CYPRESSWOOD CHURCH OF CHRIST

January 23, 2005

 

LIFT UP IN PRAYER:

Our congregation                                       Our college students

 

Various friends, relatives and co-workers                   David and Leon in the Navy

 

Our nation, leaders and military          Carole Berry has started chemo treatments

 

 

GOD, SUFFERING AND ATHEISTS

 

"The fool says in his heart, 'There is no God..." (Psalm 14:1).

 

the recent disaster in the Indian Ocean has raised the usual questions about a loving God allowing this to happen.  there have been a number of comments made concerning this event.  One Anglican official had difficulty in finding comfort in scripture, and in responding to the questioning of atheists.  Atheists continue to raise the same questions: "Why did a loving God do this?" and "How can one believe in such a God?"  There are those who think that God had a hand in this and that we must look at the redemptive activity of God in order to grasp some of what such an event means.  "This is God judging people" is another idea that is expressed.  Two Jews and a number of Christians think that god set the natural order into motion and that this is, as well as storms, etc., natures way.  How do we explain all the suffering and Pain?  So what are we to think?

 

First, God is the ruler of the universe.  He has a plan of redemption for His creation.  We must keep in mind however that while god has chosen to reveal to us some of who He is in scripture and in His son, Jesus Christ, He has not revealed everything about Himself.  He works in mysterious ways (see Romans 11:33-36).  Before we either take God out of the picture or put Him into the picture, we must keep this in mind.  We have no special insight into the activities of God.  consider Job who did not know what was happening behind the scenes (chapters 1 and 2).  That being said, we have some texts that we need to look at.  Moses writes a song in which he says  that god wanted the Israelites to know that when calamities come, it is He who brings them (Deuteronomy 32:19-27).  One of the things said is that God didn't want others taking the credit for what He did (vs. 27).  Yet he will be merciful to His people as well (vs. 37).  Amos has a similar idea.  In judging Israel, God causes pain and suffering for the sins of His people (chapter 4).  These are difficult texts.  One thing we can learn is that nothing happens that god isn't involved in them.  I don't claim to understand it all; faith is trusting that God knows what He is doing.

 

Next, the atheist questions why we would believe in a God who allows such suffering and pain. One thing needs to be said here; there is a difference between suffering and punishment.  Not all suffering is punishment.  And in punishment, innocent people suffer because of the sins of others.  An atheist will have a difficult time with that.  I heard a definition that might be helpful here from Dennis prager, a radio talk show host out of Los Angeles and a observant Jew.  he was quoting a friend when he said, "The believer in God has to account for evil and suffering.  The unbeliever has to account for everything else - love, good, music, oceans, humans (1/5/05).  Michael Novak in addressing this same issue stated that the atheist wants us to come down to his level of unbelief.  It is interesting that the atheist blames One he claims not to believe in. 

 

If there is evil and suffering in this world, there is also good.  Just look at the response in money and manpower that has been sent to the Indian Ocean.  Look at the response of various private Christian organizations.  Much of the response of the United States has a Biblical base that might not be recognized by many: love your neighbor.  We do not see Muslims, people of color, Hindus, and any number of other beliefs in that area; we see people who need help.  We are not expecting approval from them, though some politicians who live for approval are ting to make a case for that.  We are doing what is right and good.  The atheist will have to explain that.

 

Look at the universe.  The atheist only sees the universe as all that there is, at least according to one famous scientist.  In order to avoid anything approaching a Creator behind it all, they call it all an accident.  their theory becomes faith.  Their faith is that we are all an accident, a machine, and that survival is only for the fittest.  so if thousands die in a tsunami, then they were just weak.  What basis would they have to help?  "It is the right thing to do?"  But right implies a standard, and that there is also wrong.  Where does that come from?  let them explain an even more difficult situation, love toward one's enemy.  When those  who would destroy us are involved in a catastrophe, we send help.  The opposite does not happen.  In fact, we rarely hear of any offering to send help to us when we suffer through hurricanes and other events.  They say nice words but there are no actions.  The secularism of Europe cannot even find time to help their own suffering people.  consider France in the summer of 2003 when over eleven thousand citizens died in a heat wave.  Where was the government?  Where was the United nations?  then there are the Muslims.  It took pressure from other countries for the Muslims to send cash to the Indian ocean areas though a number of them are populated by Muslims.  And when Israel offered to send help in the form of manpower, it was refused because they were Jews.  All this needs to be explained by the atheist.

 

finally, how do we handle suffering, evil and punishment?  there is is in this world and that must be recognized.  We call it good and evil.  As a result, there will be suffering as well.  Not all suffering is punishment.  Children died in the tsunami.  They were innocent.  Others were left parentless.  We understand the pain and want to do something about it.  According to Paul, creation suffers because of human sin (see Romans 8:18-23).  I don't understand all that but accept it.  concerning god I do not want to have a deist position that thinks that God is out there uninvolved.  So rather I mean that God is involved and is present in the midst of suffering and yes, punishment.  What does that mean? That the tsunami was punishment on those people?  I do not know.  I do know that whatever the reason, god's redemptive activity is involved.  That is what is important.  And before some complain about an unloving god, consider that He sent His Son to suffer and die on the cross.  He knows and understands what suffering a and pain is, Jesus being a sin offering for us (see 2 Corinthians 5:21).  This must be kept in mind in this discussion.

 

                                                                                                              George B. Mearns

 

Let me recommend the following books.  Celebrating the Wrath of God, The Power To See It Through, and Life On The Ash Heap by Jim McGuiggan.  Also Yet Will I Trust Him and Anchors for the Soul by John Mark Hicks.  McGuiggan's "Celebrating" and Hicks "Yet" are in depth scholarly works that require study but are really worth the effort.  The others are written for a general audience and have many gems in them.