MARK KILLINGER, West Richland

Why does God permit evil? This question arises every time a large-scale malevolent tragedy occurs, like the horrible murder of adults and even children in a Connecticut elementary school.

The answer is that rather than making puppets, God has granted each of us the freedom to make choices, good or bad. All of us have made bad choices, like when we do something selfish that hurts someone. The difference between our sin and that of a mass murderer is degree, not kind. If God were to wipe out evil, where would all of us be?

Violent crime has risen in the United States by 460 percent since 1960. Also during that time, we have pushed God out of public schools, government and media. When people are taught that we are mere products of random physical events with no responsibility to a creator who defines good and evil, the frequency of malevolent tragedies increases.

There is only one remedy -- look no further than the babe in the manger who became the Savior. Only He can transform each one of us to be more like the Prince of Peace.