I am a former Christian, and one of the major things that just wouldn't leave me alone about theology was reconciling a perfectly loving and benevolent God with the creation of Satan. By Christian theology the fall can be traced all the way back to Satan and his deception of Eve. What I don't understand is why God allowed Satan anywhere near His "beloved"!?! If He knew everything, He had to know that Satan would deceive Eve and lead Adam into transgression.
WHY!?! I mean... just freaking WHY?!? Why did He even create a being that He knew would become evil. Once He did make Him, why the heck would He let Satan anywhere near his unspoiled creation?
Hi food4thought,
I fielded a similar question to a relative recently, and have also answered a few others on CF (this forum) in regards to suffering and God, and why does it happen. My personal take goes like this, apologies it's long, it was in reponse to a news article in the UK about a child that was handcuffed in her bedroom and abused by her parents and despite social welfare stepping in, she was found dead two weeks later...:
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I always wonder when I hear that someone's faith has been tested due to suffering in the world. I mean, I have to imagine what if God was as many Atheists see Him. A cruel tormenter, they seem to love focussing on the God of the Old Testament, who was righteous and full of wrath. Theoretically - if you were locked in a prison and the only way to escaped to a world of happiness, was to do something that you didn't want to, would you still do it? If the only alternative was torment or unmaking (depending on how you believe hell is) wouldn't you still do whatever was required? I think I would. But that's not really relevant, to the issue of suffering - just a side thought on why we only love God when we understand His actions.
Just like a friend who strayed from God because she didn't see Him working in her life. Is that how it should work? We only give when we see things that we comprehend and understand? I don't think so. Surely that is a tentative faith at best? One that says you will be God's best buddy as long as he makes the world a happy place. Yet what about free will? How can God intervene on a such a dramatic level and still leave our free will intact? I am sure that the childs parents were as precious to God as the child, despite what they did. That's hard to digest right? I mean, we are told to love the sinner but not the sin, yet when faced with an extreme example of it like this, can we truly do it as Jesus did?
Well, heres what I think. God is outside of time, we know this because he created time for us:
Genesis 1:3-5
"3 And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. 4 God saw that the light was good, and He separated the light from the darkness. 5 God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morningthe first day. "
Prior to this there was no day or night, God simply was. He existed, yet nothing passed. God made time when He created the first day. If this is so, then God sees the entire picture, there are many references to God and time in the Bible, saying how a day to the Lord is a thousand years to us, clearly time does not operate the same for Him as it does for us. I like to think that God uses time to help rectify the mistakes of our free will. He does work in our lives, as we feel him. Not all of us, but lets say you and I for sure. So as we live, God sees and knows how we live and what me getting up and being late for work on Monday morning will bring. Perhaps it brings harsh words from my manager and a miserable day for me. Yet maybe if God had decided to intervene and wake me instead, he would have seen that I would have been hit by a car and killed whilst walking to work, because I had plenty of time to get there and wasn't concentrating when crossing the road. Which is the greater loss and sadness? Me receiving a reprimand for being late and enduring a miserable day, or me leaving my wife and family alone and without me?
So whilst something to us may seem outwardly and obviously bad, maybe in the grand scheme of things it is not. Isn't that what faith is? We put faith in God that He knows best and that whatever He does, He does so for a reason.
Hebrews 11 (my favourite chapter in the entire Bible) is all about Faith and what it can bring. I suggest a read, it's very good.
Anyhow, back to free will. This is the thorn in God's side I'm sure of it. Because if He created us to love and obey no matter what, what would He have? Mindless drones. Yet instead He loved us so to give us a choice. How much more worthy is someone who does something because they believe it, and are passionate about it, rather than someone who does it because they should, or because they know no better? One is luke-warm at best, and the other is burning with passion. Remember when I went to Germany? I did that because I really desired to work there, wanted it more than anything. And when I was there, I worked day and night, went way above and beyond the call of duty, so to speak. Whereas before I was doing just as I had to, and put in a mild effort at best. God clearly wants people who burn for Him and His way of life.
So, to take it back to the child and it's guardians who abused it. The child is most certainly in Heaven with our Father, the parents are in jail. I'm not sure of their situation, but what if when they are alone in the dark, they find God in prison? As many inmates do, in their direst need. Then isn't that all three souls saved? What if God had rescued the child directly? I wonder how all three lives would have played out then? Maybe they went on to abuse many more children, like that other case in the UK a while back. Sometimes, I think our free will puts God into a corner. He can only arrange events and work in lives to such an extent before He becomes a babysitter. Essentially what we often do is only see the inherent good of something, and the inherent bad. We have such tiny short lives compared to the vastness of time that God sees, and yet we assume to judge everything that transpires in it, as if we were He. Isn't that why God doesn't want us to lie for example, even if good will come of it? We are told to tell the truth even if it means our death. Why is that? Obviously we are to be righteous as He is, but what when we can clearly see that good will come of it? Can't we make that call?
Well, I don't think so, and God certainly doesn't.
So, whilst I agree it must have been horrible for her, and I truly am saddened to hear of it, I don't think it diminshes God in any way. He was quite likely as saddened as you were by it, and whilst He did intervene during the OT and NT times of the Bible, He did that for a few people, His chosen people, whereas we have been given Jesus, which applies to all, past, present and future. In doing so He has granted us all this interaction, should we choose it. Oh, there's that pesky free will thing again.
But you see what I mean I hope? Try not to get discouraged because you believe something to be bad, and see no good in it, or even the possibility of God eliminating future wrongs in an unseen and yet unlived future. Maybe this was the only way left to God to help.
Lastly, I know that when I had maleria it was the worst two weeks of my life. When I had a really bad headache a few weeks ago, I just wanted to die. When I had that incredibly painful filling, it was unbearable. I remember all these things now, and the suffering was real, yet they don't seem like a big deal now. I wouldn't want to go through it
again, but that's just common sense. So just be at peace knowing that her suffering is over now, to her it probably seems like an age ago, the people responsible for her suffering have their punishment and a great deal of time to contemplate their actions, maybe they will find peace in God too.
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Maybe that helps you?
Cheers!
Digit