Hi Seminole,
I totally hear what you're saying. When you begin to grasp an understanding of God's Sovereignty, these kind of questions inevitably come up. It's seems beyond human reasoning why such evil must exist in the world, and is God ultimately responsible??
I'm still learning too, but so far, I think some of the things that I'm pretty sure of is that the evils perpetrated by some of these mass murderers etc. come from the heart of the man, and not from the heart of God. It is man's heart that is desperately wicked. (Jer 17:9) God does not take any pleasure in wicked deeds:
Jeremiah 32:35 And they built the high places of Baal, in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to Molech; which I did not command them, nor did it come into My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
However, God did create us as marred vessels, subject to the lusts of the flesh and I don't think he is surprised at anything man is capable of. For this He takes responsibility. I believe He foreknows every act that man will do in response to the circumstances he is given.
So we must experience the knowledge of good and evil. Now, at what point at either end of the spectrum should there be restraint? If we do not experience or see examples of the extreme evil man is capable of, do we then miss out on completely grasping an understanding or appreciation of the other end of the spectrum, extreme goodness (which we have yet to experience)? It seems to me, that it is not in God's heart/mind that these extreme evil acts should be committed, but it is in God's great plan, and I trust that every detail is necessary for our ultimate understanding of what it means to be "like" God, created in His image, knowing both good and evil. For though God is surely not evil in any way, nonetheless, He would have a complete understanding of everything that is opposite to Himself, and He likely requires us to have this same understanding, to become beings that will be like Him, part of His family.
Understanding and knowing God is aionious (eternal) life....that would include being mature enough to understand both ends of the spectrum of the knowledge of good and evil. By God's grace, we do not all have to commit extreme acts of evil to see the awful consequences. He has left it to the vessels of dishonour to "teach" us these things by example. I am so thankful I'm not some horrible monster capable of torturing children, but I'm humbled into acknowledging that had God orchestrated similar circumstances into my life, and appointed me to be a vessel of dishonor, I, too could have fallen prey to such extreme pulls of the dark flesh.
I am reading this book on how to understand the "strong-willed" child, in there the author gives examples of some child abuse cases he has come across....one example is given of a mother who takes a razor blade to her 4 year olds eyes, and now he is blind of course....this and other examples had me weeping for hours and crying out to God: "Lord I just don't understand!!!" As a mother I am appalled that people are capable of such things....
So at what point is it enough? Only God knows. But I also know he will not give us more than we can bear:
1 Corinthians 10:13 No temptation has taken you but what is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted above what you are able, but with the temptation also will make a way to escape, so that you may be able to bear it.
May God give us all eyes and ears to see and understand God's great plan...for surely sometimes it certainly does feel like it is more than we can bear...
Peace to you,
Diana