Expert: John Willemsens aka Advayavadananda - 10/31/2005

Question
My questions are less about the technical aspects of Buddhism and more about your personal beliefs on evil and God from your relgious poin of view. If you feel like you can not answer these questions please email me back. Thank You for your help.
Brie
1. Why is there evil in the world?
2. Why is there so much horrible in the world? Wouldn't just a little evil provide humans with the opportunity to grow and learn?
3. Why would an all-powerful, all loving God allow evil in the world?
4. Do you believe in an intervening God? If so, why does this Divine not intervene when there is a great injustice? (holocaust, baby dying, genetic diseases) Then why does he intervene in trivial affairs? (ex. good grade on a test) Does this seem a little capricious? If you do not believe that God is intervening why not?
5. Do you believe in the fall of human kind by the disobedience of Adam and Eve? If so is it fair that there is such suffering in the world due to Adam and eve disobeying God by eating an apple? If you dont believe this was the fall og human kind, do you believe we had one and if so what was it? If not why not?
6. Why do such bad things happen to good people and good things happen to such bad people?
7. What is your personal religious belief?
8. What is your profession?

Answer
Dear Brie,
As an Advayavada Buddhist I do not believe in God, so I cannot help you, but I see there is a lot about theodicy (the vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil) on the Internet.
Kind regards,
Advayavadananda.