Premise 1: Outrage Against Evil Is Where Atheist And God Agree
One of the most important ways to understand the problem of evil comes from early Christian thinkers like Augustine and later Aquinas. They taught that evil isn’t its own “thing”—it’s not a substance, a force, or something that exists by itself. Instead, evil is what happens when something falls short of what’s good. It’s not something with substance—it’s like a hole in something solid, or darkness where light is missing.
In this way, evil is either a negation (a rejection of good) or a privation (the absence or lack of good). That means you can’t even define evil without first knowing what good is. Evil doesn’t stand on its own—it’s like a parasite that can only exist by feeding off the good. For example, we say something is sinful because it goes against what is right or moral. But we only know that because we first have a clear idea of what “right” and “moral” are.
Augustine pointed out that while Christians wrestle with why evil exists, people who reject God have an even harder challenge. Why? Because before you can call something “evil,” you have to admit that there is such a thing as “good.” And without God, there’s no solid reason or ultimate standard to say what good even is. So in the end, you need the concept of God and His goodness in order to even talk meaningfully about evil in the first place.
Without the Existence of God Evil Could Not Be Defined
One of the most powerful arguments in the discussion about evil and suffering is also one of the most overlooked: before we can claim something is truly evil, we must first assume that there is such a thing as “good.” And that raises a deeper question: where does our idea of “good” come from? If we remove God from the picture, the foundation for calling anything truly right or wrong begins to crumble.
Here’s the problem for the atheist or naturalist: if there is no God—no eternal, unchanging standard—then what do we base our concept of “good” on?
- Is it just what society agrees on?
- Is it whatever helps us survive or feel happy?
- Is it simply the opinion of the majority?
If morality is just something humans made up, then it’s not objective—it can change based on time, culture, or convenience. Without God, calling something “evil” is no different than saying “I don’t like that.” It becomes a matter of taste, not truth.
My argument against god was that the universe seemed so cruel and unjust. But how had I got this idea of “just” and “unjust”? A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line. What was I comparing this universe with when I called it unjust?
C.S. Lewis—Former Atheist in “Mere Christianity”
But deep down, we all know that some things are wrong regardless of opinion. Even if a society votes that genocide is okay, we know it’s still wrong. Even if someone enjoys cruelty, we believe it’s still evil. That deep, inner sense—that some things are truly good or truly evil—is a clue pointing beyond ourselves.
Examples of Moral Wrongs Recognized Across Cultures
| Action | Why It’s Recognized as Wrong | Universal Response |
|---|---|---|
| Murder (intentional killing of innocents) | Violates the value of human life | Outrage, grief, legal punishment |
| Torture of the helpless | Causes unnecessary suffering; abuses power | Disgust, moral condemnation |
| Rape | Violates bodily autonomy and dignity | Condemned as a horrific crime globally |
| Child abuse | Harms the innocent and vulnerable | Universally viewed as monstrous |
| Human trafficking/slavery | Treats people as property | Widely condemned as deeply unjust and inhumane |
| Genocide | Systematic attempt to destroy a people group | Condemned in international law and conscience |
| Betrayal (of trust or loyalty) | Violates relationship and truthfulness | Produces strong emotional and moral reaction |
| Stealing from the poor or vulnerable | Exploits those who are already suffering | Viewed as heartless and corrupt |
| Deliberate deception for harm (fraud) | Undermines truth and trust in society | Despised across all functioning societies |
These actions are not considered wrong just because a society says so. They’re deeply felt to be objectively wrong, even by people with no belief in God. That raises the question: Where does this moral instinct come from—if not from a higher, unchanging standard?
Naturalism, which is grounded in evolutionary theory, often centers around the concept of “survival of the fittest.” If this were truly the basis for human behavior, then acts like rape, murder, and theft could be seen as natural outcomes of brute survival instincts—just as dominance, aggression, and territorial conquest are among many animal species. But if that’s the case, why do we feel such deep moral outrage at these actions? Why are they universally condemned as evil rather than accepted as natural?
God is the Standard of Goodness
In the biblical view, God Himself is the standard of goodness. He is not just good because He follows some external rule—He is the rule. His character defines what goodness is: justice, love, faithfulness, mercy, truth. These are not just traits God has—they are what God is (Psalm 100:5; James 1:17).
That’s why Christians believe that evil isn’t a failure of God’s plan, but a failure to reflect His nature. Sin and evil are deviations from the goodness that God designed into the world. And our ability to recognize evil is only possible because we were made with an awareness of what good is—an awareness that points back to God.
It’s surprisingly common to hear skeptics reject belief in God on the grounds that evil exists. They ask, “How could a good and powerful God allow such suffering and injustice?” And yet, many of these same critics also embrace evolutionary naturalism—a worldview that offers no real foundation for objective morality or human value in the first place.
But here’s the contradiction: you cannot logically condemn evil as unjust while also believing that everything—including morality—is the product of blind, random processes. In a purely evolutionary worldview, rooted in “survival of the fittest,” behaviors like violence, domination, and exploitation are not evil—they are natural. They are the very mechanisms by which life supposedly advances.
If evolution is all there is, then:
- Murder is just one organism removing a competitor.
- Rape is reduced to reproduction without consent.
- Theft is simply resource acquisition.
- Power and control are evolutionary advantages.
In such a world, there is no objective “evil,” only what helps or hinders survival. So when someone claims, “I don’t believe in God because of the evil in the world,” yet also believes in a godless evolutionary framework, they are borrowing moral outrage from a worldview they say doesn’t exist. They are appealing to a standard of good and evil that evolution cannot supply.
God is Far More Outraged At Evil
Ironically, moral outrage against evil is the one thing atheists and God agree on completely. When someone sees injustice—like abuse, murder, or oppression—they instinctively cry out, “That’s wrong!” That cry echoes the very heart of God, who also declares such actions as evil. Even if an atheist denies God’s existence, their moral response often aligns perfectly with His standards. In total, over 1,000 passages in Scripture either explicitly or implicitly condemn sin, evil, or the actions of the wicked.
Biblical Passages Where God Condemns the Wicked
| Scripture | Summary | Theme |
|---|---|---|
| Psalm 7:11 | “God is a righteous judge, a God who displays his wrath every day.” | Ongoing judgment of the wicked |
| Deuteronomy 25:1–2 | God commands judges to “condemn the wicked.” | Legal and moral judgment |
| Exodus 34:6–7 | God is merciful, but “does not leave the guilty unpunished.” | Balance of justice and mercy |
| Proverbs 6:16–19 | God “hates” several wicked acts (lying, murder, injustice). | Divine hatred of evil |
| Romans 1:18 | God’s wrath is revealed “against all ungodliness and unrighteousness.” | Universal condemnation of evil |
| Isaiah 13:11 | “I will punish the world for its evil and the wicked for their sins.” | Global judgment |
| Psalm 94:1–2, 7 | God is “the God of vengeance” and will judge the proud. | Assurance of divine justice |
| Nahum 1:2–3 | “The Lord takes vengeance on His adversaries… but is slow to anger.” | Patient yet just Judge |
| Malachi 3:5 | God testifies “against sorcerers, adulterers, and oppressors.” | God speaks judgment clearly |
| Revelation 20:12–13 | At final judgment, the dead are judged “according to what they had done.” | Ultimate accountability |
This widespread theme makes one thing unmistakably clear: God’s justice is not peripheral—it is central to His character and to the message of Scripture. While the full reason why an all-loving, all-powerful God would permit evil may remain a profound mystery to us as finite humans, Scripture offers some clues—such as the gift of free will, the presence of Satan and demonic forces, and the fallen condition of humanity. Yet even these only scratch the surface. What we can say with confidence is this: based on the hundreds of passages in which God condemns evil, injustice, and the wicked, it is evident that God is far more outraged by evil than we are.
Challenge Question: If humans are merely the result of blind evolutionary processes, how do we explain the fact that our universal and personal moral outrage toward evil so closely aligns with what Scripture says God condemns?
Premise 2: The Case For God From The Reality Of Evil
Universal morality and our shared outrage over evil are not evolutionary byproducts—they point to something far deeper. Across all cultures and eras, humanity shares a settled emotional and philosophical conviction: something is profoundly wrong with the world. We grieve injustice, we condemn cruelty, and we instinctively believe that certain actions—like abuse, murder, or betrayal—are objectively wrong, not just inconvenient or socially frowned upon.
This deep, universal sense of right and wrong doesn’t arise naturally from a survival-of-the-fittest mindset. Evolution may explain instinct or self-preservation, but it cannot account for moral conviction or sacrificial love for strangers—let alone our longing for justice or redemption.
And this is precisely what the Bible has declared all along. From Genesis to Revelation, Scripture doesn’t deny the brokenness of the world—it explains it. It identifies the source of moral awareness, names the reality of sin, and presents God not only as the judge of evil but the source of goodness itself.
Our outrage at evil doesn’t contradict the Christian worldview—it confirms it. From the earliest chapters of the Bible, we see the devastating potential of the human heart. In Genesis 4, Cain—only the third human mentioned in Scripture—murders his brother Abel. God responds, “Your brother’s blood cries out to Me from the ground.” This is not just a historical moment—it is a theological echo that runs throughout human history: evil cries out for justice.
Now compare that to nature. When a lion captures and mauls a baby wildebeest, the herd moves on. There is no outrage, no mourning, no protest—only the relentless cycle of survival: eat, breed, survive. But when a human being is brutalized—through rape, murder, genocide, or sex trafficking—we don’t just observe it. We feel it. We grieve. We protest. We say, “This is wrong.” That visceral reaction is not a product of evolution—it’s a moral alarm hardwired into our souls, like a fever warning the body of infection. It reveals that something is terribly wrong with the world—and with us.
The brokenness we witness—from Cain’s act of violence to the atrocities of our own age—is not just a byproduct of human freedom, but a siren blaring through the centuries: we need supernatural repair. We don’t just need policy reform or education. We need something deeper—a cure for the hatred, bitterness, selfishness, and greed that reside in all of us in seed form.
Only God Understands the Depth of Evil and Has the Power to Heal
The Bible minces no words in identifying the primary source of evil—and its only cure. Evil doesn’t originate from poverty, racism, tyranny, or abandonment issues—though these may amplify it. According to Scripture, the root of evil lies in the human heart. From the moment we begin to understand right from wrong, the seeds of selfishness, pride, and rebellion take root within us. It’s not merely external conditions that corrupt us, but our internal condition that corrupts the world.
The message of the Bible is clear: “Man’s heart is the issue… the Gospel is the cure.”
Secularists often believe that social reforms, education, and poverty relief will eradicate evil. Yet, the headlines tell another story—some of the most heinous crimes are committed by individuals who are wealthy, highly educated, and living in the most desirable neighborhoods. The root causes—greed, envy, hatred, anger, deceit—are not products of environment alone; they lurk in every human heart.
God’s Diagnosis Of The Heart
| Scripture | Text |
|---|---|
| Jeremiah 17:9 | “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” |
| Genesis 6:5 | “The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” |
| Ecclesiastes 9:3 | “The hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live…” |
| Mark 7:21–23 | “For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” |
| Romans 3:10–12 | “None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one.” |
| Romans 7:18 | “For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.” |
| Psalm 51:5 | “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” |
| Proverbs 20:9 | “Who can say, ‘I have made my heart pure; I am clean from my sin’?” |
| Ephesians 2:3 | “Among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” |
| Proverbs 28:26 | “Whoever trusts in his own mind is a fool, but he who walks in wisdom will be delivered.” |
Jesus shattered the illusion of human self-righteousness when He taught that evil is not merely something “out there” committed by others—but something that lies within each of us. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declared that hatred is the seed of murder and lust the seed of adultery (Matthew 5:21–28). With these words, He exposed a deeper truth: profound evil lies dormant in every soul.
If you don’t believe that evil lies lurking in even the most innocent heart imagine this analogy and see if it could be true:
It’s recess at a preschool, and the playground is alive with the joyful sounds of four- and five-year-olds playing on swings, tossing balls, and laughing with friends. Five-year-old Billy is quietly playing by himself with a kickball when his best friend, Tommy, comes over and asks for the ball. Billy replies, “No… it’s mine.”
Tommy, upset by the refusal, runs over and knocks Billy hard to the ground, grabs the ball, and walks away. At first glance, it seems like an ordinary childhood scuffle—common and harmless enough.
But now imagine this: in that exact moment of frustration, humiliation, and emotional intensity, someone places a loaded gun in Billy’s hand.
What would happen then?
Evil is not just something out there in the world—it’s something within us. The Bible uses the words evil and wicked over 1,400 times, underscoring that Scripture does not shy away from the reality of evil. Instead, it confirms its existence, reveals its effects, identifies its source, and offers its remedy. The problem isn’t only the actions of others—it’s our own nature that needs transformation. Jesus didn’t raise the moral bar simply to make righteousness harder; He revealed that true righteousness begins in the heart. If evil is to be restrained in this world, it won’t be accomplished by external laws alone. It must begin with a changed heart—something only God can accomplish.
God’s allowance of human sinfulness is not neglect. It’s part of His broader redemptive plan to show us the true nature of evil—and to lead us to the only One who can heal it. Every death, every injustice, every act of cruelty is a haunting reminder that the world is not as it should be—and that our need for transformation is personal, not just societal.
Challenge Question: If evil is simply the result of ignorance, social systems, or lack of education—why does it often arise even in well-informed, well-off individuals? Could it be that the problem lies deeper—in human nature itself?
Premise 3: Evil Is A Problem For Any Worldview
Evil and suffering are a universal human experience. Tragedies, cruelty, and loss confront every person, no matter their culture, beliefs, or background. But removing God from the picture doesn’t erase the pain—it simply erases the possibility that the pain could ever have a greater purpose, be redeemed, or see ultimate justice.
Without God, the final word on evil is despair. The wrongs of history will remain unrighted. The innocent who suffered and died will never see restoration. The tyrant who escaped human judgment is gone forever without consequence. The grief that shatters lives will never be reversed—only forgotten by the march of time.
| Facing Evil | With God | Without God |
|---|---|---|
| Hope | Assurance that suffering will one day be redeemed and that good will ultimately prevail. | No ultimate hope—evil and loss remain final with no guarantee of resolution. |
| Justice | Confidence that all wrongs will be judged and the guilty held accountable, even if they escape human justice. | Injustice may last forever—tyrants and criminals who die unpunished remain so for eternity. |
| Meaning | Belief that pain and tragedy can have a greater purpose, even if we don’t see it now. | Suffering has no ultimate meaning—only random misfortune in an indifferent universe. |
| Restoration | Promise that the broken will be restored, the dead in Christ raised, and the world renewed. | No restoration—loss is permanent, and the dead are gone forever. |
| Final Outcome | Story ends in victory—evil eradicated, creation made new. | Story ends in decay—time erases all, and evil has no ultimate reckoning. |
How Major World Religions Address the Problem of Evil
| Worldview / Religion | How It Explains Evil | Why It Fails to Solve the Problem of Evil |
|---|---|---|
| Atheism / Secular Naturalism | Evil is the product of random forces, evolution, or human social conditioning. | No ultimate justice. No final accountability. Evil wins whenever the wrongdoer dies unpunished. Suffering is meaningless. |
| Hinduism | Evil is tied to karma—a moral cause-and-effect system stretching across reincarnations. | Offers no assurance that evil will ever be finally resolved. Blames suffering on a past life, providing little comfort or justice for victims (including children). |
| Buddhism | Evil and suffering arise from desire and attachment. The solution is to eliminate desire and reach Nirvana. | Does not address moral evil or injustice. Instead of righting wrongs, it teaches detachment from them. No ultimate Judge, no restoration of the innocent. |
| Islam | Evil is permitted by the will of Allah, and everything unfolds according to divine decree (qadar). | No assurance that God Himself enters suffering or provides redemption through personal sacrifice. Judgment exists, but no guarantee of relational restoration or a God who suffers with the oppressed. |
| Judaism (Modern, Post-Temple) | Evil is a mystery of God’s sovereignty; suffering is often seen as refinement or consequence. | Provides a framework for justice, but without the Messiah having come, there is no final atonement or defeat of evil yet. The problem remains unresolved. |
| Taoism | Evil is imbalance between yin and yang — not moral wrongdoing, but disharmony. | Does not explain moral evil or injustice. No provision for accountability or the restoration of victims. |
| New Age / Spiritualism | Evil is an illusion or negative energy; suffering is part of “spiritual growth.” | Minimizes real evil. Offers no justice for victims. Calling evil an illusion does nothing for those actually harmed. |
| Christianity (Contrast Point) | Evil is real, rooted in the fall, and opposed by a holy God. God enters history, suffers Himself, bears evil, and promises final judgment and resurrection. | Christianity uniquely provides both meaning in suffering and final justice, where wrongs are righted, tyrants judged, and victims restored. |
Christians believe the Bible is God’s ultimate standard and guide for human life and flourishing. It addresses the reality of evil from every angle—defining it, warning against it, equipping us to confront it, and offering meaning and comfort to those who suffer from it. In His providence, God ensured that His people would not be left without clarity in understanding and responding to evil. Scripture consistently emphasizes that our hope—both in this life and in the life to come—depends on how we understand and align ourselves with the realities of ultimate good and ultimate evil.
The Bible teaches that all suffering carries purpose and meaning, and that God offers strength to endure and persevere through it. It affirms that prayer, the support of Christian community, the hope declared in Scripture, and God’s repeated promise to judge evil and grant eternal life are essential resources for facing life’s deepest trials. These are treasures of grace that the non-believer, tragically, does not possess.
Impact of Christian Hope vs. Non-Christian Despair in the Face of Suffering
| Christian Resource & Scripture | Emotional & Practical Benefits for Believers | Non-Christian Position | Limitations Without Biblical Framework |
|---|---|---|---|
| Suffering Has Purpose & Meaning (Romans 8:28 – “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him…”) | Confidence that pain can serve a higher good; ability to endure hardship with purpose | Suffering often viewed as random, accidental, or no meaning | Greater risk of despair, hopeless, and existential frustration |
| Strength to Persevere (Philippians 4:13 – “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.”) | Spiritual resilience beyond natural limits; courage in adversity | Strength depends solely on personal willpower | Burnout, emotional exhaustion, and collapse when self-effort runs out |
| Power of Prayer (James 5:16 – “The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”) | Sense of divine help and reduced anxiety | Reliance on human strategies alone | No supernatural aid; often limited to human wisdom and resources |
| Christian Community Support (Galatians 6:2 – “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.”) | Deep relational bonds, practical aid, and shared faith in trials | Support limited to human relationships | Social support may fail or disappear; no shared eternal hope |
| Hope in God’s Judgment of Evil (Revelation 21:4 – “He will wipe every tear… there will be no more death or mourning…”) | Assurance of ultimate justice and restoration | No final moral reckoning | Evil may seem to prevail indefinitely; injustice unresolved |
| Promise of Eternal Life (John 11:25 – “I am the resurrection and the life…”) | Security in the face of death; motivation to live faithfully | Death is the end of consciousness | Fear of death; struggle to find lasting meaning |
The Bible addresses evil and suffering thousands of times, offering not only comfort and strength for the present but also the assurance of ultimate justice in the future. Scripture speaks so extensively about these realities not merely for therapeutic purposes, but as a sober warning: the world is far too complex, dangerous, and morally fractured for finite human beings to navigate on their own.
Unless the Lord builds the house,
Psalm 127:1-2
those who build it labor in vain.
Unless the Lord watches over the city,
the watchman stays awake in vain.
It is in vain you rise up early
and go late to rest,
eating the bread of anxious toil;
for He gives to His beloved sleep
To face the full weight of suffering and the consequences of evil armed only with a naturalistic worldview—that we are nothing more than advanced organisms struggling for survival in a purposeless universe—leaves us with a grim conclusion. In such a view, life becomes little more than a cycle of blind survival, culminating in eventual annihilation. Evil and death are not intrusions to be defeated, but unavoidable certainties, as regular as morning and evening.
Without God, there is no ultimate justice to right the wrongs, no higher purpose to redeem the pain, and no eternal hope to outlast the grave. To embrace atheism, therefore, is not simply to deny God—it is to cut the cord to the very hope that sustains the human spirit. Atheism does not just kill God; it murders hope.
Challenge Question: If rejecting God removes any ultimate hope for justice or redemption, how does atheism offer anything more than temporary coping in a world where evil ultimately wins?
ThinkCube Truth Veracity Grid
- Have I considered the facts carefully and with an open mind?
- Is my conclusion the result of a careful examination of the facts, or is it a conclusion made in spite of the facts?
- Is my conclusion the one that makes the most sense of the evidence?
