Good & Evil

Good: something that is morally right, virtuous or honourable. It promotes the welfare of everybody

Evil: something that is morally wrong, wicked or extremely bad. It intentionally causes suffering.

God is the source of all goodness

• Humans are created in His image and should try to live like Him
• They should follow the 10 commandments

They should avoid evil & obey God. If they do this, they will go to Heaven and be with Him for eternity after death.

To do this they...

• Read the Bible and follow its teachings either literally or non-literally. Especially parables as they are stories for how they should live.
• Listen to their conscience which they believe God gave them. It is improved by Christian upbringing and regularly going to Church. (some say conscience is just upbringing)
• Have faith in God.

The Devil: an evil supernatural being who opposes God and tries to lead humans astray. He is the source of all evil

• some blame him for suffering
• non-literal believers might believe he is symbol for someone's fight between good and evil.
• Bible describes him as a real figure "I saw Satan fall like lightening from Heaven"

The Our Father says "lead us not in to temptation and deliver us from all evil"

• Evil is the result of not following God
• Christians must avoid evil as well as do good "Evil persists where good men do nothing"

The Fall: when Adam and Eva ate the forbidden fruit and rebelled against God. This cause separation between God and humankind.

• There was a state of innocence before the fall.
• Now, humans are born in to a broken relationship with God.
• Christians need Salvation( being saved from sin and Hell to be with God)

Original Sin: The state of sin in which all humans are born with a natural tendency to choose evil instead of good.

• without Redemption (through Christ's death our forgiveness and salvation have been bought) there is no hope of eternal life with God.
• Christians believe redemption is God's plan for restoring the relationship.
• people ask for forgiveness to restore the relationship. In the Our Father "forgive us our trespasses"

Moral Evil: evil caused by humans

Natural Evil: evil caused by nature

Why Christians believe there is evil and suffering...

• necessary part of life- a challenge
• the people who suffer the most now have the most to look forward to in Heaven.
• Light and Hope came from Jesus' suffering- we will get the same
• we suffer because of sin like how Adam and Eve were punished at the fall.
• God gave free will so its people own behaviour as the cause
• God suffered too in losing His son.
• As a test of faith like Jesus being tested in the desert and the story of Job.

They believe God is loving and omniscient- He knows when His people are suffering

"cast all your anxiety on Him because he cares for you"

Christians believe they should follow Jesus' example for moral behaviour (living in a way which is right and good and upholds moral rules). He...

• made perfect decisions.
• was kind and patient even when people weren't in return
• spent time praying and asking God for help
• was always honest
• put God before material things
• sacrificed His life.

Summary of all His teaching:

The Golden Rule: "treat others as you would like to be treated."