flyingaway wrote:
But that said, why doesn't God do thus and so when that evil is done by the evil humans?
Do you think there is a "thus and so" that God
ought to do? God is under no obligations. Nothing is "over" God. As free as humans are, God is freer still. So God certainly
could do your thus and so in any and every case if He so chose. That is to say, He could act exactly according to your expectations in response to evil. But I hope so stated you might see the error in the proposition. I would wonder about a God who always acted in accordance with my expectations -- that would suggest that such a God is one I fully comprehend, one that is, in some real sense, made in my image (rather than I in His). But, of course, Scripture says that God will respond fully to evil. So is it not fitting that this very response of His, including allowing the time between the perpetuation of that evil and God's remedy for it, would display something of His nature? The response, His justice; the delay, His kindness and mercy; the forgiveness for those that respond to His kindness, His grace; His allowing the evil in the first place, His willingness to graciously demonstrate His glory. The thought crosses my mind that God could have perfectly well chosen to remain hidden. There is nothing in Him to compel Him to do anything, as if He must reveal Himself. And yet He chose to do so, and not for Himself, as if He could gain anything; but then He chose to reveal Himself for us. He chose to give us a supernatural end, beyond ourselves, not owed or merited, but given by grace. So He allows a time for the world to see creation without Him so that we might fully be changed by and embrace Him forever.
None of that is required. God could have done anything He wanted (that doesn't constitute a self-contradiction (Plantinga, I'm looking at you)). But I see a poetic fittingness in this.
With that said, if Obi or the pickle or one of the other adequately trained Catholics want to correct or nuance what I'm saying as not correctly representing what the Church says on the matter (or of what can be said based on what the Church has said), by all means, accept their corrections. I do think my answer here is faithful to what has been taught.