He creates and governs the world in such a way that water ordinarily doesn't change into wine, people don't typically walk on water, and dead people usually don't come back to life. You could say we just dont understand the gods ways like children dont understand their parents ways, but as adults, we might conclude that some of our parents actions were bad. But I think it has something to do with love. Youre not alone if youre wondering where God was when something bad happened to you. In Genesis 1:28 God said to the first man, Adam, Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Jesus understood this when He said: "All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). By nature we are evil. And heres how Jesus responded. A book that recently pierced my soul was Little Bee: A Novelby Chris Cleave. Im also impotently angry beyond belief. Its just that we cant always see what God is doing, or what we were protected from. In other words, we can contemplate the future. My reader asked why God doesnt intervene to protect us in situations like this. 5 Answers From Billy Graham on the End Times. These were the endemic, even epidemic concerns for health experts in the United States" (The Gift Nobody Wants, 1993, pp. 2023 BGEA Just this morning, driving home from a breakfast appointment twenty minutes south of here, I passed three hospitals founded by churches. If I were powerful enough, I would make sure to stop a rapist or a murdered before they commit the act and I wouldn't wait for them to die to punish. Changing Careers at 40: 10 Things You Need to Know, 40 is Fabulous! God didnt intervene a million times in the Bible. But note that option 3 rules this out, since according to 3 there is no more reason to think the excuse is valid than that it is not valid. or C) that god is equally as likely to be all evil as he is to be all good. The Gnostic Christians from what Ive read seemed to believe that there is a non evil God but its not Yahweh. Huxley concluded that divine revelation and a divine Revealer do not exist. For example, God can save a child from a fire: he can send rain or make a miracle. Will Graham Devotion: Why Should We Do Good? If youd been here, my brother wouldnt have died. They were asking God why He wasnt there because if Hed been there, their brother would still be alive today. Years later the memory of their deaths still brings me anger and grief. This happens all the time God is working all the bad things together for our good. Such abusers not only risk taking years off their own lives, but their habits exact a huge toll on their families and friends. Even more tragically, many abusers are involved in accidents that cripple or take the lives of innocent bystanders. If we would not consider a mortal human being good under these circumstances, what grounds could we possibly have for continuing to assert the goodness of an all-powerful God? And thats enough for me. Second, because all people are sinful, we do not have moral rights over God. Since that time "all have sinned" (Romans 3:23; Romans 5:12) and reaped the penalties Adam and Eve incurred. Or maybe they lack a consciousness or conscience as we define it. And what about the time that guy broke into my apartment in the middle of the night and tried to rape me? Yet as far back as Adam and Eve we have repeatedly spurned God's instruction and brought enormous pain and sorrow on ourselves. Actions yield consequences. In a world like that, we wouldnt make any difference. Billy Graham: Do You Scoff at the Second Coming of Christ? God is sovereign over our calling. He wants us to enthusiastically love and cherish His values and standards, which are based on two overriding principles loving Him with all our hearts and loving others as much as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:35-40). We arent His robots, or toys. Local: 704-401-2432 Then where does evil come from? According to Johnson, many people claim that God does not intervene to prevent evil (accidents, disasters, pain, etc.) Although the New Testament includes similar lessons for us, its focus is mostly on the message of the Kingdom of God and the good news that God sent His Son to save us from our sins (John 3:16). We wouldnt make any difference. Given His unlimited powers, in these cases God is certainly able to come to their aid without danger to Himself Thus if God were a human being, His failure to come to the aid of people in distress would probably be considered a tort even in common law countries.[2]. Why doesnt God intervene when Christians are suffering, struggling, or sad and lonely? Perhaps the gods are neither good nor evil, but simply amoral. He accepts us for who we are our abusive, violent, cruel, awful selves. man has free will so whether s/he either purposefully or accidentally causes s. We sometimes wonder where God is during the storms of life, in all the troubles of the world. Suppose God let people do good when they chose to do good, but when they didnt, He stepped in to stop them Himself? As one of these students, I seek to understand why God did not intervene to save 1.5 million Jewish children who died in the Holocaust and millions of others who suffer what seem to be premature or agonizing deaths. 3. Johnson- Why God doesn't intervene with evil - 1. Some of Anyone who has ever felt pain or experienced tragedy wonders about this. What is Divine Intervention & Does God Use It Today? - Bible Study Tools Adam's full realization of his actions made him all the more guilty for what happened; God held him responsible even more so than Eve. God gave the capacity for advanced decision-making abilities only to man among His earthly creation. Doing good wouldnt make any difference, if God always took care of things for us. Wouldnt the world be a better place if Godwould juststop every Nikolas Cruz out there, and keep them from doingany evil they planned to do? With a UCG.org account you will be able to save items to read and study later! Many of the explanations fall flat for some people since they revolve around answers like God is not on our time table for defeating evil. For example, in many advanced nations pockets of poverty persist in spite of billions of tax dollars spent to combat the problem. Thus, the problem of evil triumphs over traditional theism." Those books made a huge impression on me I grew up with the reality of evil. Why doesn't God intervene to prevent suffering? The physical harm caused by smoking is solidly documented. But for many in todays culture the answer holds little water. This is one of the reasons why this book was written, to show us how wrong these friends were. The possibility of traditional polytheism (many limited Gods) fits perfectly well within the paradigm of Johnsons Problem of Evil. OBJECTION #4: "Why is God allowed to permit terrible acts of evil, when Lewis knew that when God sends help, He doesnt often do it by a miracle. He informed them that if they obeyed they would reap many blessings (Deuteronomy 28:2), but if they disobeyed they would be accursed (Deuteronomy 28:15). Tom Terry is a broadcaster and missionary having served in the US, Turkey, and Mongolia with Campus Crusade for Christ. But this suggests that the work of doctors and firefighters, for example, should be abolished. Some peoples conscience works better than others, but we all have one. And once again, Perelandra provides the clue we need. The main reason all these arguments fail is that they are abstract. Seems he (it was male) was just trying to play a god. The scripture also tells us this in Ecclesiastes 8:11, Because the sentence against an evil deed is not executed quickly, therefore the hearts of the sons of men among them are given fully to do evil. God has therefore provided authority figures for the purpose of punishing evil and keeping it at bay. I dont think so. The actual question. Nothing. Id rather live where it matters to be human. He spoke of disease, famine, and war. Cain killed Abel in Chapter 4 of Genesis. Johnson Why Doesnt God Intervene to Prevent Evil?. Philosophy: the Quest for Truth. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. The Law does not come from man, but it comes from God, demonstrating that good and evil are not simply abstract ideas. But that means we can also choose to be Weston. If you truly love someone, you accept them for who they are, what they choose, and how they live. Furthermore, we value efforts to improve the world, and we dont consider the possible reduction in opportunities to practice virtue a good reason not to improve it. Solicitation Disclosure Statement We live in a post-modern culture that does not regard concepts of good and evil as absolutes. But were not His equalswere His children. because . Christians have been doing good, solving problems, meeting needs since the beginning. 10 Things I . Evil here might be good there. 2.) Evidence Unseen 2023. Jesus did not tell us when the end of the world as we know it will end. But this idea is flawed because we not only have a conscience, but we also have law which is based upon Gods ideas of right and wrong. It isn't so much a case of what God doesn't want, as much as a case of what He does want: Our greater good . 16 Ideas for Celebrating Your 40th Birthday, Your Dog Scratched an Eye? Why wait so long to defeat evil? I dont believe God is BEHIND our major traumas or disappointments but I live with the faith and hope that all things even the painful ones can be transmuted to great Glory. So in a marvelous and surprising scene which I wont spoil for you, he takes Weston out for keeps. The essence of B.C Johnson's literature titled "Why Doesn't God Intervene to Prevent Evil" is expressing the statement " there is no escape from the conclusion that it is unlikely that God is all good'. or the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass . But lives could be saved if serial killers had heart attacks before committing their crimes. Theyre innocent and undefiled, as Adam and Eve once were in Eden. No wonder Scripture tells us that, at that time, "every knee should bow and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord" (Philippians 2:10-11). Could such a bystander be called good? Is God powerless in the face of suffering? B. C. Johnson - Why Doesn't God Intervene to to Prevent Evil.docx Studies have shown that children abandoned by their fathers are far more likely at an early age to turn to drugs, alcohol and tobacco, adopt criminal behavior and become sexually promiscuous in their own turn, bringing suffering on themselves and others. Contact Us. The other treethe tree of the knowledge of good and evilrepresented rejection of God's direction by determining good and evil for oneself. God has assigned that doing something about evil is our responsibility and he has given us the tools to identify evil, restrain evil, punish evil, and eradicate evil if we will use them. Ransom is a believer in Jesus Christ, unlike Edward Weston, another professor who lands there shortly after him. So do others. He created us to make a difference in the world. But, I do know how I'm living a joyful, peaceful life! Everybody who wants to resist the basic contentions of theism brings it up. Sadly, many people have. For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Last Sunday the truck I busted a lot of hours at work to buying. Brand and Yancey note that "an astounding proportion of the health problems stem from behavior choices that show disregard for the body's clear signals" (p. 226). A choice between just one option is nonsense; itisnt a choice at all. Some of these troubles would affect the nation as a whole. C.S. God gave everyone a conscience so that we can choose good or evil. When God sends help, He doesnt often do it by a miracle. We readily acknowledge that the best cure for the grief caused by smoking is simply to quit, yet many are so addicted they spurn this obvious solution. 12 Spiritual Fears Jesus Wants You to Conquer! United Church of Godis a501(c)3organization. Having a conscience means that we are responsible for what we know. Why there is pain? Scripture shows that God can remove wicked men from power (Daniel 2:21). Not at all. How often should the gods do this? Yet evil, our sin, overwhelms us because we have decided to let sin pass because of the modern, redefined ideas of so-called tolerance.. The evil that God allows, and the tragedies He chooses not to prevent, leads many to question the wisdom, goodness and even existence of God. She tries to responds but she has lost, Im so sorry you have to live like that, no one deserves it and I understand its so hard to, Teresa, I understand exactly how you feel. Davies wonders. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for rulers do not bear the sword for no reason. I dont want to be insensitive to the Parkland victims, to their families, or to any of the rest of us who have suffered deeply. You can only make universes better, by making yourself better, but can never directly control anything. Why doesn't the GOD intervene to prevent extreme crueltysuch as the abuse of an innocent child? The Problem of Evil: Why Doesn't God Stop Tragedy? - Beliefnet Human beings alone among earthly creatures have an advanced sense of time. God gave us freedom both to reach out and help our fellow man and freedom to act self-servingly and in ways that harm ourselves and others. This brings up a good question. Otherwise it wouldnt be love, itd be a fake world with robotic people living false lives. Return to Philosophy: The Quest for Truth 11e Student Resources. It is a simple truth that if a person desiring to commit a crime thinks that he will get away with it that he will commit himself to committing the crime. Are there any good excuses for someone (or a god) not saving a baby from a burning house if they had the power to do so? Louis P. Pojman, Belmont: Wadsworth, 1996], pp. Above all, keep looking up to Jesus. None of them really explain why all good, all-powerful beings watch helpless infants burn to death since none of the excuses such being would offer seem convincing. Why does God allow evil? The littler sister hides under an overturned canoe; the older sister (12 years old) is repeatedly gang raped on top of the canoe by the boy soldiers. Ransom is frantic. We value your feedback as we continue to grow. Why Doesn't God Intervene to Prevent Evil? This book will help you make sense of Gods protection even when you feel like Hes abandoned you. Nor have we learned how to effectively manage our emotions, motives and desires and their influence on our decisions. [Here is a brief summary of B.C. I've seen many Christians responding with the classic argument of free will "god grants us the free will to do evil". God's intervention would destroy people's moral urgency to make things right. If we set aside arguments concerning the possibility of god(s), this argument on its face value is weak. Permissions Why doesn't God intervene to prevent suffering? Open Document. God truly loves us, which means He allows us freedom to act, choose, and do what we want. 42 Million Dead in 2018: Defeating Abortion Arguments, A Christian Response to the Crises in the Muslim World, A Missionarys Most Difficult Task: Leaving Children Behind, A Missionarys Perspective-Animism and Buddhism, A Missionarys Response to Accepting Syrian Refugees. But should we abolish modern medicine and firefighting since they help people, but thereby reduce our urgency to help people? To understand the answer, we must consider the consequences such an action would bring. Jesus, the light of the world, our Savior and shepherd, the Son of God Himself! Is He able and willing? God told Adam he could eat of the former, but he was not to partake of the latter: "Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die" (Genesis 2:16-17). The amount of people who hold a belief says nothing about the truth of it- so even if most people agree that murder is evil, does that make it so? Primarily because it cannot possibly justify the AMOUNT of evil in the world. Davies' questions are reasonable. By the way Mary and Martha both said Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died. But they talked to Jesus separately. There is no why to anything ultimately. Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Parler, Instagram, MeWe and Gab. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. In so doing they thrust aside law, ethics, morality and peace. We must act according to our conscience. This brings up a good question. In response to this, a couple of points can be made: First, God has certain moral rights over human life that we dont. But this argument is circular; it merely assumes what it is trying to prove. Students drop out of school, cutting short their education and consigning themselves to lifetimes of difficult jobs, low wages, financial hardship and frustrated ambitions. Question: ad "Why Does Read "Why Docsn't God Intervene to Prevent Eviz by B. C.Johnson. I went to church when I wasnt in foster homes or sleeping in cardboard boxes in back alleys with my mom. The three possibilities concerning God's moral character that Johnson pointed out: 1) That god is more likely to be all evil than he is to be all good. Aggressors go to war out of a desire to enhance their power, prestige and wealth. And many churches have turned liberal and no longer regard the centuries old concepts from the Bible as worth teaching. PrivacyPolicyTerms ofUse. At this point one may retreat to faith, simply believing the gods are innocent like you might believe in the innocence of your friends even if the evidence is against them. The real issue is not why God has not done something about evil. You lust and do not have. It always works out just the same in the end. Also, I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh; for the willing is present in me, but the doing of the good is not. Many of the curses God said would result from disobedience (Deuteronomy 28:15-68) are virtually identical to the pain and suffering that wrack modern nations. Why doesn't God prevent innocent children from being harmed? Physical and psychological problems result from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. By BGEA Admin That law, He told them, would be their "wisdom" and "understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people'" (Deuteronomy 4:6). Why Doesn't God Intervene? - HHBC I understand that. Topics: End Times, Morality, From the writings of the Rev. They are unsettling because the answers are not what we would want them to be. January 28, 2015 Philosophy of Religion [Here is a brief summary of B.C. If There Are Gods, They Are Evil | Reason and Meaning The Author of this post, it making the case, that despite all of the danger, trauma or pain we may have endured and indeed many of us may be prone to mistrust God for not stepping in and protecting us The Author here is making the point, that while we may know what we werent protected from we dont have perfect knowledge about what MORE we may have been protected FROM. only a very small amount of evil would be necessary to give us this knowledge. We might say that we ought to face disasters without assistance, so as not to become dependent upon help. What does it matter when experience disappears after organic death? Required fields are marked *. God takes everyone's life in the end. . If it were not for Christ we would have no hope of defeating our own evil. We only know what we experience, not what were saved from. The Bible assures us that God will abolish evil when Christ returns. But Johnson argues that we dont know the gods well enough to trust them like friends. Perelandra is the real name for the planet Venus, which is quite habitable. Perelandra is the "real" name for the planet Venus, which is quite habitable. Of course not. If God is truly a God of love and mercy, why does He not intervene? ! And then he realizes God has sent help. Pour out your heart, and ask the Holy Spirit to comfort and guide you through the depths. His inspired Word tells us that those who love His law have "great peace" (Psalm 119:165), but the way of the lawless and unfaithful is difficult (Proverbs 13:15). Your email address will not be published. Privacy They are Gods servants, agents of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. Share it with your friends! God established teachers to instruct on the differences between good and evil. The questions are troubling, though not because they are hard to understand. We cannot live substantially free from suffering until we are reconciled to God and His commandments: "My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you" (Proverbs 3:1-2, emphasis added throughout). God didnt save them. But before He can meet you and heal your wounds you have to go to Him. So why doesn't God do this more often? And Ill share what I know, what Ive learned from the terrible things that have happened to me. Johnson says often enough to prevent particularly horrible disasters like child torture. Although the apostle Paul tells us that Adam was not deceived (1 Timothy 2:13-14), he allowed his wife to persuade him to join her in disobeying God (Genesis 3:17). There is something so wrong with this in my psyche that nothing further makes any sense ever for me. Its the same question both Mary and Martha asked Jesus in John 11:21. Without an ability to traverse the boundaries of time across generations, its simply arrogant to assume any of these reasonings are actually relevant to the grand scale of ascention, thus the realm of gods and their abilities. Evil today might be good tomorrow. How to Survive Abuse When Youre Stuck at Home, Coping With Guilty Feelings After Your Mothers Death. But would I want to live in a world where my cousins still lived, but their moral decisions werent decisions after all; where their choices had no substantial effect on anything, and neither did mine or anyone elses? Why doesn't God Intervene? | Job 20 - 26 | RayStedman.org