Society & Culture / Culture & Ideas / Religion & Faith

Why Evil Was Planned: The Terrifying Logic of God

Does God Intend that Sin Occur?

Matthew Hart, Daniel J. Hill

Look at human history and tonight's headlines: war, betrayal, senseless suffering. We are told an all-loving, all-powerful Creator watches over reality, while evil is dismissed as a tragic glitch caused by human free will. But what if that comforting narrative is completely false? What if history’s darkest horrors were never an accident, but an indispensable part of a deliberate cosmic script? This presentation dismantles centuries of intellectual evasion and dives straight into the ultimate existential paradox. Philosophers Matthew Hart and Daniel J. Hill from the University of Liverpool tackle this haunting mystery in their provocative book, Does God Intend that Sin Occur? As leading analytic philosophers of religion, Hart and Hill challenge mainstream theological excuses and rigorously argue that absolute divine sovereignty logically entails intentional design—even over moral collapse. Explore why the passive bystander excuse collapses under total omnipotence. When an architect controls every atom and timeline, deliberate permission equals active intent. Walk through the cold mechanics of history’s most infamous events: Joseph sold into slavery by his brothers, Pharaoh’s hardened heart, and the crucifixion of Jesus. None of these were rogue anomalies. They served as precise historical catalysts required to trigger redemption, mercy, and ultimate justice. Discover the dark mathematical dependency of virtue: mercy cannot exist without offense, and grace is meaningless in a vacuum of perfection. Stripping away dry academic jargon, this breakdown reframes suffering, trauma, and geopolitical chaos not as signs of a broken machine, but as the calculated contrast in a breathtaking cosmic mosaic. Confront the reality behind the wheel of history and rethink your own role inside the master blueprint.