I would say that if God were to preemptively withhold existence from those who would end up in hell, He would also simultaneously erase every single redeemed soul "downstream" from them. In a universe where generations are inextricably linked, simply not creating evil, bad, unrepentant people would effectively give the bad a "group veto" over the good. A just and loving Creator does not allow the rebellion of the few to cancel His plan to bless and redeem the many.
Your actions do affect others.
A single person's actions (like a smile or a scowl at the office) can start a chain reaction that alters the immediate environment and experiences of those around them. Because human lives are so deeply connected, one person's suffering or crisis provides a unique, interconnected society that allows others to develop deep moral virtues: a tragic situation forces onlookers to choose between cowardice and heroism (e.g., deciding whether to harbor a victim or deciding whether to disobey an evil order).
The Butterfly Effect of Existence
A single person's actions (like a smile or a scowl at the office) can start a chain reaction that alters the immediate environment and experiences of those around them. Because human lives are so deeply connected, one person's suffering or crisis provides a unique, interconnected society that allows others to develop deep moral virtues: a tragic situation forces onlookers to choose between cowardice and heroism (e.g., deciding whether to harbor a victim or deciding whether to disobey an evil order).
The Butterfly Effect of Existence
Intertwined lives allow for a ripple effect of compassion, sympathy, penitence, forgiveness, and reform that extends far down time and space. Without the initial tragedy, these profound moral responses could not actually exist. Many individuals turn to God in the aftermath of being exploited or harmed by ruthless evil people. Without that specific crisis, they may never have sought a relationship with God. Historically, the bravery of Christians facing violent persecution (orchestrated by evil regimes) has served as the catalyst for spectators and bystanders to convert.
If a person converts due to a crisis caused by an evil person, and that convert later marries and has children who also become Christians, those children would neither exist nor be saved. If the original evil actor had been "ripped out" of history. Millions of Christians who would have been born will never exist, which also erases all their downstream Christian descendants.
So while the "just don't create the evil/bad/unrepentant people" objection sounds great on the surface, it would actually have a massive ripple effect, erasing the downstream marriages, children, and believers who only exist because of the complex chain reactions of our interconnected world. In short, the rebellious do not get a veto over the existence of the good. Nor do they get a veto over God's purposes.
This seems to be what the wheat and tare parable is speaking to, at least in part; the coexistence of both forces challenges the faithful to stand firm and mature amidst difficulties. The servants ask, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" and the master responds, "No, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them." This perfectly mirrors the downstream generation argument; pulling out the "tare" physically damages or prevents the growth of the surrounding "wheat."
If a person converts due to a crisis caused by an evil person, and that convert later marries and has children who also become Christians, those children would neither exist nor be saved. If the original evil actor had been "ripped out" of history. Millions of Christians who would have been born will never exist, which also erases all their downstream Christian descendants.
So while the "just don't create the evil/bad/unrepentant people" objection sounds great on the surface, it would actually have a massive ripple effect, erasing the downstream marriages, children, and believers who only exist because of the complex chain reactions of our interconnected world. In short, the rebellious do not get a veto over the existence of the good. Nor do they get a veto over God's purposes.
This seems to be what the wheat and tare parable is speaking to, at least in part; the coexistence of both forces challenges the faithful to stand firm and mature amidst difficulties. The servants ask, "Do you want us to go and pull them up?" and the master responds, "No, because while you are pulling the weeds, you may uproot the wheat with them." This perfectly mirrors the downstream generation argument; pulling out the "tare" physically damages or prevents the growth of the surrounding "wheat."
God cannot logically create a world where humans have genuine free will, yet simultaneously strip away the real-world consequences of that free will whenever it goes wrong. If He preemptively deleted every individual who would choose rebellion, there would be no one left since we have all sinned at one point.
Ultimately, a reality that allows for rebellion, yet masterfully weaves redemption and justice out of that brokenness, possesses a far greater glory than a hollow, sterile universe. A preemptive purging of the wicked would mean an accidental erasing of the repentant. The tares are permitted to grow alongside the wheat not because the Master treasures the weed [though Jesus did die for them as well], but because He guards the harvest with fierce devotion, refusing to risk a single precious grain.
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