Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: kevinc@sequent.uucp (Kevin Closson) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: An atheist's question Message-ID: Date: 8 Nov 90 02:29:11 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 46 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article gschwend@smdvx1.intel.com (Greg Schwendinger) writes: >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 This notion of "freedom of choice" is an awful cute line, but come on. Who had the freedom of choice here? >are imperfect and so is their use of this gift. Here the gunmen seem to >have chosen immorally. Yeah, and the question is still without an answer. The gunmen chose.... What about the dead? Is God willing to let their lives go to see if the gunmen will make the choice - he knows they wont? What a game! A good friend of our family was just diagnosed with cancer all over her body. This woman has lived an unbelievably devout life. Yeah, yeah Job had it rough. No time to be trite here. The account of Job's problems is a nice example of how noble hindsight is! The woman I know has to face her family after each Chemo-torture and uphold her mind-set that this is the "Will of God". Give me a break! Right, some Denominations will con- tend that this is the work of Satan, as God has permitted it! What a deal. God creates the life of this woman, knows from birth that He will eventually allow Satan to torture her and kill her? Or will the prayers of all involved change his mind? -- Kevin Closson Sequent Technical Support Database/Layered Products x83072