The ancient problem of theodicy is that a “perfect” world and mankind would not include evil deeds. And since evil undeniably exists, God MUST be responsible for creating it. So some aspect of God must be capable of evil.
My own resolution of this dilemma is to include the prospect of reincarnation in my Christian belief system. Thus those who commit evil deeds may ultimately be required to “pay” for them “karmically”.
If so, then “evil” may be seen as ultimately beneficial to mankind, by serving as God’s way of teaching and reinforcing moral behavior.
Thus the cruelty of a “hell” can be discarded as an unseemly instrument of a truly loving God.
And for those Christians who regard the idea of transmigration as heretical, several of the early Church fathers (not just Gnostics) adhered to this belief system.
And as Christ himself asked John the Baptist “Art thou Elias?” (John 1:21), some believe that he taught his disciples some aspects of this belief system.
With a siggy like “I was blind and now I hear”, you deserve a reply:
There ain’t a shred of credible evidence to support
Reincarnation anywhere in the Bible. I mean not
a whisp. Not even a shadow of a whisp. Nothing.
I understand the New Testament doctrine of
Eternal Punishment is very discomforting, but
Reincarnation is pure fantasy.
The very best to you.
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