Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!sdd.hp.com!wuarchive!bcm!dimacs.rutgers.edu!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: arm@Neon.Stanford.EDU (Alexander d Macalalad) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: An atheist's question Message-ID: Date: 9 Nov 90 05:32:01 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Organization: Computer Science Department, Stanford University Lines: 47 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu In article kevinc@sequent.uucp (Kevin Closson) writes: > 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, I hear a lot of anger and cynicism in your post, and if I had the picture of God which you paint, I would be angry as well. I think, though, that you are missing the point of the book of Job. I read Job to mean that it is all right to feel anger and betrayal against God. That is how we are built, and that is a part of being human. What it condemns is the response of denial, where we cover up our feelings with phrases like "I must have done something wrong to deserve this" or "this is the will of God". Now it might be true, but it is no reason mask our feelings. Look closely at whom God punishes and whom He rewards. Everyone will feel pain and suffering at some point in life, and everyone will die. There is no escape. I don't mean to be trite, either, but who said that life is fair? Actually, I am happy that life isn't fair, since we would otherwise be damned, for no one deserves salvation. Pain and suffering, just like any experience in the process of life, is an invitation for us to deepen our relationship with God, and the book of Job shows how this is true. Only in acknowledging and offering up our suffering and our consequent feelings can God enter into our lives and enrich us with His grace. I have started working with people living with HIV disease, and I am continually struck by how much life some of them have, and in talking with them, I can see how God has worked in them as they learn to accept their disease and continue living. They have many lessons on living that they could and do teach others. I am sure that this is true with other terminal patients as well. Now some people's conception of God and spirituality may be very different from the traditional Christian conception, and indeed some of the most spiritual people I know are self-described atheists. But each person has a unique relationship with God, and no matter what the relationship is, if it is approached with an open mind and an eye towards truth and not denial, then God can enter into that relationship. Witnessing His work and His healing firsthand and through others only strengthens my faith in Him. Alex Macalalad