The origin of evil has been regarded as a philosophical dead end for Christianity, that is, a damning inconsistency which is impossible to reconcile given the biblical axiom that God is fundamentally good. This is a difficult question to answer because, as soon as you answer one question, many other questions are raised. As soon as one is answered, two more take its place. The only view that seeks consistency with Scripture (that I am aware of) is that evil is simply the absence of good as cold is the absence of heat. I respectfully disagree. To prevent this article from becoming unnecessarily lengthy, I’m unable to really address this issue. To satisfy my purposes, suffice to say that I find the description of evil and it’s affects in Scripture to be incompatible with evil simply existing in a vacuum of good. Orbit identifies the existence of gravity and evildoers demonstrate the presence of evil when they perform evil acts.

​The below article is my attempt to systematically address this question as well as the obvious problems/implications which arise in that process in a way that recognizes God’s word as absolutely authoritative, and seeks to harmonize Scriptural truths with reason. However this article does not address issues pertaining to Satan or another subject that does not directly pertain to the thesis of this article.

It’s interesting to see the unbeliever who has no standard for truth try to define truth. They generally stumble around in circles until they either become angry, frustrated, or both. Their dilemma is that the purely subjective (them self) can never produce that which is objective (i.e. truth). I say this, you say that. I say I’m right and you’re wrong but then I say it again more sternly! But my strong tone and strong words are a veil for what I lack in substance, and I ultimately cannot overcome my true position, “because I said so”, by simply adding an exclamation point.

We, who preach in the open air, are often confronted by Bible-believing Christians who cannot seem to make sense of why we would pick a street corner and proclaim the gospel with little perceivable result. It doesn’t help their perception that there are open-air preachers who boast of “30 salvation decisions” a week. If this were remotely accurate, it would be wonderful, but unfortunately these “converts” are converts of men and not of Christ. What these people have received is a “just in case it happens to be true, why not?” gospel, which of course doesn’t save anyone. I am perplexed as to how anyone (Christian or not) could read the Scriptures and come to the conclusion that preaching in the open air is anything but orthodox. Pick a page, any page (of Scripture), and generally speaking, you are either seeing preaching in the open air or the effects of it.