Catholic
Roman Catholic
To the question of evil "no quick answer will suffice" — but faith answers with free creatures, providence, and the cross.
← All topics
Problem of Evil
Why does a good God allow suffering? Compare how six traditions answer the hardest question.
Key versesGenesis 50:20Job 38:4Psalm 34:18Isaiah 45:7Romans 5:12Romans 8:18Romans 8:28James 1:13Revelation 21:4
Review status: initial-release
If God is all-powerful and all-good, why do tsunamis, cancer, and cruelty exist? Christians agree that God did not create evil and does not cause it, but they explain its presence differently — through misused human freedom, God's mysterious permission of suffering for greater goods, and the cross, where God himself entered suffering. Every tradition also points to the promised end: a world where God wipes every tear away.
Content review notice: Initial release — under theological review. Positions summarize official denominational sources; named reviewers from each tradition are being onboarded.
You're reading the free edition — unlock the deep study for verse-by-verse breakdowns, Church Fathers, word studies, printable study sheets, and teacher resources.
In 30 seconds
If God is all-powerful and all-good, why is there so much suffering — cancer, earthquakes, cruelty? Christians agree on two things: God didn't create evil, and he doesn't cause it. They explain its presence differently: most point to human freedom misused — we rebelled, and the world broke. Some emphasize that God allows suffering for reasons we can't fully see, bringing good out of it. And all point to the cross, where God himself entered suffering, and to the promise that one day suffering will end for good.
At a glance
Six traditions, one line each
Tap a tradition to jump to its full column below. Traditions aren't ranked — shown in historical order, with your tradition first if you've picked one.
| Tradition | In one line |
|---|---|
| Catholic | To the question of evil "no quick answer will suffice" — but faith answers with free creatures, providence, and the cross. |
| Orthodox | God created all things good; evil entered through misused freedom — and God himself entered suffering to transfigure it. |
| Lutheran | "The cause of sin is the will of the wicked" — God creates and preserves, but evil comes from the devil and fallen man. |
| Reformed | God ordains whatsoever comes to pass — "yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin." |
| Baptist | By his free choice man sinned and brought sin into the human race — God is sovereign and good, and evil is man’s doing. |
| Methodist | God does not cause evil or send suffering — Wesley: "we cannot say why God suffered evil to have a place in his creation." |
Orthodox
Eastern Orthodox
God created all things good; evil entered through misused freedom — and God himself entered suffering to transfigure it.
Lutheran
Lutheran
"The cause of sin is the will of the wicked" — God creates and preserves, but evil comes from the devil and fallen man.
Reformed
Reformed
God ordains whatsoever comes to pass — "yet so, as thereby neither is God the author of sin."
Baptist
Baptist
By his free choice man sinned and brought sin into the human race — God is sovereign and good, and evil is man’s doing.
Methodist
United Methodist
God does not cause evil or send suffering — Wesley: "we cannot say why God suffered evil to have a place in his creation."
Premium deep study
How we got here
The story of this doctrine across the centuries — how the early church practiced it, where the traditions diverged, and why.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Premium deep study
What the early church said
Quotes from the early church on this topic — its writers, councils, and creeds: what Christians believed before the traditions split, with full source citations.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Premium deep study
Common objections, answered
The pushback each view tends to hear — and how that tradition answers it, steelmanned fairly with sources.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Premium deep study
Verse breakdowns
The key passages behind this topic, verse by verse — tap any verse to see how each of the six traditions reads it.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Premium deep study
Word studies
The Greek and Hebrew terms where the meaning shapes the debate — what each word actually says, and why traditions read it differently.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Go deeper
Keep exploring
Related topics where this conversation continues.
Heaven →
Every tradition’s answer to evil ends in hope: Revelation 21:4 promises a world with no more death, mourning, crying, or pain. Compare how each tradition describes that final defeat of suffering.
Free Will →
Most traditions locate the origin of evil in misused freedom — angels’ and humanity’s. The free-will topic compares how each tradition understands human choice after the fall.
God's Will →
The Reformed and others distinguish God’s permission of evil from his authorship of it. Compare how each tradition speaks of God’s sovereign will, his permissive will, and his revealed will.
Premium Study Sheet
Go deeper than the free page. The full study sheet for this topic brings together everything in one place — built for personal study, small groups, and class prep.
- Full sources with paragraph numbers — every claim traceable
- Patristic voices — what the early church said before the traditions split
- Word studies — the Greek and Hebrew terms where meaning shapes the debate
- Printable sheet — a clean handout for your group or class
- Discussion questions — written to be fair to every tradition
Included with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.
Premium deep study
Teach this topic
Class-ready resources for apologetics teachers and study leaders: key passages to assign, discussion questions, the toughest objections answered, and fathers to quote.
Unlock the deep studyIncluded with Individual — $7/mo. Cancel anytime.