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Evil facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Evil means something that is very bad or wicked. It is the opposite of good. When people do things that hurt others or break important rules, these actions might be called evil. Sometimes, a person or a group that does many bad things can also be called evil.

In theology, which is the study of religious beliefs, people often ask: If there is a God, why does God let bad things happen? Some people think that the existence of evil means there can't be a God. Others believe that God allows evil so that people can choose to do good instead of evil.

The study of good and evil in philosophy is called ethics. Ethics tries to understand why some actions are good and others are evil. It looks for ways to tell the difference between good and bad.

Why Do Bad Things Happen?

One big question people ask is about the logical problem of evil. This idea suggests that if a powerful, all-knowing, and perfectly good God exists, then evil shouldn't exist. But since evil does exist in the world, some people wonder if such a God can truly exist.

Here's the basic idea:

  • If God is all-good, God would want to stop all evil.
  • If God knows everything, God would know how evil happens.
  • If God is all-powerful, God could stop evil from happening.
  • Since evil still happens, it makes some people question if God is truly all-good, all-knowing, and all-powerful at the same time.

However, many people believe that God can exist and still allow evil to happen for a greater purpose. For example, some think that God allows evil to exist so that humans can have free will. This means people can choose to do good or bad, and making good choices becomes more meaningful. Even if it's hard to understand, this idea helps explain how God and evil could both exist.

Christians believe that in the future, at the Second Coming of Christ, God will end all evil and stop the works of the Devil. This is described in the Book of Revelation.

Images for kids

  • Martin Luther by Cranach-restoration

    Martin Luther believed that occasional minor evil could have a positive effect

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Mal para niños

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