Billy Graham: Satan Is the Author of Evil, Not God
While God is all-powerful, it is Satan who is the author of evil, declared famed evangelist the Rev. Billy Graham in a recent advice column.
Graham was asked in a Q&A column published in The Kansas City Star about the originator of evil and how an all-powerful God was not responsible for evil.
"Who is to blame for all the evil in the world, God or the devil? I'd like to think it's the devil, but if God is all-powerful, doesn't that make Him responsible for everything that happens, even evil?" asked the person.
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Graham responded, explaining that "God is not responsible for the evil in the world, nor will He ever do anything evil or wrong."
"Nor does God ever tempt us to do evil or make us do anything wrong. Not only would that be against His perfect nature, but it also would defeat His plans for us, plans for good and not evil," wrote Graham.
"Admittedly, God hasn't told us everything we'd like to know about evil and why it exists, but one thing is clear: God is not the author of evil, nor does He give in to its allure."
Graham added that while the devil is the originator of evil, "evil also comes from within us, within our own hearts and minds."
"When we do wrong, we can't blame anyone but ourselves, for we have chosen to turn our backs on God and go our own way," continued Graham.
"This is why we need Christ, for only He can forgive our sins and give us the strength to do what is right. Have you committed your life to Him?"
Graham's comments on the origin of evil come weeks after the release of a Gallup poll that found less than two-thirds of Americans believe in the devil.
In a survey conducted in May, Gallup noted in June that while nearly 90 percent of Americans believe in God, only 61 percent believe in Satan.
"Gallup asked the question that includes the 'not sure about' option in random rotation with questions about belief in four other religious concepts: angels, Heaven, Hell and the devil," reported Gallup.
"Americans' belief in all of these is lower than their belief in God, ranging from 72 percent who say they believe in angels to 61 percent who say they believe in the devil, with 12 percent unsure on both. Belief in these four concepts is down at least marginally from when last measured in 2007, following the same pattern as the trend in belief in God using this question format."
