Kindle Notes & Highlights
Clement of Alexandria, AD 150-215, said, “So in no respect is God the author of evil . . . since free choice and inclination originate sins.”8 According to the early church fathers, the tragic and terrible current state of the world is caused by angels and humans misusing their free wills. Jesus instructed us to pray that God’s will would be done on earth as it is in heaven (Matthew 6:10). Why would there be a need to pray that if everything that happens on earth was already God’s will? This presupposes that God’s will is not always being done on earth.
Tertullian, AD 160-220: “Diseases and other grievous calamities are the result of demons whose great business is the ruin of mankind.”9 He further clearly stated, “It is not the part of good and solid faith to refer all things to the will of God.”10 As you can see, this fits the Jesus worldview of 1 John 3:8, “The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.”
Origen, AD 185-254, believed that “evils do not proceed from God. . . . Famine, blasting of the vine and fruit trees, pestilence among men and beasts: all these are the proper occupations of demons.” So, too, demons are “the cause of plagues...
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