A Good God Letting Bad Things Happen

A common question in the face of terrible atrocities has been how can a good God allow such things.

In fact, atrocities have been a part of human experience from before the Fall. One has to remember that even though Adam and Eve were created "good" they took of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. That was a tragedy of universal proportions. OK, I would be hard pressed to say that the tragedy occured prior to the Fall. Eating the fruit was simultaneous with the Fall.

One can blame God for the Fall, or acknowledge that God didn't create more gods that were perfect. And that this creature, called a human being, is responsible for many of the messes that have occured since creation.

It can also be asked, if God intervened and eliminated sin so there wasn't any more pain and suffering, would we like it? Some of the same people who ask the above question would be aghast at such an intervention.

But we often fail to notice that God did respond to atrocity. Instead of eliminating or condoning sin, God forgave it.

When God came to the world personally to bring salvation, he was crucified. God, instead of bringing down fire and brimstone, offered forgiveness for the sins of the whole world. He then said, nothing can stop me from offering salvation to the whole world, not even death itself. God raised Jesus from the dead, a great victory over sin and death. This victory is experienced in faith.

Creation Stuff

I finished listening to a few minutes of a lecture concerning the controversy between evolution and creationism. The thrust of which was to dismiss creationism. An argument that the lecturer gave was that the creationism position to discredit evolution and in doing so affirm creationism was faulty.

It seemed like the lecturer was doing the same thing by saying that the creationist position was faulty. By dismissing the creationist position as faulty she affirmed the evolution position.

Personally, I am skeptical about evolution. There are a host of premises that I have problems with. One of which is spontaneous generation. In spite of denials by some in evolution, there has to be an element of chance to spontaneous generation. Conditions have to be just right, and just happen to come together for spontaneous generation to occur.

I also have a problem with the premise that the universe and the life within it is self created. If a God didn't create all there is, then either the universe occurred by chance/accident, or it created itself. These two positions may not be all the different. Even if the universe was created by chance and is continuing to change, it is creating itself. I distinguish creating itself though to some unconscious deliberate attempt to emerge. If the universe created itself, then it is its own god.

It seems to me that both positions, evolution from spontaneous big bang and eventually a process of natural selection, and creationism are both absurd. Given that they both stir skepticism and doubt. As a person of faith, I choose creationism.
I don't see how a person of faith cannot be a creationists. By a person of faith I mean a theist.

It is real clear that the Judaeo-Christian scriptures believe God created everything. One shouldn't believe in creation because of Scripture, but one can believe in creation because of faith. Certainly, the concept of creation is consistent with a faith in God.

Grace is Sufficient

A major question of our time is "why doesn't God heal everybody?" It is a tough question. It would actually seem audacious to answer it on behalf of God.

This I know, not everyone that I have prayed for has been healed. I haven't been healed of all my own infirmities.

One answer to this issue keeps coming back to me. God's grace is all that is necessary. Grasping it is healing. More importantly, the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ is all that is necessary for now. There is more to come as God is in the process of complete and total restoration of that which was created.

Anything other than the cross and the resurrection is essentially icing on the cake in this life time.

These thoughts were once again stirred when I read of Paul's seeking relief from the "thorn in the flesh" that he carried. "Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for kmy power is made perfect in weakness" (2 Corinthians 12:8-9 English standard version).

Personally, I want it all now. Faith though says, you get it all with faith. There is a completeness now, and a completeness to be realized later.

Three Questions Asked of Christians

A Blog entitled "A Question for Christians - Please respond!!!!" from the Religion Forum of Amazon.com asks a three questions I want to address. I wanted to address the questions on the forum, but Amazon started asking for credit care information as I signed up. So I terminated the registration.

The first question is: “many do believe that Christianity is the one true religion. Only people who accept Christ into their lives are going to Heaven. For those of you that believe that - why do you believe that?”

Jesus himself asserted, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” John 14:6 (KJV). Either he was lying, or he was delusional, or he was flat out insane, or the person who wrote that he said that was lying, delusional, or insane, or it is the truth.

If Jesus is the Christ, then there is no need for others. The Christ accomplishes everything needed to bring about salvation. If there is a need for others, then Jesus is not the Christ. And frankly, a part from the wisdom of the writings of other faiths, their credibility is still questionable. I can find wisdom reading Freud, or Hawkins.

A basic assertion of Scripture is that human beings are born into sin, alienated and estranged from God, and Christ bridged the gap between God and human kind. I came to think of that as human beings being born into judgment. That is sense the Fall, all human beings come into the world alienated and estranged. We cannot for the life of us figure out how to overcome our estrangement. The Christian faith asserts that we can’t and don’t have to. That God overcame our situation through the life, death, and resurrection.

Now some apparently think that God should have done this another way. Yet, the New Testament asserts that God did it through Christ and that indeed this means actually establishes Jesus as the Christ. And as the Christ, salvation comes to the whole world. However, no one is forced to accept Jesus as the Christ. We can go down any spiritual trail we want to.

Others, don’t think God did work this way and reject the means and the methodology as absurd.

And of course others don’t think there is a God and that all this stuff is made up.

The second question is” Why do some get so bent out of shape fighting for this idea?”

I have two answers. The first is negative and the second, I hope is positive. First, believers are sinners. Sinners experience existential anxiety. We all allegedly do for differing reasons. Believing sinners sometimes feel threatened when people tell them that what they believe is not true. If it is not true then all are dead in their sins, their circumstances. There are those who get agitated by such a thought.

Second, believers are concerned that those who they interact with are going to hell. They don’t want people to go to hell. Some of these might be overwhelmed that they grasp that Jesus is the Christ, but that those they witness to don’t get it. Some of these may indeed get so baffled that they get “bent out of shape.”

I would actually hope that people would be that concerned about the spiritual directions that people might take.

Third, I also have to take note that while there are indeed Christians who get bent out of shape on such issues, there are also atheists who get bent out of shape because Christians and other people of faith assert their faith. People of faith have no corner of getting bent out of shape. Christians thus have no corner of getting bent out of shape.

The third question is: “why not just leave the judgment to God?”

As God’s love is manifested through the faith of Christians. It seems logical that God’s judgment would also be manifested through believers.

Personally, I am not a “we deserve to go to hell” theologian. Our situation as human beings is the same whether we deserve or not. I personally don’t know anyone I think deserves to go to hell. I have heard of many, but I haven’t met any. Yet, we all will perish whether we deserve it or not. We thus will meet our end one day. I assert that the Scriptures say why. We are born into sin and sin is not limited to immoral or illegal behavior. It is a spiritual state of being. We ultimately self destruct.

The notion of hell though is in Scripture. It is also in the tradition. However, it seems to me that the Cross and the Resurrection should be emphasized. “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” John 3:17 (KJV).

In Acts 16:25ff, Paul and Silas are in jail. An earthquake shakes the jail and allows them to go free if they so choose. However, they remain. The jailer thinking they have escaped prepares to kill himself knowing that he will have to take their place because they escaped under his watch. They stop him. In his awe the jailer asks, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved? [31] And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house” Acts 16:30-31 (KJV).

They didn’t say, do you know you will go to hell if you don’t accept Jesus. They didn’t say, you have to admit you are a sinner in order to be saved.

They simply said, “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you and your house will be saved.” Belief is far more complex than blindly following the proclamations of others. Getting to it requires more space and time than is far to use here.

Paid to Evaluate

I just read material connected with Christianity Today that indicated nonbelievers are being paid to attend worship and give feedback at some Churches..

One critic indicated that the Church calls people to an aesthetic life and then does not actually live that life. It squanders money, perhaps partly on paying nonbelievers to come to worship and give feedback.

If the Church actually took a look, it would notice that its people already meet nonbelievers. It might actually be free, at no cost, to ask some of these nonbelievers what they have to say about the Church. Even if nonbelievers’ views are distorted, we would find out what myths scare people away.

We might actually find out that nonbelievers don't come to Church because it is boring, the clergy are too self righteous and aloof, the Church insulates itself from the world, it really doesn't engage the world, it isolates itself from the world, it is seen as hypocritical and other criticism.

We might indeed learn that nonbelievers find our stories to incredible to believe, our practices of worship irrelevant, and any efforts we do make in helping others futile at best, and manipulative at worst.

I learned these associating with atheists, agnostics and people of other faiths. It didn't cost a cent.

My assertions here is that it appears not only that is money waisted on finding out how nonbelievers view the Church. We actually fail to recognize that our fellow believers engage the world of nonbelievers all the time.

It also strikes me as yet another effort to get people to come to Church instead of affirming our responsibility to go to the world around us.

I mean we are already in the world, we need to start affirming in more confident ways that we rub shoulders with nonbelievers. I see a Christ who sent his disciples into the world, not to get people to come to Church, but to meet the world. I see a Christ who calls believers to sit at table with sinners.

How in the world did we get to a point where we think getting people to Church is a mark of a successful Church?

A mark of the successful Church is engaging the world where it is whether or not nonbelievers catch on or not.

Towards Perfection

This was one of those stop what you are doing experiences. I had a revelation about perfection. So I had to stop what I was doing and write these brief comments.

When as was ordained as a Deacon in the North Georgia Conference by Bishop Canon, we were asked this standard question among others. "Are you moving onto perfection?"

I didn't really have a clue what that meant. I don't think of us did. I certainly haven't seen any indication from my colleagues that they did.

Over the years I can't say that I got a handle on what it means.

I have thought of it in terms of behavior. Being a good person because God has touched my life as a believer. Yet, I keep falling short.

This is the revelation I had today. Perfection is being forgiven. I have been aware of forgiveness and being forgiven all my life. I just didn't connect it to perfection.

Following that mini revelation it started expanding. Perfection is living in God's grace. God didn't have to forgive us but did.

Perfection is also about hope. That hope rests in God's saving and gracious act, coming personally to the world as Jesus the Christ.

And perfection is about love, love of God, love of neighbor, and when we fail, the love God has for us whereby His grace is made evident.

And finally, perfection is about service, service to God, service to our fellow human beings, and again should we fail, God's service to us through Jesus Christ's life, death, and resurrection.

Perfection then might be summoned up in one word, faith.

Where is the Real Church?

Scattered all over the world are a variety of church buildings. Some are eloquent in structure. Some appear to be poorly kept.

Periodically ranging from daily, to yearly people come together for worship activities.

A great deal of effort is made to get people to attend to "church." Some are very successful and draw thousands. Others fulfill the Biblical statement, "Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I will be also."

The real Church assembles in these places.

Yet, in our times, there is a resistance even among the faithful to attend "church." Efforts to attract them seem futile.

Critics point complain about the hypocrites who attend. They assert the "church" is boring, irrelevant, and impotent.

But they miss something. Yes, many Christians go to "church." And no doubt the institutional church fails to carry out Christ's mission.

However, the real Church is actively engaging the world. Where ever Christians work, play, or interact with others, the Church is there.

That is a bit scary in that Christians probably show up at some pretty unsavory places and not to practice their faith.

But is also awesome for Christians are teaching, helping, counseling, and engaging in sharing the faith verbally and nonverbally every minute of every day. Our hospitals, and schools for example have many Christians. It is in a real world, that a real Church, bring Christ.

Perhaps all too often we expect people to come to the Church. The Church though 24/7 is going to the world every time a believer goes into it.