Ask A Catholic III

[Jehoshua]

Well Its time to re-establish an Ask a Catholic thread once again.

-

One who can answer as a Catholic is defined as...

A member of the Catholic Church, in communion with the Pope and the Holy See who adheres to, believes and accepts all that is taught by the universal and ordinary magisterium of the Church.

sedevacantists and conclavists do not count. Lapsed Catholics can answer on areas they know about, but can expect correction if they say something contrary to the teaching of the Church. Non Catholics should restrain themselves to asking questions, and reasonably responding to those answers, incendiary attacks on the Church or its teaching for whatever reason is not acceptable.

-

One final thing. No one on here is an official source of authority in regards to Catholic teaching, all answers are in an unnoficial capacity. That said I am sure those who answer will do their best to clearly explain and pronounce what the Church teaches.

-

With that, ask away

 

[civ_king]

How often do you read encyclicals?

 

[madviking]

Does Evil exist?

(Note the 'E')

 

[civ_king]

Does Evil exist?

(Note the 'E')

Define "Evil"

 

[madviking]

Define "Evil"

My definition: A force which attempts to annihilate Good and gives rise to wickedness and sin.

 

[Jehoshua]

How often do you read encyclicals?

Occasionly as of present, I have read some of them and some of the Motu Proprius and I am aware of what is contained in many more of them but its not like I spend all my time reading encyclicals considering I have studies and such that fill a lot of my reading time.

Does Evil exist?

(Note the 'E')

Yes, Satan and demons are very real spiritual forces that seek to lead human souls into sin and away from God. If by this you mean capital E evil then its existence is an immanent reality.

 

[Perfection]

Why does God allow demons to exist?

 

[madviking]

Yes, Satan and demons are very real spiritual forces that seek to lead human souls into sin and away from God. If by this you mean capital E evil then its existence is an immanent reality.

Can god prevent Evil?

 

[Jehoshua]

Can god prevent Evil?

God can prevent Evil, since God is all-powerful, yet God chooses to permit us choice in whether to follow Him or whether to disobey and fall into the temptations of the enemy and into sin. Satan himself was once good but rejected God out of pride and fell into evil and thus fell, and thus Satan and his followers the demons (themselves fallen angels) now tempt mankind, which is itself fallen and naturally inclined to sin into evil. They themselves chose to depart from the light of God and as they made a choice so mankind likewise has the ability to choose.

Free choice to follow God is necessary because without the ability to freely accept God, a genuine relationship with God which has mutual complimentarity and posesses genuine love is impossible. God grants free will as to do otherwise would create an ingenuine relationship in which man is enslaved and ultimately devoid of true life.

 

[madviking]

God can prevent Evil, since God is all-powerful, yet God chooses to permit us choice in whether to follow Him or whether to disobey and fall into the temptations of the enemy and into sin. Satan himself was once good but rejected God out of pride and fell into evil and thus fell, and thus Satan and his followers the demons (themselves fallen angels) now tempt mankind, which is itself fallen and naturally inclined to sin into evil.

However free choice to follow God is necessary because without the ability to freely accept God, a genuine relationship with God which has mutual complimentarity and posesses genuine love is impossible. God grants free will as to do otherwise would create an ingenuine relationship in which man is enslaved and ultimately devoid of true life.

Could god have created a universe with free will AND allowed for no Evil?

 

[Jehoshua]

Could god have created a universe with free will AND allowed for no Evil?

Evil in the sense you mean, is not a binary distinction between God and Evil but rather Evil is the result of rejection of the Lord. Like darkness is merely the absense of light, Evil as a force is simply the absence of God the font of all goodness and a rejection of His holiness.

Thus free will constitutes intrinsically the ability to reject God, otherwise it is not free will. In this sense the ability to reject God is part and parcel of free will and as a result, I would say in my opinion that Evil remains an intrinsic possibility in a universe with free will, although it may not neccesarily compose an inevitability in such a universe.

 

[Perfection]

Why did God allow Satan and the demons to turn away from Him?

 

[Jehoshua]

Why did God allow Satan and his angels turn away from Him?

Free Will. They were permitted to freely choose to follow God or to not, for reasons already described. This is what makes the fall of Satan and his angels particularly pernicious as the angels, intrinsically as heavenly beings, saw the reality of God in a direct manner and yet still in their pride chose to reject God.

 

[Perfection]

Why did God grant angels free will in the first place?

 

[Jehoshua]

Why did God grant angels free will in the first place?

Because to do otherwise would forbid any genuine relationship with them. Ergo the same reason he gave humanity free will IMO.

 

[Perfection]

How many angels are there?

 

[madviking]

Is god willing to stop Evil?

 

[Jehoshua]

How many angels are there?

The Church militant doesn't count angels since it is not within the means of the Church militant to do so.

And God is willing to stop Evil, its called the second coming. However God in his mercy and his clemency refrains from bringing down the final judgement for he wishes for as many to be saved as possible and for all who live in darkness to repent and turn to light, and thus he sends out the Church to lead people to God for the salvation of as many souls as possible and stays his hand.

 

[TopGearFanatic]

Who's your favourite saint?

 

[Jehoshua]

Its difficult to pick a favourite saint since there are so many, and many of them have meaning and relevance to ones life.

But I will say St Anthony of Padua since he is my patron saint.