Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!mips!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: uriel@oak.circa.ufl.edu (Scott Whitmore) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: An atheist's question Message-ID: Date: 28 Oct 90 08:17:18 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: University of Florida CIRCA VAX Cluster Lines: 53 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article , duncant@mbunix.mitre.org (Thomson) writes: >I don't know if you'll want to discuss this on your group, but I am really >interested in how Christians will answer this question, so here goes... I can only hope I don't let you down. >[bloodbath story deleted] >My question is this: How can events such as these be reconciled with >the christian notion of a god who is both omnipotent and benevolent? >It seems to me impossible to accept that an all-powerful god could allow >a child to be murdered in such a brutal way. If any person had the power >to prevent such an atrocity, and failed to act, in my opinion such a person >would be completely dispicable. > This is a question that I have seen very few Christians answer satisfactorily. I see it this way: the world is an evil place, period; the only thing that could change that is God coming down and wiping out ALL evil (not just "brutal" events). The reason why God hasn't done that is because if He did, when evil was wiped out, so all of us would be wiped out too... or at least all of us who had not as of yet come to know Him and be saved. God would like to rescue all the rescueable people before blasting everyone else to ashes like they deserve. In the meantime, God can use tragedy and pain to do good for people if they choose to let Him do so... reading a bloodbath story could potentially lead you to understand the evil nature of the world and strengthen your resolve to oppose it, or it could lead you to gain greater compassion toward those who are involved in tragedy. Or it could cause you to turn to Him directly to avoid being a casualty of evil. And what about the victims of that bloodbath? Well, to be blunt, everyone has to die sometime, somehow. >Is there an answer? ("The Lord Works in Mysterious Ways" does not hack it >with me.) > Nor with me. Saying "It's God's will that these people were murdered!" is a gross misrepresentation. Sure, God allows people to suffer loss... and if you, being human, can feel for those victims, then how much more does He feel for them, His children?... but better they should suffer such temporal loss than suffer a swift and sure eternal loss. I hope that makes some sense... Scott ========================================================================== Scott Whitmore | Me? Represent the University of Florida? Ha! uriel@maple.circa.ufl.edu | "Believe the unbelievable; 24-510 Tolbert Hall | Come be a fool as well." University of Florida | -- Michael Card Gainesville,FL 32612 | "God's Own Fool" ==========================================================================