Why Does God Permit Evil?

I cranked off quite the essay on this topic about a week ago, then immersed myself totally in a week-long HTML experience, punctuated regularly by one or more of my three grand-daughters who clamored for immediate attention.

Then, four days ago, I rekindled a friendship with a Christian brother currently living in Florida, and a flurry of 28 emails ensued. He's involved in prison ministry and also in League of the South. He also approved of my sentiments regarding our "Woos-ified 'Jesus' " and I hope he passes the link around. I've heard quite a few sermons in my almost-60 years, and NEVER heard one that addressed the rugged masculinity of Jesus and His disciples. I'm confident there are some sermons like that out there, and I would bet that they are all of VERY recent vintage. For myself, I've tuned out almost all of it, except R.C. Sproul and Ravi Zacharias.

My views on evil are posted at http://www.rogershermansociety.org/whyevil.htm and I won't repeat them here. And I'm not sure I'll even agree with them here. A pure Reformed theology postulates that if God is sovereign, he is sovereign over ALL. I can't freely choose what color socks to wear; it's all overruled by God.

I'm not willing to go quite that far. I can allow for 'free will' that doesn't touch moral issues. And when you see the article I just referenced, you'll realize there could be (and I believe there is) a metaphysical aspect to the issue that doesn't even occur to most of us.

The only reason I bring it up is because I'm hoping someone will stumble into either this blog or the article and will offer some refining or clarifying thoughts. The 'average' Christian certainly won't, but I think there are a few thinkers out there who have abandoned our Christianized civil religion and are willing to consider the matter on its merits.

And after I get all this HTML taken care of and my new book is 'officially' published, I should be able, by God's abundant grace, to direct a little more energy in these metaphysical pursuits.