Things God Can’t Do

Here I’m gonna dive deep into theological contradictions.

When people think of God, they often envision an omnipotent, all-knowing, and ever-loving being who can do anything and everything. The phrase “God can’t do” sounds almost blasphemous in certain religious circles.

However, when we take a closer look at theology, some contradictions emerge—things that, if we think about it, God seems unable (or unwilling) to do. These contradictions can be troubling, even heartbreaking when you start to grapple with them.

So, let’s dive into the hard stuff and discuss some of these paradoxes that have puzzled believers for centuries.

1. God Can’t Remove Sin Completely

One of the biggest questions in Christianity is: Why can’t God just wipe away all sin? I mean, He’s God, right? Shouldn’t He be able to wave a divine hand and eliminate sin from the world?

Here’s the catch—according to Christian theology, God can’t remove sin completely because no one would feel the need to accept Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of their sins.

Think about it. The entire framework of Christianity is built on the idea that humanity is sinful and in need of salvation through Jesus Christ. If God eradicated sin, the entire basis for needing Jesus would collapse. There would be no reason to seek forgiveness, to pray for redemption, or to even care about salvation.

A world without sin means a world where Jesus’ sacrifice becomes redundant. God needs sin to exist, otherwise the need for the Gospel, for Christ’s death and resurrection, falls apart. The problem is that while this might make sense within the theology, it also paints God into a corner. He can’t remove sin, because doing so would essentially undermine the entire point of Christianity.

This leads to a tough question: If God loves humanity so much, why can’t He find a way to remove sin without stripping away free will or the need for Jesus?

Why does the forgiveness of sin have to be tied to such a brutal and bloody history? These are questions theologians have debated for centuries, and they don’t have easy answers.

2. God Can’t Stop a Rape or Any Other Crime

One of the most gut-wrenching issues with belief in an all-powerful God is the existence of evil, especially when it’s so personal and devastating. When we hear about tragedies like rape, murder, or abuse, the natural question is: Why didn’t God stop it? If God is both loving and all-powerful, why would He allow such horrifying things to happen to innocent people?

Here’s the answer you often get in religious circles: free will. God gave humans the ability to choose, and that includes choosing to do horrible things to one another. The argument is that if God stepped in every time someone was about to commit a crime, then free will wouldn’t exist. Humans would be like puppets, incapable of making their own decisions.

But here’s the thing—why does free will have to come at such a devastating cost? Why can’t God intervene in situations where the stakes are so high? Does the rapist’s free will really matter more than the victim’s suffering?

That’s a question many religious folks avoid or gloss over, but for a lot of people, it’s a make-or-break issue in their faith. The idea that God can’t—or won’t—stop heinous crimes shakes the core of what many people believe about a loving and just deity.

3. God Can’t Stop Poverty and Slavery

We hear a lot about God’s concern for the poor and the oppressed, yet poverty and slavery have existed for millennia. Why can’t God stop them? If He’s all-powerful, what’s the hold-up? Shouldn’t a compassionate and loving God want to step in and end suffering on such a massive scale?

One argument is that poverty and slavery are the result of human greed and corruption—again, free will comes into play. The idea is that God allows people to make their own decisions, even if those decisions lead to exploitation and suffering. According to this line of thought, God doesn’t force humans to act justly, but He does give them guidelines (like the Bible) on how to live righteously.

However, this doesn’t explain why God doesn’t intervene in more extreme cases. Why doesn’t He step in to prevent a child from being born into a life of starvation, or a woman from being trafficked into modern-day slavery? The existence of poverty and slavery raises the same uncomfortable question: Does free will matter more to God than human suffering?

Moreover, many religious texts, including the Bible, have passages that seem to condone or even support slavery. While modern interpretations often try to explain these passages away as “historical context,” the fact remains that God could have laid down the law and said, “No slavery, ever, under any circumstances.” But He didn’t. This adds another layer of complexity to the question of what God can or can’t do—or perhaps more accurately, what God chooses to allow.

4. God Can’t Save the Scapegoat from Dying in the Mosque

Let’s move beyond Christianity for a moment and look at other religious practices that raise moral dilemmas. In certain interpretations of Islam, the concept of sacrifice—particularly animal sacrifice—is seen as a way to please God or atone for sins. The idea is that by offering a scapegoat, believers can appease God’s anger or earn His forgiveness.

But here’s the uncomfortable question: why does God need a scapegoat in the first place? Why does a living creature have to die to make God happy or forgiving? If God is truly all-loving and all-merciful, shouldn’t He be able to forgive sins without demanding a blood sacrifice?

This isn’t just an issue in Islam, of course. Christianity has a similar practice in the form of Jesus’ sacrifice. But in both cases, the question remains: Why is death required to make things right with God? Couldn’t an all-powerful deity find a more compassionate way to forgive?

The truth is, the idea of a scapegoat—whether literal or symbolic—raises troubling questions about divine justice. It makes God seem more like a bloodthirsty tyrant who demands a sacrifice in order to forgive, rather than a loving parent who is always ready to forgive without the need for violence. If God is so powerful, why does He need these rituals at all?

5. God Can’t Eliminate Doubt

One of the most challenging aspects of faith is doubt. Even the most devout believers experience moments of uncertainty, where they question God’s existence, goodness, or plan. If God is all-powerful, why doesn’t He just eliminate doubt? Wouldn’t it be easier if everyone had an unshakable belief in His existence and His purpose? After all, doubt can be crippling, leading to anxiety, fear, and even the abandonment of faith.

But here’s the rub: doubt seems to be a fundamental part of the human experience. The Bible even tells stories of doubt from some of its most prominent figures, like Thomas, who famously demanded to see the wounds of the resurrected Jesus before he would believe. If God eliminated doubt, would faith have the same meaning? Many religious leaders argue that belief without doubt isn’t really belief at all—it’s knowledge. The idea is that faith requires a leap, a choice, in the face of uncertainty.

However, this brings up another question: why make faith such a guessing game? Why doesn’t God make His presence more obvious, if He truly wants everyone to believe? The fact that God doesn’t eliminate doubt—and even seems to allow it—raises questions about His intentions. It’s almost as if God wants people to wrestle with their belief, but this struggle can lead to pain and confusion, causing many to turn away from faith entirely. So, in a sense, God can’t—or won’t—remove doubt, because it’s woven into the fabric of what it means to believe.

6. God Can’t Make Everyone Happy

One of the great paradoxes of life is that no matter what happens, someone will always be unhappy. Whether it’s global events, personal relationships, or religious experiences, there’s no scenario where everyone gets what they want. So, if God is supposed to be all-powerful and loving, why can’t He make everyone happy? Isn’t that within His divine power?

The common explanation is that God allows suffering and unhappiness for a greater purpose—perhaps to teach us something or to develop our character. But when you really think about it, this feels a bit like a cop-out. Why should a loving God allow widespread suffering just to teach some kind of lesson? Couldn’t He accomplish the same goal without putting people through intense pain and hardship?

Furthermore, happiness is often tied to conflicting desires. One person’s happiness might be another person’s misery. For example, if two people are competing for the same promotion, only one can get the job, leaving the other disappointed. In this case, God can’t make both people happy. This reveals a limitation not only in God’s ability to act but also in the very structure of the world. Life is full of trade-offs, and it seems that even God can’t reconcile the contradictions inherent in human desires.

7. God Can’t End Death

One of the most painful and universal experiences in life is death. It’s the great equalizer—no matter who you are, where you come from, or what you believe, death is inevitable. And yet, most religious traditions, including Christianity, promise eternal life or some kind of afterlife. So, if God has the power to grant eternal life, why can’t He end death in this world?

In the Christian tradition, death is often explained as a consequence of sin. According to the Bible, death entered the world because of Adam and Eve’s disobedience in the Garden of Eden. While Jesus’ resurrection is said to offer hope for eternal life, physical death remains a reality for everyone. The question is: why doesn’t God just eliminate death altogether?

Some believers argue that death is necessary for humans to appreciate life. Others suggest that death is a doorway to something better, a transition into the afterlife. But this raises another troubling question: why create a world where death is a part of the process at all? If God truly has the power to conquer death, why not just create humans who live forever from the start? The existence of death as an unavoidable part of life suggests a limitation in God’s design—or at the very least, a willingness to allow pain and loss as part of the human experience.

In the end, the reality of death—and God’s inability or unwillingness to prevent it—forces us to confront the harshest aspects of existence. Whether you view death as a natural part of life, a punishment for sin, or a mystery beyond human comprehension, it remains one of the most profound questions in theology.

The Bigger Picture: Why These Contradictions Matter

So, what do we make of all this? We’ve looked at a few major areas where it seems like God can’t—or won’t—act in the ways we would expect from an all-powerful, all-loving deity. Each of these points raises significant questions about the nature of God, free will, and the problem of evil.

For many believers, these contradictions are simply accepted as part of the mystery of faith. The idea is that God’s ways are higher than our ways, and we just have to trust that He has a plan, even if it doesn’t make sense to us.

But for others, these contradictions are enough to shake or even shatter their faith. If God can’t—or won’t—stop suffering, what kind of God is He?

For skeptics, these contradictions are proof that the concept of God, at least as it’s traditionally understood, doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. The existence of evil, the need for sacrifice, and the persistence of suffering all point to a God who is either not as powerful or not as good as we’ve been led to believe. And if that’s the case, maybe it’s time to rethink the whole idea of God altogether.

Final Thoughts: Can We Reconcile These Issues?

At the end of the day, the question of what God can or can’t do is deeply personal. Some people will continue to believe, trusting that God’s plan is bigger than their understanding. Others will walk away, unable to reconcile these contradictions with the idea of a loving, all-powerful deity.

What’s clear, though, is that these questions aren’t going away. As long as people continue to suffer, to question, and to seek meaning, we’ll keep asking: Why can’t God stop the pain? Why can’t He remove sin, end crime, and save the scapegoat? And, perhaps most importantly, does the God we believe in really exist in the way we think He does?

These are tough questions, and they don’t have easy answers. But they’re worth asking, because how we think about God shapes how we think about the world—and how we live in it.

Whether you’re a believer or a skeptic, grappling with these contradictions can lead to a deeper understanding of faith, morality, and what it means to be human. And maybe, just maybe, it can lead to a world where we don’t need to ask these questions anymore.