Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: gschwend@smdvx1.intel.com (Greg Schwendinger) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: An atheist's question Message-ID: Date: 5 Nov 90 09:49:14 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Intel Corporation, Santa Clara, CA Lines: 26 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 Might as well. >I read a story in the news yesterday about the killing of a politician >and his family in Lebanon. Gunmen came into his house, and shot him a few (more gruesome details...) >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? In this case, the answer seems to lie in the freedom of choice that we Christians believe that God has bestowed on each of us. I personally believe that this gift was a wonderful and generous one. However, humans are imperfect and so is their use of this gift. Here the gunmen seem to have chosen immorally. A harder case would have been one seemingly out of anyone's control; e.g., natural disasters that destroy lives. Here I don't pretend to comprehend God or his motives, but I know that some people have more trouble assuming this position on these issues than me. Peace, Greg