While God is all-powerful, it is Satan who is the
author of evil, declared famed evangelist the Rev.
Billy Graham in a recent advice column.
Graham was asked in a Q&A column published in The Kansas City Star about the originator of evil and how an all-powerful God was not responsible for
evil.
“Who is to blame for all the evil in the world, God or
the devil? I’d like to think it’s the devil, but if God is
all-powerful, doesn’t that make Him responsible for
everything that happens, even evil?” asked the
person.
Graham responded, explaining that “God is not
responsible for the evil in the world, nor will He
ever do anything evil or wrong.”
“Nor does God ever tempt us to do evil or make us
do anything wrong. Not only would that be against
His perfect nature, but it also would defeat His plans
for us, plans for good and not evil,” wrote Graham.
“Admittedly, God hasn’t told us everything we’d
like to know about evil and why it exists, but one
thing is clear: God is not the author of evil, nor does
He give in to its allure.”
Graham added that while the devil is the originator
of evil, “evil also comes from within us, within our
own hearts and minds.”
“When we do wrong, we can’t blame anyone but
ourselves, for we have chosen to turn our backs on
God and go our own way,” continued Graham.
“This is why we need Christ, for only He can forgive
our sins and give us the strength to do what is
right. Have you committed your life to Him?”
Graham’s comments on the origin of evil come
weeks after the release of a Gallup poll that found
less than two-thirds of Americans believe in the
devil.
In a survey conducted in May, Gallup noted in June
that while nearly 90 percent of Americans believe in
God, only 61 percent believe in Satan.
“Gallup asked the question that includes the ‘not
sure about’ option in random rotation with
questions about belief in four other religious
concepts: angels, Heaven, Hell and the devil,” reported Gallup.
“Americans’ belief in all of these is lower than their
belief in God, ranging from 72 percent who say
they believe in angels to 61 percent who say they
believe in the devil, with 12 percent unsure on
both. Belief in these four concepts is down at least
marginally from when last measured in 2007, following the same pattern as the trend in belief in
God using this question format.”
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