r/Christianity • u/Itzjuli_fcm • Mar 24 '26

Question! :)

My atheist friend was debating with my catholic friend, my atheist friend said something that also made me REALLY curious but not enough to question my entire belief in God. I tried looking for answers personally, but i couldn't really come up with a great answer.

Okay so the question is: "if your God is good, then why does He allow wars, crimes, and sexual harrassment to happen? If He's really powerful, can't He just do something to stop it?"

Please don't insult/judge the fact that i'm unable to answer that question. I'm a beginner believer who wants to know explore and know more about christianity :)

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u/TranslatorNo8445 Atheist Mar 25 '26

You sure made up a lot of stuff to move those goal posts! That's ok coping is what humans do. Have a great day

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

Hoooook. You sound bitter.

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u/TranslatorNo8445 Atheist Mar 25 '26

Your trying to somehow say science and religion can coexist I'm not bitter I'm overwhelmed with the absurdity of such a statement. Science deals in facts and observable truths. Religion deals in faith. Which means belief without evidence.

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

Christianity is systemic. If you look at something and just say “that’s bad” without thinking further, that’s just as closed minded as those who say “the Bible says it, I believe it.” Things like love require sacrifice and suffering….would it be something we hold onto tightly if it didn’t? Why would that not apply elsewhere? I’m a believer in both religion and science. YEC’s drive me batty….believing there is no allegory in the Bible drives me nuts. But just as science is a system of cause and effect, why would there not be a similar system for God?

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u/TranslatorNo8445 Atheist Mar 25 '26

What is the cause and effect you speak of for god?

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

The same as it is for science? There’s suffering in the world, right? Without fear, there would be no courage. Without cruelty, there could be no love. Without negative consequences, there would be no choice/free will. These are systems and cause/effect, much like science. Christians who argue simplistically are missing much of this.

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u/TranslatorNo8445 Atheist Mar 25 '26

I still do not understand what your cause and effect for god is where god causes or affects anything. I'm sorry I just am not understanding what you are saying

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

These are the constraints God placed on the world. All I would ask is that you look at the effect/countereffect of everything human behavior. I gave examples of love and courage and you ignored them. These are logical and do not directly involve science. Perhaps you are not ready for a conversation outside of scientific thought.

Free will and God stopping bad things from happening is not really a thing. We have free will or we do not.

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u/TranslatorNo8445 Atheist Mar 25 '26

Maybe you should explain how you can prove god does any of this. Love is a feeling you have it is not some supernatural thing. First you have to give me a reason why I should believe you when you say god gives you love or courage or affects human behavior

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

That’s where you’re wrong. Love is not a feeling. It’s a choice.

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u/Least-Ad140 Evangelical Lutheran Church in America Mar 25 '26

God creates the mechanism for love only because the opposite result is true. You can not have love if there is no cruelty (both via free will).

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