How are we supposed to believe in a God who created a world that includes tornadoes, earthquakes, hurricanes, and tidal waves? Each year, thousands of people are injured, maimed, and killed by these forces of nature. So I must ask, “Does this ‘natural evil’ prove that God is ‘morally evil?’”
Surely not! The natural laws that hold this universe in place are good and perfect to accomplish their purposes. The problem is not with these natural laws, or the God who gave them, but rather the problem arises when men ignore, attempt to violate, or get in the way of these natural laws.
For example, think how many people die because of gravity? Every day, people die because they fall off a ladder, fall down a flight of stairs, or something falls on them. Is that sufficient evidence to charge God with moral evil for giving us gravity? The fact that people get hurt by gravity isn’t proof that Gravity is evil. Can you imagine the world without gravity? It is a necessary natural law, but when people by choice, error, or circumstances choose to violate this law, they get hurt. But that’s no reason to charge God with evil.
Is the changing of the seasons an evil thing? Each year, people die because the warmth of Summer retreats from the frigid cold of Winter. Does that fact that some people freeze to death prove that the changing of the seasons is evil, or is it another case of man violating, or ignoring natural laws?
Likewise, is there any evil in wind swirling at high speeds? Is there evil in tectonic plates moving and causing the earth to quake? Is there any evil in a large wave of water forming in the ocean and coming ashore? Is there any evil in man not being able to breathe while being submerged in water? These things are not morally evil. However, these natural laws take a great toll on human life.
Nature, as God created it, is perfect. “The heavens declare the glory of God and the Earth shows his handiwork” (Psalm 19:1). The laws of nature serve us very well, and without these laws, life would not exist. But beware; if we get in the way of, violate, or ignore these natural laws, we will more than likely get hurt.