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Why God Allowed Sin in the First Place?

by Dr. Eitan Bar
12 minutes read

I’m only human. Of flesh and blood, I’m made. Human. Born to make mistakes.
(Human, Song by The Human League, 1986)


Imagine a game where you put someone in an Escape Room, telling them that unless they figure it out, you’ll burn the room with them in it. It sounds like a sick game, doesn’t it? And yet, religious people tell us that any newborn baby is automatically destined to eternal torture in Hellfire unless they “figure it out.”

If the purpose of life is simply to avoid eternal torture in Hellfire, we would have to wonder why the Creator would make such an important truth so hard to find. Why would this Creator hide it from almost everyone, making it concealed and invisible in the world around us? Why would only those born in certain cultures, where a particular religious text is valued, have the advantage of knowing this truth? And why would the fate of humanity depend on people interpreting this text very literally, even though many throughout history have understood these same texts metaphorically or symbolically? It doesn’t make sense that such a crucial truth would be so obscure, accessible only to a few. Yet, there lies an even deeper question beneath it all—if indeed sin condemns us to an eternity in Hellfire, what would a world without sin look like? Can such a world even exist?

King David, for instance, wrote his Psalms praising God for His forgiveness and grace only after he sinned, not before. Learning about forgiveness, grace, and compassion only in theory is quite restrictive. Since these virtues often involve an emotional experience, they must be experienced, too. Therefore, the human experience would be fundamentally lacking, impossible even, without sin being part of the equation. This isn’t to encourage sin or to suggest it’s good or positive; rather, it’s a logical deduction that sin is an inherent part of the human learning experience. Our universe is not some “Plan B” that God devised in response to the events of Genesis 3. Rather, it is the product of a wise and all-knowing God, intentionally designed with purpose and foresight.

Therefore, if the human experience is contingent on the existence of sin—evident by the way God created humanity (not all-knowing, all-understanding, etc.)—then it greatly challenges the notion that human sin must lead humanity to eternal Hellfire. Condemning humans to eternal torture in Hellfire for not being perfect like God is akin to condemning a fish for its inability to climb a tree.

Imperfect People in an Imperfect World

In our quest to comprehend the intricate subtleties of religious texts, we often grapple with abstract concepts that defy easy understanding. One such notion is the distinction between “good” and “perfect,” especially when considered within the realm of divine creation. The debate primarily revolves around the premise that what is created as “good” is not necessarily “perfect.”

Although God is perfect and lacks nothing, He created humans with various physical, mental, and emotional limitations. Humans have finite wisdom, understanding, knowledge, and emotional capacity. These traits may develop as we grow, but they never achieve perfection. Consequently, our inherent limitations often lead to mistakes and wrongful choices, manifesting in what is typically considered sinful.

Even traits like self-centeredness or egotism are not purely evil, as they are, to some extent, necessary for survival and self-preservation. However, they may be viewed as sinful when they harm others or come at their expense.

However, our imperfections serve a profound purpose in the divine blueprint of creation. In this chapter, I would like to explore why an omnipotent and omniscient God would create humanity with such inherent limitations and restrictions.

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.

Genesis 1:31

In biblical Hebrew, the word “TOV” is used in Genesis when God sees creation as “good,” which generally means pleasing or beneficial, reflecting a positive quality or desirable state. It does not imply moral perfection but rather that something fulfills its intended purpose or function well. The Hebrew word for “perfect” is “TAMIM,” which conveys completeness, wholeness, or blamelessness and is used in different contexts than Genesis’ “TOV.” Besides, if creation had been ‘perfect’ rather than ‘good,’ then the presence of an evil entity in the Garden of Eden would not be possible.

Scriptures consistently define creation as “good,” but nowhere do they pronounce it as “perfect.” This distinction forms the basis of a critical conversation surrounding the nature of existence, the meaning of life, and God’s perceived role in it.

Consider natural phenomena like earthquakes, volcanoes, and hurricanes. These are intrinsic components of our planetary existence, and while they can cause profound damage, they also contribute to our ecosystem and the vital processes that support life on Earth. For instance, volcanoes create fertile land, while hurricanes can distribute heat around the planet. So, these “bad” events find their place in a “good” creation.

The definition of perfection is God. God’s traits include Omniscience (all-knowing), Omnipresence (ever-present), Omnipotence (all-powerful), and Omnibenevolence (all-loving). If humans were to attain all knowledge conceivable, transcending the realm of “good” and edging towards perfection, we would still fall short. Despite attaining vast knowledge, we wouldn’t necessarily be “perfect” because we still lack the other divine traits. Therefore, we cannot say that Adam and Eve were created perfect. In fact, they were created finite and limited in many ways that affected their thought process and decision-making.

God’s perfection lies in the fact that there is no necessity for any alteration in His Being, Essence, attributes, decrees, or Persons. God and His perfections are one (as suggested by scriptures such as Malachi 3:6, Numbers 23:19, Psalm 102:25-27, 1 Samuel 15:29, Revelation 22:13, and others.) If God’s nature were susceptible to change through addition, subtraction, infusion, or any other means, it would signify an imperfect nature. Any form of change, whether for better or worse, implies imperfections in the object subject to change.

In contrast, Adam and Eve were created as finite beings with a capacity for learning and growth. The human ability to learn and grow indicates that they weren’t created perfect but good. Here, “good” implies that they were also bestowed with free will. However, when coupled with limited knowledge, free will inevitably lead to mistakes—sins. Hence, while they were created good, the potential for sin was inherent in their nature due to their capacity for choice and limited understanding.

The Meaning and Purpose of Life

Therefore, it is essential to question why some believe that the purpose of life and creation is essentially to evade eternal punishment. An alternative and perhaps more meaningful viewpoint proposes that the purpose of life and creation lies in the journey of learning and evolving in our comprehension and knowledge of our own identity, the nature of God, and, ultimately, the essence of love. This approach brings us to the somewhat paradoxical role of sin.

Love, grace, compassion, and their ilk can only truly be understood and appreciated in the face of sin. Thus, sin is not an anomaly but a crucial part of the learning process that allows us to grasp these profound concepts through real-life experiences. How else would it have been possible for Adam and Eve to understand and experience the full depth and extension of God’s love, grace, and forgiveness if it weren’t for their sin?

God Has No Plan B

Those following the Augustinian-Calvinist view see Genesis chapter 3 as God’s “Plan B” set in motion by human disobedience. However, I would claim it’s inaccurate to view Genesis chapter 3 as God’s alternative plan. Instead, sin, within this understanding, serves a purpose. Just as we can only appreciate light by experiencing darkness or warmth through the contrast of cold, so too must we encounter evil—sin, to truly understand the goodness of God, His grace, and kindness.

This view illuminates the path towards grasping the deeper notions of love and grace, steering us away from the anxious, unreachable pursuit of perfection and redirecting us towards the more attainable goal of maturity and growth. Perfection will eventually come, but not in this lifetime (Revelation 21-22).

No pain, no gain

‘Sin’ is closely tied with ‘suffering.’ Undeniably, sin, with its destructive potential, may cause pain, suffering, and upheaval. It destroys goodness, distorts the harmony of relationships, erodes trust, and often propels us into a spiral of remorse and guilt or taking vengeance. In this sense, sin is indisputably detrimental. Yet, within this harsh reality of sin, we also find an opportunity for creativity, growth, and maturity—no pain, no gain.

Humans are not robots. Machines cannot sin; humans can. As counterintuitive as it may seem, sin serves as a catalyst for learning. Each misstep or lapse in judgment, while unfortunate, also brings forth an opportunity to reflect and reassess our choices. Sin provides a harsh but effective mirror, reflecting our fallibility and need for justice as well as grace and forgiveness. It reinforces our human limitations and our constant need for Divine guidance.

In essence, sin helps us mature by instigating introspection and repentance. It can lead us to seek forgiveness, not just from God, but also from those we have wronged. In this process, we can learn to exercise humility, demonstrate empathy, and extend compassion—integral aspects of personal and spiritual growth.

Sin, while often destructive, can also catalyze growth and progress, both individually and societally. For example, on a societal level, recognizing the evil in practices such as slavery or child trafficking has led Western countries to prohibit these actions, reflecting a collective move toward moral improvement. Sin inadvertently pushes societies to redefine ethical standards and embrace more humane practices. On a personal level, navigating through our own mistakes and sins can lead to greater wisdom, creativity, and maturity. These experiences can drive us to develop traits that align more closely with godly virtues as we learn from our missteps and strive to embody better qualities.

In fact, according to clinical Psychologist Jordan Peterson, sin may be the most significant catalyst for growth, wisdom, and creativity:

There’s a famous psychologist named Hans Isaac who was the most highly cited psychologist in the world for a long time. He wrote a great book called “genius”, which is a real study of creativity…He found that early traumatic experiences are good predictors of late creativity. Now, we should also say that early traumatic experiences are also great predictors of catastrophic adult lives. But the thing that people don’t understand about creativity is that there’s no reason to be creative unless you have a problem to solve. If someone dies on you young and you’re forced to fend your way in the world and deal with that kind of trauma, you have to put yourself together in a creative manner, and it’s no joke. And so, early negative experiences allied with high intelligence and this kind of temperament that we were talking about are one of the things that foster creative production. Parents are misinformed about this sort of thing because they think that if they just do laissez faire things with their children, you know, “you can do anything you want”, they’ll automatically be creative. That’s the stupidest thing you could possibly imagine because that isn’t how creativity works. Creativity emerges when you put serious constraints on things.

Jordan Peterson

Painful experiences are crucial in shaping our understanding of justice, empathy, mercy, grace, compassion, redemption, and Divine love, deepening our faith and nurturing spiritual maturity. Thus, while sin inevitably causes pain, it paradoxically serves as a catalyst that guides us on our spiritual journey, aiding in our development of wisdom and deeper understanding.

The Divine Intent Behind Human Limitations

Consider this paradox: God is omniscient (all-knowing), which is one thing that makes Him perfect. He made us humans, but He didn’t make us perfect. Humans, created by God, are inherently finite with very limited mental understanding and restricted emotional capabilities, often acting based on emotion, which inherently dooms to make mistakes, bad choices, and sin.

In other words, we are imperfect (sinners) because we were born this way. Imagine being punished forever in fire by the one who created you for not being perfect, despite the fact it’s how He made you. That’s a bit like punishing a fish for not being able to climb trees or killing your children because they couldn’t do your taxes right.

Therefore, God’s creation of humanity with finite capacities is a deliberate act. In addition to growth, it is also meant to foster interdependence among individuals. If humans possessed perfect wisdom and understanding, held to all possible knowledge, and had a deep emotional capacity, the need for one another would greatly diminish. Relationships are not just social conveniences but are central to God’s plan for human existence. They teach us about love, sacrifice, humility, and patience. Through our interactions, we experience growth, not despite our imperfections but because of them. Each person’s unique limitations and strengths can complement another’s, which fosters a community that thrives on mutual support and understanding.

Moreover, our limitations allow for the expression of free will and the genuine development of character. In a world where a perfect being predetermines every outcome, the concept of choice becomes redundant. Through our flawed decisions and the moral challenges we face, we can truly grow mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This growth is often most profound when we recognize our vulnerabilities and depend on God and each other for guidance and strength.

We Learn from (Painful) Experience

God could have “downloaded” all available information into our brains in advance, but instead, He only gave us a few basic instincts with which to begin life. As imperfect creatures, we are meant to learn progressively and through experiences. Sure, sin causes pain and suffering—I experienced plenty of it and added my own mess to the pile—but unless we experience that pain and suffering, our character will never grow. Through sin, our painful life experiences in this world build our character and may prepare us for life in the next world.

Artificial Intelligence cannot feel pain, agony, or sorrow—emotions that are central to the human experience. If we never sinned, we would never understand the need for forgiveness. Without the experience of forgiveness, we couldn’t truly grasp the depth of love. This is what sets us apart from Siri and Alexa. Our ability to feel deeply allows us to appreciate forgiveness and grace as more than mere concepts. This experiential understanding is essential, as one cannot truly learn about forgiving love without feeling and experiencing it firsthand. This is reflected in the paradox expressed by Jesus: “Whoever has been forgiven little loves little.” (Luke 7:47). The mistakes we make and the forgiveness we receive enrich our understanding of love, grace, compassion, justice, and other divine qualities, deepening our emotional and spiritual growth.

None of us likes to admit it, but at times, we all become tools in the hands of evil. An unfortunate implication of sin is that it destroys everything. But the Bible also promises new bodies and a new earth. This gives us a foundation for forgiving others because we know that no matter how badly someone treated us—even if they killed us—everything will once again be made new (Philippians 3:21; 2nd Corinthians 5:1-10; Revelation 21:1-5).

The hopelessness of sin also leads us to conclude that we need something much stronger than ourselves and greater than anything in the world to bring about redemption. Logically, since we are flawed and limited and sin is such a crucial part of our life and learning experience, it would be erroneous to associate it with Hellfire and eternal punishment.

Sin may hinder our relationship with God (James 4:3; 1 Peter 3:7), and while some people may cancel us when we fail to meet their moral standards, God does not act this way. Humans often view sin as a severe threat, and rightly so, because it can cause real harm. However, sin poses no threat to God; it cannot harm or diminish Him, which is why sin has never stopped God from making Himself known to sinners. God is not intimidated by sin nor turns His face away from it. If we understand Jesus as our healer, this directly counters the notion that God “abhors us or finds us loathsome.” How could a physician who despises their patients, unwilling even to look at them, effectively heal them? Didn’t Jesus touch the sick and sinners to heal them? God’s approach is one of engagement and restoration, not eternal abuse in fire.

Conclusion

In conclusion, considering that humans were created with inherent limitations rather than perfection, it is unreasonable to judge and condemn humanity by standards of absolute perfection. Therefore, assertions that “God only accepts absolute perfection” or the notion that God “abhors us, we’re loathsome in His sight, and He can’t stand to even look at us,” is irrational, and suggesting eternal torture for our intrinsic imperfections is likewise illogical and unethical. These ideas misrepresent God as a cruel and abusive tyrant rather than as a loving Father, undermining the foundational biblical concept of a compassionate and forgiving Creator.


This article was a copy-paste from my new book on hell: HELL: A Jewish Perspective on a Christian Doctrine




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Dr. Eitan Bar
Author, Theologian, Activist