Does God Violate the Pauline Principle?
Some have argued the problem of evil from the Pauline Principle: that one cannot do evil to bring good. They claim God violates the Pauline Principle insofar as God permitting evil so that good may come out of it is just the same as God doing evil.
This is false. God – people generally, in fact – can permit the POSSIBILITY of evil that good may come out of it. It is good for my children to learn to drive, and I can permit the possibility of their being in an accident so they can exercise that responsibility.
God does not directly actualize evil to bring about greater goods. God permits the possibility of evil for the sake of love – freely willed union between persons. The possibility is a real (not just mere) possibility given that only God’s will is metaphysically perfect; all other finite free beings are possessed of fallible liberty, being directed toward some ultimate good that is beyond themselves. If God is going to love us, he must permit the possibility of our committing evil, and if God is going to avoid a massively chaotic universe, he must have a general policy of non-intervention.
Note the following as well: Permission does not equal God willing (x), but rather God not willing either (x) or not-(x). Thus, God’s permission of sin is only permitting sin’s possibility, not inevitability, because of God’s willing the existence of fallible free creatures. Returning to the example above, just as I may will my son to drive, I am permitting the possibility of an accident, while not willing either to prevent the possibility accident (taking away my son’s keys) or that the accident inevitably occur (slashing my son’s tires).
Two quotes from Aquinas that are relevant:
“to do evil is in no way proper to those who are good. To do evil for the sake of a good is blameworthy in a man and cannot be attributed to God. On the other hand, to direct evil to a good is not opposed to one’s goodness. Hence, permitting evil in order to draw some good from it can be attributed to God.”
“Any prudent man will endure a small evil in order that a great good will not be prevented. Any particular good, moreover, is trifling in comparison with the good of a universal nature. Again, evil cannot be kept from certain things without taking away their nature, which is such that it may or may not fail; and, while this nature may harm something in particular, it nevertheless gives some added beauty to the universe. Consequently, since God is most prudent, His providence does not prevent evil, but allows each thing to act as its nature requires it to act. For, as Dionysius says, the role of providence is to save, not to destroy, nature.”
I am commenting not because I expect an answer but obviously if anyone wants to do so, fine. I am trying to clarify my thoughts.
Is everything in this world less than optimal from human standards? That is, is everything in this world deficient or a privation of something better? Does that make everything in this world "evil" because there could be something better, even if there is something we take for granted that maybe good for everyone? I am referring here to natural evil, which according to one definition is "any kind of harm or suffering that does not have an obvious human cause."
If the answer is true then are all these discussions of "evil" pointless? If everything in this world is evil, then what's the point of discussing "evil?"
Or maybe it might be better to discuss whether all these imperfections or deprivations have a purpose and look toward that as the central thing to be discussed. And that discussions of evil just get in the way of understanding what this world is about.
This leads us to the question, could God have created a more perfect world? If you believe in the Catholic/Christian God, the answer is no. He couldn't because it would contradict His nature to create an inferior one. So maybe we should focus on why this world is perfect from God's perspective and does not contain evil.
Or why this is "The Best of All Possible Worlds?”
I personally believe there is only one evil in our existence, that is the permanent separation of anyone from God.
My comments are restricted to natural evil and moral evil most definitely exists. But the main focus of discussions of evil relevant to God are on natural evil.