"All Powerful God"

Questions15 · #1 Sep 23, '07, 11:04 pm

Hello, I have been wondering this question for a very long time now. In fact, I have submitted it to the Ask and Apologist forum several times with no responce, so I thought I would give this a try.

As a strong catholic for over 28 years now, I feel that our church teaches our Godf(father, son, and holy spirit) is a "All powerful" god. When thinking about the power of God, I can't understand this question:

If our God is "All Powerful" why doesn't he destroy the Devil?

It is obviouse that the devil does no good and only causes harm, so why not destroy it if our God is all powerful?!

I would love to hear thoughts/opinions on this question, Thanks!

**LilyM** · #2 Sep 24, '07, 5:20 am

You ever seen a parent who does everything for their child - provides everything the child wants without the child ever having to lift a finger for any of it or DO anything for themselves? The children turn out atrociously - spoiled, bored, incapable of anything worthwhile. A wise parent, even if they CAN do everything for the child, chooses not to.

Same with us. We learn and grow through our struggles against sin and the devil. For that reason alone God might not be willing to destroy him utterly - not just yet anyway.

Another reason is that God, who loves us as we are, won't interfere with our free will. Not the devil's free will which he exercises to entice us, nor with our free will which we exercise to follow the devil.

Yes free will is responsible for a lot of awful things, but the fact is love isn't love unless it is freely chosen, and good isn't good unless it's freely chosen. Therefore the option must always exist for us to hate and to do evil, otherwise our love and our goodness isn't freely chosen and isn't really love or goodness. Hence the devil, the one who tempts us to reject God, must also always be there.

Animals don't love God, nor are they capable of good. They do His will for them simply because He programs it into them.

God desires more than this, He desires creatures that will, at least some of 'em, willingly choose Him, love Him and serve Him. Hence the glorious and complicated creature that is the human being.

Reepicheep · #3 Sep 24, '07, 1:08 pm

Would you kill your children because they rebelled against you?

Look at 2 Samuel 18:5 and 18:33. Even though Absalom rebelled against him, drove him out in disgrace, raped his concubines and tried to kill him, David still loved his son, tried to take him alive and mourned bitterly for him.

Satan is still God's child, His creation. Satan chooses to hate and defy his Father, and God will punish him as His Justice requires - but a loving God will not destroy His defiant child.

Questions15 · #4 Sep 25, '07, 2:35 pm

I understand both of your mindset, but for LilyM's responce:
Yes, it is true that "Yes free will is responsible for a lot of awful things, but the fact is love isn't love unless it is freely chosen, and good isn't good unless it's freely chosen. Therefore the option must always exist for us to hate and to do evil, otherwise our love and our goodness isn't freely chose and isn't really love or goodness." But no, the Devil does not need to be there... If God was to destroy the Devil, evil would not vanish off the Earth, people will still do evil things. Yes, the Devil does help tempt us to do evil, but hypothetically even if the Devil is destroyed, we human still have to choose to love god or not. Therefor why would God want to give any sort of upper hand to the enemy? If this is truely the case, than god has put us into a pickle, where both forces good and evil are pulling at us.

Responce to Reepicheep:
Again, I can see where you are coming from, but if you look at it from that perspective... Our loving god is in fact torturing his children for all of eternity. Which is worse... being non-existant or suffering and burining for eternity?
Ultimatly we are all children of god, not just Satan. And if "a loving God will not destroy His defiant child" but "punish him as His Justice requires" AKA go to Hell, it extreamly more harsh to go to Hell for eternity.

See the following:

Is 33:11, 14 - who of us can live with the everlasting flames.
Mt 25:41 - depart, you accursed, into the eternal fire.
Mt 25:46 - these will go off to eternal punishment.
Lk 3:16-17 - the chaff he will burn in unquenchable fire.
2 Thess 1:6-9 - these will pay the penalty of eternal ruin

mpb74 · #5 Sep 25, '07, 3:22 pm

God created angels as immortal beings. He will not change that. God does not change. Not even for our well being. God basically tells us things on a need to know basis. So as to why he would allow his children to suffer we cannot understand with our human intellect. We can't know God's reasoning unless He want's us to know.

God does not punish the angels, now turned demons. He does not punish us. We who shall suffer eternal damnation will suffer for decisions made of our own free will. It is our choice. There is an old saying, " Fore warned is for fore armed". We've been warned.

dessert · #6 Sep 25, '07, 4:38 pm

Power means strength ans authority (Ps. 111;6 Matt 9;6 6;13)
God created the creation and creatures through history , acts of nature, individual lives and the Holy Spirit , Jesus revealed God's power though His miracles and forgiveness.

How do you see God's power at work in your life is what is interesting.
D.

jpiiweloveyou · #7 Sep 25, '07, 5:24 pm

What a great question! I definitely don't have the answer, but this is why I enjoy the forums.

I understand what people are saying from the theological point of view, but rationally I think to myself "If I were God I'd get rid of the devil and quit tempting my creation". I guess that's why I'm not God.

I look forward to hearing what others think.

richardwy · #8 Sep 25, '07, 6:58 pm

The answer I have found as to why God does not eradicate evil is "it is a mystery."

It is the best answer, I have found.

catching · #9 May 30, '09, 4:50 am

Yes, Our god is "All Powerful". He create everything and I think Devil is hide inner in all the people. God gave us the brain to think about it and how to finish it.

Elie JAMES · #10 Jul 23, '09, 1:44 am

Yes that,s true

Liraco · #11 Jul 23, '09, 8:55 am

I'd also recommend you read the Catechism of the Catholic Church. Start reading from this part (309 of the Catechism) as it may help answer some of your questions on the matter:
V. GOD CARRIES OUT HIS PLAN: DIVINE PROVIDENCE

Questions, is your main problem then with Hell?

Hell is defined as: "The state of definitive self-exclusion from communion with God and the blessed, reserved for those who refuse by their own free choice to believe and be converted from sin, even to the end of their lives"

So those who are in Hell, are there by choice. We believe in purgatory, another sign of His mercy, which means that we'll still be saved but first need to be purged from any remaining sin as nothing unclean enters heaven. Think of purgatory not as a place but as Heaven's "front porch", it's not a "temporal hell" as some think of it. Purgatory is there for those that need to "wash up" to be presentable before the Lord.

From the Catechism 1035 "The chief punishment of hell is eternal separation from God, in whom alone man can possess the life and happiness for which he was created and for which he longs."

Mike7 · #12 Jul 24, '09, 12:18 am

God will destroy Satan soon. We are in the last days and what we must do is make sure that we have received salvation from our Loving God. The question is: are we sure that what we believe is correct?

matahari · #13 Jul 24, '09, 2:48 am

:

Quote:

Originally Posted by Questions15

Hello, I have been wondering this question for a very long time now. In fact, I have submitted it to the Ask and Apologist forum several times with no responce, so I thought I would give this a try.

If our God is "All Powerful" why doesn't he destroy the Devil?

It is obviouse that the devil does no good and only causes harm, so why not destroy it if our God is all powerful?!

I would love to hear thoughts/opinions on this question, Thanks!

________________________________________ __________________________________

He has destroyed the Devil !
When Jesus died on the Cross Hell trembled and the power of Satan was struck a mortal blow.
The Gates of Heaven were opened to all mankind.
All that remains is for us to claim that victory for ourselves.

You can think of it like this. - D Day [ the Normandy Landings ] in WW11
When the Allies set foot on French soil , to all intents and purposes the war was over.
Yet it was not declared over until 2 months later on VE Day [Victory in Europe Day] after the mopping up operations were effected.
Satan would like us to believe that he's still in control of this world
But God is asking us to exercise our Faith and walk in Victory - not defeat.

StrawberryJam · #14 Jul 27, '09, 11:46 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by matahari

:
________________________________________ __________________________________

He has destroyed the Devil !When Jesus died on the Cross Hell trembled and the power of Satan was struck a mortal blow.
The Gates of Heaven were opened to all mankind.
All that remains is for us to claim that victory for ourselves.

You can think of it like this. - D Day [ the Normandy Landings ] in WW11
When the Allies set foot on French soil , to all intents and purposes the war was over.
Yet it was not declared over until 2 months later on VE Day [Victory in Europe Day] after the mopping up operations were effected.
Satan would like us to believe that he's still in control of this world
But God is asking us to exercise our Faith and walk in Victory - not defeat.

Can you tell me when God destroyed the devil in real time? Our time?

rinnie · #15 Jul 28, '09, 10:04 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrawberryJam

Can you tell me when God destroyed the devil in real time? Our time?

Easy when we choose God over the devil. ITs up to us. We have free will. God gave us the choice. When he died on the cross he freed us from original sin. Sin no longer is held over our head. Heaven was opened up and the righteous entered.

Now the devil and evil has been beat. Jesus took away death. Now we can have eternal life. Death no longer has a hold on us. Now we have a choice. If we do choose sin, we can still repent and confess our sin and get back into the grace of God thru the sacrament of Confession. If we choose to die in mortal sin, its our choice. God gave us free will and now we must use it. We either accept him or we don't.