Hi Alan,
an interesting one, but the basic problem is that it's predicated (like so much else in supposedly 'philosophical' discussion) on the belief that this is all there is to existence.

If you take Bob Monroe and Bruce's ideas into account, then things look VERY different indeed. You might argue in this case that we're all playing a game that isn't empirically real (we just think that it is) and that evil in its myriad forms is a total illusion when we get back home 'up there'. Mind you, that doesn't help us in everyday life with all its annoyances, but there you are! 
So I would suggest that it's back to that old chestnut: freewill.
We're free to act as good or evil as we can conceive, and take the rap for our actions as a result. It's the ELS which Bob Monroe describes as the educational system par excellence. So evil exists because some of us choose that as part of our experience in growth, whether as a perpetrator or victim of it -and I would suggest that we get both in spades over various lifetimes, UNTIL WE LEARN OTHERWISE.

Mind you, I find the excerpt above claiming that we cannot judge God somewhat arrogant and patronising:
if the above ideas were true (and I don't think for a moment that they are), then I would want to hold this version of God to account and ask him just what the hell did he think he was doing?
Maybe that's why some religions are in crisis now: the awakening means that more people are rejecting the old idea of the judgmental git up there who's paranoid to a fault, demands absolute obeisance, and terrorises and tortures anyone who doesn't toe the 'party' line. Now we're beginning to question the whole con trick that some religions have perpetuated about existence and see that they've got it wrong.
Me -I wouldn't 'be still and know that I am God'. I claim the right to know God and contact him/her and claim the inalienable right to know what's going on. I believe that this desire is what prompted Bob, Bruce and all of us here to explore and not take the excuses that 'we're not worthy', 'we don't have the right', we cannot make and informed decision' etc, etc ad nauseam.
OH YES WE ARE, YES WE DO, AND YES WE CAN.
We have the right to question, to seek information and experience. Any supposed supreme being who cannot grant this is a fake.

Thanks for the posting,
Best wishes,

David.

Any information we seek leads to growth. There are those who learn by example, those who learn by rote and those who learn by experience. No one learns by blindly following "the rules".

Although I agree with this statement in one sense, it also occurs to me -- where is the freedom for those who are persecuted, whoever or whatever they might be? What is 'free' about being overpowered by a being or societal 'force' which has more strength? I don't expect this to be answered, and am mostly just talking to myself here. But, if you don't believe in a "God" and accept your role as a "child", how do you reconcile yourself to those who have unfair advantage over others?

heisenberg69 wrote on Dec 1^st, 2010 at 3:30pm:


If that were the case what about Hitler and the infinite need for his soul to be developed? 

Hi Beau.... but if we knew we were actors playing a part would'nt that take the drama i.e  out of our life's performance (and therefore changing our 'performance')?!

I don't think Hitler (for example) had the awareness to know that he was playing a part. Maybe that self-awareness only comes when you have grown sufficiently to aquire it. Self-aware people, I would suggest (and hope !) , don't go around killing people ! 

Is this something we can prove here or do we just have to go on faith until we can understand more fully when we finally leave the physical ? I think the suffering we see/hear all about us is in the earth-life system is a big problem for many people and any light, such as you illuminated above, helps make some sense of it all.