Permanently Unchecked Evil vs. "Bad Ones" Confined to Hell

Earlier this month, I sat at a small table and enjoyed an unexpected conversation with two people I've known for quite a while.

Not surprisingly, the topic moved to the so-called "problem of evil."

I'm not a philosopher or a theologian, but I don't think you have to be either of these to consider or be disturbed by the problem of evil. Also, I don't think you have to be either of these to want a reasonable way to think about why evil exists alongside the presence of a loving, all-knowing, and all-powerful God.

The faithful, the agnostic, and the atheist have struggled with or attempted to outline or answer the problem of evil for a very long time. Some have suggested there is no God. This approach solves the question of why a loving and all-powerful God would allow evil, but doesn't address the question of what to do about evil or even why evil is defined in certain ways. Evil is usually attached to thoughts or experiences that make us sad or create pain. We don't associate evil with happiness and joy.

 Ever wonder why that it the case?

Others have suggested the cosmos is too chaotic for anyone to answer the question of evil. We should therefore, they say, accept evil as a condition of our existence and make the best of whatever life we can live alongside evil. This approach doesn't work because we never acclimate ourselves to child molestation, mass murder, and or the death of a innocent party in a car crash created by a drunken driver. We are never satisfied, for the most part, with simply telling ourselves that these things should be an unchallenged fact of life in an imperfect world and that as long as these types of things don't happen directly to us all is well. Or, as well as can be.

Fairly weak attempts have been made by some belief systems to say evil doesn't exist at all, that evil is simply good masquerading in a form not easily understood by most people. Thinking of this type comes up really short and completely useless when one begins to look at large scale historical evil. Perhaps one could (although I would not) make the case that a drunken driver who kills a young child hasn't done a evil thing because that young child will be spared all of the sadness and pain of growing up and facing the difficulties of life in a challenging world. This approach doesn't address the lifelong sorrow felt by those who loved this child and it doesn't address the fact that this child may have found a cure for a terrible disease or developed an inexpensive, Earth-friendly fuel that would transform industry. Maybe this child would have simply lived a carefree, mostly joy-filled life---minus any amazing inventions or creations.

Certainly, when one begins to understand evil on a large scale in human history( the Trans-Atlantic Slave trade, the bubonic plague, large scale famines, etc.), this evil masquerading as good theory collapses very quickly.

These are the ideas that floated across the table during the conversation I mentioned at the beginning of this post.

Here was my contribution, based on a very traditional interpretation of the Bible.

Christianity teaches that at some future time, God will confine to a set place those persons (spirits both human and superhuman) who refuse to reject evil. Those spirits who love evil and have used their power of free will to embrace evil and all of the damage evil can do will not be left to wander the cosmos indefinitely. They will be confined in a place of limitation---not destroyed---but confined permanently where they can do no harm.

This place is called Hell. There is a reason for it to exist.

"But what kind of loving God would put people in Hell?" This is the typical response when someone mentions Hell.

During our conversation, Person A mentioned feeling anger because God allows so much evil to exist in our present time. Why doesn't God stop all of this evil, and all of those people who are creating and sustaining the evil?

Person B pointed out that some of us have done evil---of varying levels--in our lives. Should God have immediately destroyed us for our evil acts, or allowed us time to change, be converted away from evil? Isn't this what is happening now in human history? Isn't it true that some who do evil things will live to repent, and become positive, creative persons? Isn't is also true some who do evil things will never change and never love goodness and peace?

Are we in a position to judge who will occupy which spaces during the years of their lives? We cannot judge. Only God can judge.

Leaving the table, I came away feeling the traditional Christian view of evil made the most sense.

We are eternally alive, free-will spiritual beings. We can choose---many times and in many ways during the course of our lives--to embrace evil or good. We don't know the outcomes of our lives or the lives of others. From our point of view, the world looks like a mess and often is a mess.  At a future time---known and determined by God, but not known to us--evil will be contained and the lovers of evil  will be permanently shut down in their ability to act and express evil.

Evil doesn't have the final say. Millions of souls are being given the chance to choose goodness and evil. The process is painful and messy. Some will choose wisely; others won't. Some will take a long time to decide. Others will quickly see an option beyond and above their current path.

 The eternal outcome will be good and will be worth the wait. While waiting, live well, spread goodness, and trust the One Who Created It All.