Topic: The problem of evil
How can the Bible be true when we know that there are babies who die, and people get cancer and are killed by Tsunamis ? If God is in “control of everything” how do you account for pain and suffering that seems to have been caused by Him ?
This question has been asked for a long time and there are no easy answers. The short answer is this:
In order for things like love, freedom and enjoyment to exist, there must necessarily be pain, evil and suffering.
Ok, that being said we also have to establish this: what will be the basis for our truth ? The question is not : “ what is truth ? “ but a better question is : “ where do we go to find truth ? “ The El Paso times ? Inside of ourselves ? God’s word ? What will we accept as an authoritative word on life ? I am convinced of the truth of God’s word and here are some thoughts from the Bible that specifically address the question of pain and suffering in the world:
# 1 Isaiah 45: 6-7 “ I am the Lord, there is no other; besides Me there is no God. ( I am) the One forming light and creating darkness, causing well being and creating calamity; I am the Lord who does all these.”
( comment: God does not apologize for natural disasters but takes responsibility for them.)
# 2 Genesis 6:17 God states that He will bring a flood on the earth to destroy people.
( comment: Even still, He saves Noah and his family.)
#3. Amos 3:6 “ If a calamity occurs in a city has not the Lord done it ? “
( again: The Lord states without apology… “ I brought this about…” )
#4. John 9:1-5 The disciples were walking with Jesus and they came across a blind man and asked Him ( Jesus), “ who sinned, this man or his parents that he should be born blind ? “ Jesus answered: “ It was neither this man nor his parents that sinned, but it was so that the works of God might be displayed in Him.”
#5. Luke 13 A tower fell on some people. Jesus comments: “ Do you think that these people were worse sinners than other people ? I tell you ‘no’ but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
( comment: Jesus really doesn’t answer the question of why this happened. He just says this should motivate us to repent so we are ready for death. )
Ok, there are several verses that seem to make God out to be a mean person, but think about this way. What if you built a house for yourself and then put a guest house out back with a pool ? You invited some friends to stay in your guest house and use your pool. You gave them a hospitality bar that was fully loaded and you paid all of their bills for them. You gave them a car, paid their insurance and provided them with daily meals.
After all this kindness, they begin to come into your house and steal from your wallet. They never clean up after themselves. They even got to the point where they took your debit card and put you in financial bind because of excess spending. They ran up excessive cell phone bills and abused just about everything you gave them. At some point you would say: “ that’ s it “ and kick them out. When you tried to do this, they got so angry they assaulted your daughters and attempted murder on some of your family members.
Needless to say, your relationship with these people would be broken. You might even want to commit acts of violence against them.
I see this world as God’s house. He gave us fruit, vegetables, cattle, sunlight, rain, scenic overlooks ,taste buds, ears, the ability to touch, warm coffee, and pick up basketball games. At the same time, God in His infinite wisdom has said ( about some things) ,
“ these things will hurt you” in the same way a parent says to a child: “ don’t play in the street.”
What have we done with God’s gifts and God’s rules ? We have abused the gifts and broken the rules.
A brief look at world history reveals that some cultures have practiced child sacrifice, bestiality and a whole list of sins that shouldn’t even be described here ( see El Paso Times). The book of John says that Jesus was full of grace and truth. Grace to forgive sin, but truth to say that there are things that are always right and things that are always wrong.
This is an incomplete thought but in the same way that a child cannot always under a spanking, humans cannot understand how God deals with people who reject Him. I cannot explain why God is merciful to some and not others. I don’t have my own answers to why 100,000 people die in the pacific rim because of a tsunami. All I have is what God’s word says. I don’t fully understand the mind of God, and if I could, He would no longer be God.
Summary: You have wisdom that a 2 year old does not have. You tell that child, “ don’t play in the street.” The child doesn’t understand and if he persists in going into the street, the parent spanks the child. We would also say that the punishment rhymes with the crime. God is an infinite being and to sin against Him deserves an infinite punishment. This is the bad news, but it’s not all the Bible has to say about our condition. God has provided a solution to this problem. I believe God’s word teaches that God did punish someone: His own son. Jesus took the punishment that we deserved and offers us a restored relationship with our Creator.
“ The Lord is not slow about His promise, as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish but for all to come to repentance.”
( 2 Peter 3:9)
This relationship that is offered to us cannot be earned by doing good things but is a gift that eliminates all boasting. If salvation were by good works, why would Christ have to suffer and die ?
Afterthoughts:
If you had authority over a group of people ( and you actually created them ) … how are you going to feel when they not only reject you but murder your son ?
If we enjoy love…. then the other side of that is hatred.
3. We have American “lenses” that we interpret events through. Our idea of fairness comes from a Texan, American sense of fairness. Does this line up with what God has written in His word ? I see the issue of “evil and suffering in the world” very much related to our source of truth. What do we think is ultimately true ? Does truth come from our “gut reaction” to what is fair based on our opinion or God’s word ?
4. I am disturbed by the news that “innocent” people died from various causes. But I would seriously question whether they were really “innocent” ? Innocent according to who ? ( The El Paso police dept ? ) Who sets the terms for who is innocent and who is guilty ? If God has revealed His mind to us, what have we done with that revelation ?
Carl
