Patheos

BuddhistCatholicContemplativeEvangelicalGeneral ChristianHinduJewishLatter-day SaintMuslimNew VisionsProgressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Patheos

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

musingsfromthepew

If God is All Good, Why Is He Blamed for the Bad?

Last updated on: February 9, 2022 at 8:12 pm   by Lois Kerschen

If God is All Good, Why Is He Blamed for the Bad? 2022-02-09T20:12:40-08:00 Lois Kerschen

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

God is good. All the time.

God is never bad. Ever.

Such a simple concept, isn’t it? If God is All Good, then God can never do anything bad. God will never be part of anything bad. Nonetheless, when people are looking for someone to blame for their troubles, they get angry at God.

Let me deal with this anger part first. Okay, on one side is the Almighty, All-Powerful God. On the other side is little ol’ you.

Arguing with God

Is there any chance you are going to win an argument with God? Let’s put emphasis on that part about your opponent being GOD. If it were the gods like Zeus and family, you would know that you stood no chance (Think Sisyphus). So are the odds any more in your favor against the one God of Justice and Truth? Hmm?

Besides, who deserves to win – you the sinful and obviously ungrateful child of God or the One who is All Good? Let’s think this through logically – Nope, not a chance it’s you. Pretty stupid to try.

No sense in being mad. God is your Creator, loving parent, Savior. He died for you! He wouldn’t turn on you, so why should you turn on Him?

Better to seek consolation in God so you can feel better instead of making things worse with bitterness. Since He is God, what more powerful friend could you have? Who better to help you in tough times? If you get angry with God, you are rejecting His aid and comfort, which are better than anybody’s else’s.

Blaming God

Sadly, people forget that God is All Good and cannot do bad things. When tragedy strikes, one of the first things they do is ask, “How could God let this happen? How could God do this to us?”

The answer is: God couldn’t do this bad thing to you because God does only good things. I’ve often thought that if I were a priest giving a homily on this subject, I would step to one side of the aisle designated as good and say, “This is God’s side. He is only good.”

Then I’d move to the “bad” side of the aisle and say, “This is the bad zone. The devil is here, but God is not.” I might jump back and forth between the two sides saying, “Good side, God. Bad side, devil. Get the difference?” hoping that people would get the point if thus illustrated!

Does God allow bad stuff to happen? Yes. It’s called free will. Since Adam and Eve, we have been allowed to make our own mistakes, to be affected by the interplay of others, and to be subject to evil forces.

Could God intervene? Yes, but that isn’t going to be a routine occurrence. Miracles are considered miraculous because they are extraordinary. Miracles occur according to God’s plan, not ours. However, they can be obtained through prayer. God likes to be asked, and a show of sincere faith on our part helps.

Still, you hear people say: “I can’t believe in a god who would let a kid have cancer.” “I can’t believe in a god that allows the horrors of war (Holocaust, slavery, etc.) to exist.” “What kind of mean, cruel god is that?”

For an answer, see the above about how God does only good things but gave us free will. God doesn’t give kids cancer; it happens because we live in this world where illness and death are a part of life. Violence and cruelty are human failings inspired by Satan.

Relying on God

God won’t step in to prevent the tough times that humanity ultimately brings on itself or the devil provokes, but God can protect you or a prayerful community and help you find a way to better times.

Have faith that God will guide you to finding solutions to your problems, no matter how dire. Place your hope in God. It is a sure bet. All the time. God does not walk away, go on vacation, or ignore you no matter how annoying and unworthy you are.

So put your anger away. Aim the blame at the right target. Look for the love in God, and you will find it.

God is good, all the time, no ifs, ands, or buts. All the time, God is good. Believe it.

Patheos Catholic

blaming God

God is good

Previous Post



August 31, 2021

Who Do You Say That I Am?

Next Post



September 5, 2021 What's in Your Catholic Home?


Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Patheos Catholic Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 July 2026 May 2026 December 2025 November 2025 September 2025 August 2025 July 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 February 2025 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 November 2023 September 2023 July 2023 June 2023 February 2023 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 August 2021


Follow Us!

Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter



TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

True or False: In Revelation, the tree of life produces twelve different kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit every month.

Select your answer to see how you score.

TRUE FALSE

Related posts from Musings From the Pew

Catholic

Why I Choose the Eucharist Over the Sermon

Musings From the Pew

Catholic

Changing the Culture's View of Motherhood

Musings From the Pew

Catholic

Abortion in the Didache: forbidden by the Apostles

Musings From the Pew

Catholic

Introducing the Consistent Life Ethic at Your Church

Musings From the Pew

TRENDING AT PATHEOS Catholic

Rejecting Doom: Christian Hope And Human Action

Christianity is a religion of hope. We are to have hope and...

It’s What Comes From Within Which Matters

One of the most difficult things for us to understand is why...

Why I Choose the Eucharist Over the Sermon

Choose the Eucharist, Not the Sermon What are we supposed to get...

5 Design Elements Found in Spiritually Rooted Homes

Putting Spirituality Into Home Decor Our homes are more than our living...

Credo: A Story of God Told with the...

About 10 years ago, I began to imagine a personal "Credo" that...

The Anatomy of Divine Revelation in Catholic Thought

The claim that God has made Himself known to human beings is...

view all Catholic blogs

Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Copyright 2008-2026, Patheos. All rights reserved.

Subscription Support Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In

Follow Patheos Patheos on Facebook Patheos on YouTube