God and Evil

[George Affleck]

"IF god were real, why would he spend so much time in white America answering the minutia of prayer he receives while leaving so many millions to starve to death or watch their children starve?"

This is a quote from MrDeets blogpost which seems to me to be the essence of a long unanswered difficulty he struggled with. This is a reasonable question and a real issue for many and can be used effectively by Satan if left unanswered.

I encourage all serious, biblical/theological input.

 

[Hawkins]

If you are starved, you won't be able to sin. Satan and his horde won't keep an eye on you. They will spare you to lead others to sin. They thus won't be able to accuse you of anything on the Judgment Day.

Now who are watching you starving? It is the rich people in the rich countries watching the poor people in poor countries starved without lending a helping hand.

Rich country should allow the immigration of poor people from poor countries instead of watching them die. Politically they won't do it, as this may decrease the living standard of a rich country and politicians will lose votes if they try to do so.

Politicians thus prefer to watching people in Africa die than to losing votes. People in rich countries prefer to keeping their living standard than to lending a helping hand.

God doesn't need to watch the starved as long as Satan doesn't try to claim their souls. God will have to watch those in the rich countries or else Satan will accuse them of murdering starved people by watching them die without doing anything.

 

[fishrovmen]

There seems to be much speculation in that one quote.
How do we know how many people in "white America" pray to the one true God of our Lord Jesus Christ? How do we know what they pray for and if they pray in faith without doubting?
How many people in other countries pray to the same God for their starving children and family members?
How do we know if God has answered anyones prayers unless we get the answer we want?
There will always be a mystery about the presence of evil, but we can trust in the one true God and His son Jesus Christ that everything has a purpose, even if we can't in these weak bodies understand.
I probably did a poor job, but I gave this my best at this time.

 

[6days]

"IF god were real, why would he spend so much time in white America answering the minutia of prayer he receives while leaving so many millions to starve to death or watch their children starve?"

This is a quote from MrDeets blogpost which seems to me to be the essence of a long unanswered difficulty he struggled with. This is a reasonable question and a real issue for many and can be used effectively by Satan if left unanswered.

I encourage all serious, biblical/theological input.

Excellent thread, and a great question!

*Why is there so much suffering?*

*Where is God when a 5 year old slowly starves to death?

*Where is a God when a 9 year old girl is raped and murdered?

*Why did God let gramma die?

Or even questions like....
*Why did God let that lion eat the baby zebra while it's mommy watched?

An fellow evangelist and friend of Billy Grahams, Charles Templeton, walked away from faith over unanswered questions like those above. *You have to wonder how differently things might have been had he been more grounded in scripture....had he been brave enough to put his questions to others.*

Even though Templeton was not grounded in scripture, he pastored a large church and drew thousands to crusade meetings.He was considered by some to be a better evangelist than Billy. But.... Templeton was encouraged to get more education and become better grounded in scripture. He attended Princeton...sort of a Christian university at that time. However, Princeton University was teaching a compromised gospel...fitting millions of years of pain, death and suffering into scripture - before sin. Templeton later came to Billy and said *"But, Billy, it’s simply not possible any longer to believe, for instance, the biblical account of creation. The world wasn’t created over a period of days a few thousand years ago; it has evolved over millions of years. It’s not a matter of speculation; it’s demonstrable fact."

Templeton himself explains why questions about suffering drove him from faith..... "Nature is, in Tennyson’s vivid phrase, ‘red in tooth and claw,’ and life is a carnival of blood....How could a loving and omnipotent God create such horrors as we have been contemplating?". I think Templeton question, like those of MrDeets in the OP, is a major point of attack by Satan in today's world. Christian parents, grandparents, church workers etc should be doing everything possible to make sure our youth receive good apologetic teaching. No compromise!!

So why do we have suffering? *Death and suffering entered our world only after Adam sinned. We live in a world that is cursed. (Read Genesis). *A more idyllic picture of a world without sin and suffering can be found in verses like Isaiah 11:6 "In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all." *As believers, we know we live in a creation that has been corrupted, but we look forward to a time God has promised...."He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."Rev. 21:4

 

[genuineoriginal]

How many people in other countries pray to the same God for their starving children and family members?

I think the answer to this question is the key to answering the OP.

 

[George Affleck]

If you are starved, you won't be able to sin. Satan and his horde won't keep an eye on you. They will spare you to lead others to sin. They thus won't be able to accuse you of anything on the Judgment Day.

Now who are watching you starving? It is the rich people in the rich countries watching the poor people in poor countries starved without lending a helping hand.

Rich country should allow the immigration of poor people from poor countries instead of watching them die. Politically they won't do it, as this may decrease the living standard of a rich country and politicians will lose votes if they try to do so.

Politicians thus prefer to watching people in Africa die than to losing votes. People in rich countries prefer to keeping their living standard than to lending a helping hand.

God doesn't need to watch the starved as long as Satan doesn't try to claim their souls. God will have to watch those in the rich countries or else Satan will accuse them of murdering starved people by watching them die without doing anything.

Fairly convoluted comment and, I suspect, not what we are looking for here.
Thanks though.

 

[George Affleck]

Excellent thread, and a great question!

*Why is there so much suffering?*

*Where is God when a 5 year old slowly starves to death?

*Where is a God when a 9 year old girl is raped and murdered?

*Why did God let gramma die?

Or even questions like....
*Why did God let that lion eat the baby zebra while it's mommy watched?

An fellow evangelist and friend of Billy Grahams, Charles Templeton, walked away from faith over unanswered questions like those above. *You have to wonder how differently things might have been had he been more grounded in scripture....had he been brave enough to put his questions to others.*

Even though Templeton was not grounded in scripture, he pastored a large church and drew thousands to crusade meetings.He was considered by some to be a better evangelist than Billy. But.... Templeton was encouraged to get more education and become better grounded in scripture. He attended Princeton...sort of a Christian university at that time. However, Princeton University was teaching a compromised gospel...fitting millions of years of pain, death and suffering into scripture - before sin. Templeton later came to Billy and said *"But, Billy, it’s simply not possible any longer to believe, for instance, the biblical account of creation. The world wasn’t created over a period of days a few thousand years ago; it has evolved over millions of years. It’s not a matter of speculation; it’s demonstrable fact."

Templeton himself explains why questions about suffering drove him from faith..... "Nature is, in Tennyson’s vivid phrase, ‘red in tooth and claw,’ and life is a carnival of blood....How could a loving and omnipotent God create such horrors as we have been contemplating?". I think Templeton question, like those of MrDeets in the OP, is a major point of attack by Satan in today's world. Christian parents, grandparents, church workers etc should be doing everything possible to make sure our youth receive good apologetic teaching. No compromise!!

So why do we have suffering? *Death and suffering entered our world only after Adam sinned. We live in a world that is cursed. (Read Genesis). *A more idyllic picture of a world without sin and suffering can be found in verses like Isaiah 11:6 "In that day the wolf and the lamb will live together; the leopard will lie down with the baby goat. The calf and the yearling will be safe with the lion, and a little child will lead them all." *As believers, we know we live in a creation that has been corrupted, but we look forward to a time God has promised...."He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever."Rev. 21:4

Good post.
You have faithfully presented the Bible's explanation of "how?".
But what about the "why?"

Why, if He can, doesn't He in the here and now?

 

[George Affleck]

There seems to be much speculation in that one quote.
How do we know how many people in "white America" pray to the one true God of our Lord Jesus Christ? How do we know what they pray for and if they pray in faith without doubting?
How many people in other countries pray to the same God for their starving children and family members?
How do we know if God has answered anyones prayers unless we get the answer we want?
There will always be a mystery about the presence of evil, but we can trust in the one true God and His son Jesus Christ that everything has a purpose, even if we can't in these weak bodies understand.
I probably did a poor job, but I gave this my best at this time.

I agree with you about the speculation part. There are "niggling" points that we could criticize but I am ignoring these because of the bigger question which is valid.

I also agree with the mystery part. We cannot, and will never, comprehend the infinite purposes of God.

But there are answers! C'mon people; you can do better than that!

Why?

 

[patrick jane]

"IF god were real, why would he spend so much time in white America answering the minutia of prayer he receives while leaving so many millions to starve to death or watch their children starve?"

This is a quote from MrDeets blogpost which seems to me to be the essence of a long unanswered difficulty he struggled with. This is a reasonable question and a real issue for many and can be used effectively by Satan if left unanswered.

I encourage all serious, biblical/theological input.

All I can say is that there is a harsh, cruel and unfair existence on earth for the majority of all that ever lived, At the same time, the good always outweighs the bad overall.

There are immeasurable details about life that make no logical sense. I hold that this life is a blink of an eye and no matter how much pain and suffering we endure it will be so insignificant once we are with the Lord. Sure we can focus on all the brutal realities and lose sight of Jesus, and that is what satan wants, doubt and unbelief.

 

[George Affleck]

For example, why did he allow misery to befall Job?

Indeed, Why did He decree that His only begotten Son should suffer a horrible death?

 

[George Affleck]

All I can say is that there is a harsh, cruel and unfair existence on earth for the majority of all that ever lived, At the same time, the good always outweighs the bad overall.

There are immeasurable details about life that make no logical sense. I hold that this life is a blink of an eye and no matter how much pain and suffering we endure it will be so insignificant once we are with the Lord. Sure we can focus on all the brutal realities and lose sight of Jesus, and that is what satan wants, doubt and unbelief.

Great insight PJ.

 

[patrick jane]

I forgot to mention God is not to blame or responsible for evil, death, or starvation.

God did not create evil and never will.

 

[Eeset]

"IF god were real, why would he spend so much time in white America answering the minutia of prayer he receives while leaving so many millions to starve to death or watch their children starve?"

This is a quote from MrDeets blogpost which seems to me to be the essence of a long unanswered difficulty he struggled with. This is a reasonable question and a real issue for many and can be used effectively by Satan if left unanswered.

I encourage all serious, biblical/theological input.

Seriously? "If god were real" is a poor way to phrase the question. What he is asking is in essence ... why does God spend so much time in white America ... The answer is that God doesn't. And let's continue with the millions starving paradigm. Why do people think God cares about the challenges of material incarnation? That is really rather silly. Do you think that you learn any more in a well fed luxurious life than in a starvation existence?

 

[George Affleck]

Seriously? "If god were real" is a poor way to phrase the question. What he is asking is in essence ... why does God spend so much time in white America ... The answer is that God doesn't. And let's continue with the millions starving paradigm. Why do people think God cares about the challenges of material incarnation? That is really rather silly. Do you think that you learn any more in a well fed luxurious life than in a starvation existence?

Eeset, are you saying that God does not care about the challenges the poor and starving experience in this material incarnation?

 

[George Affleck]

A question needs to be asked of those who challenge the reality of a good and loving God based on the evil that happens in our broken world.

How much of the bad that happens would have to disappear to make that person change their mind and acknowledge that there must be a God after all?

 

[Totton Linnet]

"IF god were real, why would he spend so much time in white America answering the minutia of prayer he receives while leaving so many millions to starve to death or watch their children starve?"

This is a quote from MrDeets blogpost which seems to me to be the essence of a long unanswered difficulty he struggled with. This is a reasonable question and a real issue for many and can be used effectively by Satan if left unanswered.

I encourage all serious, biblical/theological input.

White Americans and Europeans failed to tell everyone that the prosperity they enjoy comes from the gospel, is part of the gospel.

They fail to understand it themselves.....if they had understood it the world could have been won...and the darkness of mind is so deep that ths will not even be considered a serious answer.

 

[glorydaz]

Good post.
You have faithfully presented the Bible's explanation of "how?".
But what about the "why?"

Why, if He can, doesn't He in the here and now?

Because the here and now are but a drop in the bucket of eternity. It's a great mercy when innocents are taken before they suffer too much.

 

[patrick jane]

White Americans and Europeans failed to tell everyone that the prosperity they enjoy comes from the gospel, is part of the gospel.

They fail to understand it themselves.....if they had understood it the world could have been won...and the darkness of mind is so deep that ths will not even be considered a serious answer.

Do you mean to say that Europe and whites have better lives because they are Christian ? What about blacks and others ?

 

[George Affleck]

Do you mean to say that Europe and whites have better lives because they are Christian ? What about blacks and others ?

If I may...

She means that they held the truth in their hands and let it slip slowly away by only appreciating it somewhat and not ultimately.

 

[George Affleck]

Because the here and now are but a drop in the bucket of eternity. It's a great mercy when innocents are taken before they suffer too much.

If I were an unbeliever this would seem like a cop-out. (do we still use that 60's phrase?)

The question is even more forceful if the evil is only a drop! Surely God can eliminate that.