I enjoyed this site and love to look more at suffering as we all want to gain as much for souls, our own and others, as is possible.
My first question is: It was noted that evil is the absence of good which makes sense as hell is the absence of God, Who is truly the One Good. However, where does Satan and the bad angels fall into this...as they do exist and are always trying to give us desolation? How do we know that God is allowing suffering, which is sometimes in your mind with negative thinking, and not the devil trying to make you feel hopeless and lead you to despair...doubting God?
When you have children leave their catholic faith and it breaks your heart, how is God using this to bring the greater good? How is one to look at this situation?
Hi Skenank,
I'm happy that you have enjoyed the site and particularly pleased you chose to be the first person to take advantage of the forum. Evil is the lack or loss of goodness. It can result from disorder, improper use or what we were given or corruption. In the case of Satan and the fallen angels, described in the Catechism of the Catholic Church in paragraphs 391-396, we are told that God made them good and they became evil by their own doing. We are also told that they are still under God's power, even if they act in this world out of hatred for God, and their actions are guided by providence, God's plan for the world. The CCC notes that "it is a great mystery that providence should permit diabolical activity but we know that in everything God works for good with those that love him." My thoughts on this is that God uses Satan's works to bring about the salvation of men as the example of the Crucifixion clearly shows. As discussed in Why All People Suffer (page 79), God can bring good out of any evil because God can make anything out of nothing. Just remember, suffering is God's way of highlighting evil and making it unattractive to us, while at the same time, pointing us to the good we lack.
As for the question of why God allows people to leave the Catholic faith, it is because love must be freely given and for that to be the case, humans have free will. The fact that you are suffering because of this is part of God acting to bring them back. Remember the hierarchy of the 4 tasks of suffering. People have to learn proper self-love before they can move to love of God and his Church. A primary reason people leave the Church is that they have encountered suffering in their lives but misunderstand its meaning. This book was written to reach such people and show them how a loving God can and does use suffering to bring people to eternal joy. Chapter 14 explains the role of the Church in this. Perhaps giving them a copy will facilitate a return to God and the Church. You never know. Sometimes small gestures make big differences in people's lives. I hope these answers were helpful to you and to others who will read it God bless you, Paul