Did God Create Ebola?

[thesometimesaint]

I agree that all life is related, but I do not believe that God created all life. 

 

 

 

What about Tuberculosis? 

 

 

 

Yes, Mosquitoes cause the death of many people. They are evil in the sense that they cause a lot of harm to humans. 

 

 

 

They do not seem to have a free will, so they probably do not have a spirit, so mosquitoes were probably not created by God. 

Mosquitoes cause the death of a lot of humans, they are pointless, therefore mosquitoes are evil. 

 

 

 

 

Elephants can attack people, but they can also be very useful 

 

 

I have no problem with God creating all life. Otherwise we are faced with a Theological conundrum. God is not part of the Creation process, or that Satan is.

 

What about it? it is a devastating disease. However God has inspired scientists to find a cure. I'm fine with that. We live in a fallen world. While I don't particularly  like that fact. It is more important to me how we deal with that fact than just the mere fact of it.

 

Mosquitoes themselves don't cause disease. The parasites, germs, and viruses they sometimes carry do. They also pollinate many plants that we find useful and desirable. Dogs sometimes carry Rabies. It's not the dogs fault, and we don't label all dogs evil just because some do carry that dreadful disease. Until we know at least some of the answers to the questions I suggest we hold judgment about evil in abeyance.   

 

Elephants and mosquitoes are fine, but I don't want either in my living room.

[Teancum]

If God created this world God owns it all. Ebola, Cancer...the good and the bad.

[Teancum]

I just added another option. 

I believe God created useful animals and plants using Evolution, but I do not believe God created evil.

Well you would be wrong. Even the Book of Mormon teaches opposition in all things is part of his plan. And if God did not create evil things but is omnipotent that means he could eradicate it thus he is still culpable.

[Teancum]

I answered C, I believe God created useful animals and plants using Evolution, but I do not believe God created evil. Do you agree? 

 

And if you think God did not create useless or evil things then who do ypu think did?

[Teancum]

People are about s evil as anything and you believe God created humans don't you free thinker?

[saemo]

God allows what he has created to produce suffering. Which includes, us.

 

The dodo may have asked, if it could, "Why God, did you create humans?"

[CV75]

I answered C, I believe God created useful animals and plants using Evolution, but I do not believe God created evil.

I think God permits evolution (as we have observed it) to adapt whatever He first created, and that through the Atonement any life form (whether it or its forebears were affected by evolution or not) can fulfill the measure of its creation and have joy in the eternal design God purposed for it. I also think He can prevent evolution from adapting whatever He created.

 

I do not think God created evil as He defines it, which is to perform wickedness, possess a prideful imagination, to be wholly turned to other gods, lack forgiveness of others, loving darkness over light, destroy His work, etc. (Moses 8:22, Abraham 1:6, D&C 64:8, 10:21, 93:7, 101:52).

Edited October 17, 2014 by CV75

[moi]

Hey just curious, CV75, can you please elucidate on your statement: "I also think He can prevent evolution from adapting whatever He created."

 

Rules are in place, are they not?

[pogi]

I don't think so, natural processes alone without any kind of intelligent intervention. They are pointless things. 

 

 

Whether by natural processes or by intelligent design, God is responsible for all of creation.  If a man creates a machine which makes pollution as a byproduct, who is responsible for the creation of the pollution? (I am only using this as an example, I would not consider any of God's creations pollution.)

Edited October 17, 2014 by pogi

[Calm]

If the world has a spirit of its own, is there any reason to suppose it is not like a rebellious teenager producing a dirty room mainly because Mom and Dad told him to clean it? Could not the earth have free/moral agency just as man does?

[pogi]

If the world has a spirit of its own, is there any reason to suppose it is not like a rebellious teenager producing a dirty room mainly because Mom and Dad told him to clean it? Could not the earth have free/moral agency just as man does?

 

I believe the Earth does have agency, the scriptures seem to suggest that it does.  However, there is reason to believe that it is not rebellious.  

 

From Helaman 12:

 

8 O how great is the nothingness of the children of men; yea, even they are less than the dust of the earth.  

9 For behold, the dust of the earth moveth hither and thither, to the dividing asunder, at the command of our great and everlasting God.Yea, behold at his voice do the hills and the mountains tremble and quake.

 10 And by the power of his voice they are broken up, and become smooth, yea, even like unto a valley.

 11 Yea, by the power of his voice doth the whole earth shake;

 12 Yea, by the power of his voice, do the foundations rock, even to the very center.

 13 Yea, and if he say unto the earth—Move—it is moved.

 14 Yea, if he say unto the earth—Thou shalt go back, that it lengthen out the day for many hours—it is done;

 15 And thus, according to his word the earth goeth back, and it appeareth unto man that the sun standeth still; yea, and behold, this is so; for surely it is the earth that moveth and not the sun.

 16 And behold, also, if he say unto the waters of the great deep—Be thou dried up—it is done.

 17 Behold, if he say unto this mountain—Be thou raised up, and come over and fall upon that city, that it be buried up—behold it is done.

 

Then there is this from Mosiah 2:

 

 25 And now I ask, can ye say aught of yourselves? I answer you, Nay. Ye cannot say that ye are even as much as the dust of the earth; yet ye were created of the dust of the earth; but behold, it belongeth to him who created you.

[ERayR]

I don't think so, natural processes alone without any kind of intelligent intervention. They are pointless things. 

 

 

 

I added another option.  

 

Ok I'll change my answer to - None of the above this is a stupid poll

Edited October 18, 2014 by ERayR

[ERayR]

I don't think so, natural processes alone without any kind of intelligent intervention. They are pointless things. 

 

 

 

So are you saying that there are things God has no control over, that instead of being omnipotent there are some areas where is impotent?

[ERayR]

I disagree, God does not create evil. 

Mosquitos, malaria, AIDS, are pointless evil things. 

 

The scriptures do not talk about the creation of evil things or pointless creatures. 

 

Are you so omniscient as to know for certain that these are evil and in all of God's realms have no redeeming qualities?

[ERayR]

And if you think God did not create useless or evil things then who do ypu think did?

 

People are about s evil as anything and you believe God created humans don't you free thinker?

 

I agreed with you not once but twice, the sky is about to fall.

[WysteriaBlue]

I think the fallacy in this OP is the judgments being called for.

Mosquitoes are not evil nor ticks, but the virus they carry can be deadly.  The bees are not evil, but pollinate the flowers but in some can kill from allergic reactions to their venoms.  Wolves change the paths of rivers, but kill our food sources,  Man created the atom bomb but also nuclear power. One of the deadlies plants/weeds can also be used to help with heart arythmias.  Ash can be changed into soap to clean.  Ebola is horrid but so was the black plague and aids.Cars/telephones/electricity/etc are all things, some man made, some God made and some probably devil inspired.  God craves balance in all things..  (Proverbs 11)

I don't think "things" are inherently evil....science is not "evil"...but religion and ethics and social mores have to do with relationships...and ultimately the worst evils are perpetrated through disconnection, lonliness, hatred, jealousy, war, greed, lust, apathy, etc.  All man made relational "evils"....

Evil to me is a judgment call I'm not worthy to make...I don't have the omniscence to see the large enough schemata to even begin to judge.

 

In terms of Ebola...it is the way we care for and take care of our worldly neighbors, work together, work on cures and innoculations, provide aid and ultimately overcome this deadly disease and eradicate it that will be "good".  It is a learning process and a way for each of us to grow and become more christ-like in our reltionships to Him and thus to others.

Closing the borders and going into the "us" vs "them" mode will be much more evil than the virus itself.  Shunning and disconnecting and killing are much more "evil" than the thistle that BY described as evil and obnoxious.

 

Just my opinion for what it is not worth..

wb

Edited October 18, 2014 by WysteriaBlue

[The Nehor]

Nope, I created it as a prank when we were building the earth. I apologize.

[WysteriaBlue]

Nope, I created it as a prank when we were building the earth. I apologize.

 

Just call it inspired creativity and you should be covered.. .

.I have it on a good authority that God has a sense of humour....let's hope so for my sake at least. 

[Stone holm]

Deep ecologists would say Ebola is here for a reason. Do we consider viruses evil? Automobiles have and will continue to kill more people than Ebola, so are automobiles evil?

[Freedom]

Sickness is not evil, it comes from organisms that are critical for the ecosystem. The evil of Ebola is not the virus, it is the perverted beliefs of the people who's backwards behaviour has caused it to spread. Cars are safe, but reckless behaviour causes car accidents. There is nothing evil about physical trials, it is part or mortality.

[Freedom]

Sickness is not evil, it comes from organisms that are critical for the ecosystem. The evil of Ebola is not the virus, it is the perverted beliefs of the people who's backwards behaviour has caused it to spread. Cars are safe, but reckless behaviour causes car accidents. There is nothing evil about physical trials, it is part or mortality.

[MormonFreeThinker]

I have no problem with God creating all life. Otherwise we are faced with a Theological conundrum. God is not part of the Creation process

 

I believe that God created useful animals and plants, but I do not believe God created pointless creatures. 

Are you open to the idea that scientists may create life in the lab? 

[The Nehor]

Sickness is not evil, it comes from organisms that are critical for the ecosystem. The evil of Ebola is not the virus, it is the perverted beliefs of the people who's backwards behaviour has caused it to spread. Cars are safe, but reckless behaviour causes car accidents. There is nothing evil about physical trials, it is part or mortality.

 

Which leads to the question of why create an ecosystem that has so much pain and feeding off other life required? Such a creation could be called evil.

 

I myself call it fallen.

[Freedom]

I believe that God created useful animals and plants, but I do not believe God created pointless creatures.

Are you open to the idea that scientists may create life in the lab?

So which organisms do you consider pointless and based on what scientific standard?

[blooit]

If God is all powerful, is there really any difference between deliberately doing something, and allowing something to occur?  Further, if God set the creative process into motion and allowed it to continue, is that any different from managing each individual step?  I'm not sure, other than perhaps that it might placate the laws of justice in that God would not be accountable for evil that exists as a result of the evolutionary process.  That being said, if intelligences have existed forever, and if diseases are alive and eternal, perhaps God is never accountable for individual agency, including animals and everything that lives.