Jonathan Dodson posted some helpful thoughts over at The Resurgence for those wondering how God can allow something like the devastation recently witnessed in Haiti to occur. Below is a portion of Jonathan's post:
The suffering of the Haiti tragedy is immense and heart-breaking, and brings to mind so many questions. Those who claim Christian faith are often the first to question or be questioned in times like these. In a stimulating BBC Magazine article entitled, "Why Does God Allow Natural Disasters," philosopher David Bain recently raised a key question based on an age-old syllogism:
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?"
How Can an All-Good, All-Powerful God Permit Haiti?
Bain argues that the implications of this syllogism lead us to conclude that either
* God is good but not all-powerful
* God is evil and all-powerful
* There is no God
Are We Asking Enough Questions?
Perhaps we aren’t asking enough questions? Is it possible that the way we frame the problem of suffering and evil is limited? In order to grasp some of the answers to this great problem, I suggest we bring more questions into the picture, to fill it out, and to see ourselves and suffering more clearly.
Ask yourself this question: “Am I placing too much faith in myself to discern answers to a cosmic dilemma?” To state it another way, “Am I holding myself, my intellect, in too high esteem?” Just think about how we come to the conclusion that God is neither good nor powerful. From a small and very limited perspective, we make some grand, totalizing claims. We stack ourselves as high as this omnipotent God to evaluate him as a peer. We make awfully big assumptions. We assume that we possess an individual intellect and moral capacity that rivals that of an eternal and holy God.
If we are content with these assumptions, then the Christian answer to suffering and evil will not make sense. However, if we are willing to drop these assumptions, to humbly evaluate our intellect and morality, then humility may lead us to more satisfying answers.
Read the rest here.
HT: The Resurgence
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