Evidence for God – Part 6

6- Good and Evil Exist

You can argue that the existence of good in the world points to God, but atheists often say that evil disproves God. They overlook the fact that evil could not exist without good, since evil is the absence of good. Only because God exists can we know good and evil. One argument against God’s existence, advanced by atheist Richard Dawkins in his book River Out of Eden, is: “The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil, no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference.”

I suggest that we see design and purpose in nature because God exists. Because God exists, we can know what good is and therefore what evil is. God is not pitiless or indifferent toward His creation. How can anyone say something is bad without a standard to judge by? They become like Dawkins, saying there is no evil and no good. Nobody can live a life pretending evil doesn’t exist. I am sure that if Dawkins were robbed, he would not insist it wasn’t evil. If you believe that God does not exist and the physical world is all there is, then you can’t say there is no right or wrong behavior, and no human act can be logically called evil.

If you believe that God has given us free will to do good, then He must allow us to act on our bad choices. If He stopped us, that would violate our free will. What about justice for those who are wronged? We long for justice, but most of the bad things people do to others go unpunished by the human justice system. God will provide justice for all in His time.

What about natural catastrophes—are they not evil? Why does God allow people to suffer or be killed by fires, floods, and wind? Many times, but not always, those natural disasters are caused or made worse by human actions or inaction. Often, they are just the result of natural forces in this world. Fire, rain, and wind are necessary for our existence. We can live in this world because God created it with orderly, predictable natural laws. We can’t expect Him to violate those laws and intervene every time to protect us from the world’s dangerous forces.

If God is good and God is love (1 John 4:8 and 16), it is logical that we would find an absence of goodness and love in a world of people with free will. John N. Clayton wrote: “The presence of evil is a bigger problem for atheists than it is for Christians. From a Christian perspective, evil is a product of the rejection of God.”

— Roland Earnst © 2026

Meet us at the International Conference on Missions at America’s Center in St. Louis, November 12-14, 2026, booth 1223 in the Exhibit Hall.