Suffering...updated post...
I read often of people saying they cannot believe in God because if He is all loving and all powerful, how or why does He allow such widespread and horrible suffering? I even read of a Baptist pastor (who I would expect to have dealt with this kind of issue before ordination) had "lost his faith" as a result of the issue of suffering.
I am no theologian; however, it seems to me people simply don't read their Bible, and have a small, two dimensional, narcissistic view of God. No wonder they can't deal with such a basic issue.
Here is how I see it. People are not created for suffering. We don't like it. If someone enjoys suffering, we can safely assume some kind of mental problem. That said, we live in a fallen world. God, after man, and woman in effect told Him to take a hike declared the world cursed. Suffering would be part of our experience...no exceptions. He sent His Son, who suffered Himself in the worst way possible. It tore Gods heart apart, but He did not spare his own Son suffering in this cursed world. The implications of the cross are overwhelming, and even though they apply to the problem of suffering, I won't get into all that now.
God is not only loving and all powerful, He transcends time. Science tells us time/space exists mathematically as a unit which if you had the right dimensionality you would be able to stand outside and observe the end from the beginning. This is how God describes Himself. We however, only experience a passing of time. We do not stand outside that dimension. God also is judge of the whole earth. He says He will wipe away every tear, and right every wrong, then He will judge all of us...no exceptions. This will take place in time/space. In God's experience, it is a done deal. He has not "allowed suffering" at the end of the day. It has been dealt with perfectly in spite of a cursed world.
That may not make suffering in our limited experience any easier, so back to the cross. Jesus says He took our judgment on Himself. He suffered in our place. Weird, but that is what He claimed. In time/space, we are with Him now (in a sense).
I'm betting my life He is not lieing...what are they (the "there can't be God if there is suffering" crowd) betting their life on?...some one dimensional, tiny, humanistic, mannish view of God that leads them to reject Him as weak, cruel or both?
Suffering, God answers the issue.
I am no theologian; however, it seems to me people simply don't read their Bible, and have a small, two dimensional, narcissistic view of God. No wonder they can't deal with such a basic issue.
Here is how I see it. People are not created for suffering. We don't like it. If someone enjoys suffering, we can safely assume some kind of mental problem. That said, we live in a fallen world. God, after man, and woman in effect told Him to take a hike declared the world cursed. Suffering would be part of our experience...no exceptions. He sent His Son, who suffered Himself in the worst way possible. It tore Gods heart apart, but He did not spare his own Son suffering in this cursed world. The implications of the cross are overwhelming, and even though they apply to the problem of suffering, I won't get into all that now.
God is not only loving and all powerful, He transcends time. Science tells us time/space exists mathematically as a unit which if you had the right dimensionality you would be able to stand outside and observe the end from the beginning. This is how God describes Himself. We however, only experience a passing of time. We do not stand outside that dimension. God also is judge of the whole earth. He says He will wipe away every tear, and right every wrong, then He will judge all of us...no exceptions. This will take place in time/space. In God's experience, it is a done deal. He has not "allowed suffering" at the end of the day. It has been dealt with perfectly in spite of a cursed world.
That may not make suffering in our limited experience any easier, so back to the cross. Jesus says He took our judgment on Himself. He suffered in our place. Weird, but that is what He claimed. In time/space, we are with Him now (in a sense).
I'm betting my life He is not lieing...what are they (the "there can't be God if there is suffering" crowd) betting their life on?...some one dimensional, tiny, humanistic, mannish view of God that leads them to reject Him as weak, cruel or both?
Suffering, God answers the issue.
posted by Jim at 6:17 PM
2 Comments:
Wow. Phew. You are right on. A woman asked me the same thing - if God is loving how/why could He allow such horrible things to happen to innocent people. She had a difficult time understanding it was our fault. We caused it.
And at the end of the day her view of God is so small!...Is He the Alpha and Omega, or not? (i.e. stands outside space/time)
That helps me quite a bit with this.
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