Do you have a question you wish you could ask God? Join the conversation by clicking the link above and leaving a question for us. Share this blog site with friends, and then continue the conversation at Waterfront Community Church where we will address some of your questions in our message series "Frequently Avoided Questions" beginning September 13th at Schaumburg High School.
September 19, 2009
Why Is There So Much Suffering In The World?
It's one of the most difficult questions we have to ask God . . . “Why do people have to suffer?” For thousands of years, people have tried to answer this question through study, prayer, and mediation, and many have found themselves dumbfounded and frustrated. One reason many people fall upon frustration is because the question, “Why do people have to suffer?” is not the real question we need to answer. The real question is, “Why do I have to suffer?” or “Why do people I love have to suffer?” You see, there’s a philosophical dilemma—can a good God coexist in a world where suffering and evil exist? And there’s a personal and emotional dilemma— doesn’t God love me enough to protect me and those I love from suffering? I suggest that the latter of these two questions is the most difficult.
The great British theologian C.S. Lewis discovered the nature of both questions over the course of his life. He wrote two books on the issue of God and suffering. One was a masterfully articulated book entitled the Problem of Pain, which he wrote early in life. In this book, Lewis wrestled with the intellectual problems surrounding the issue, before brilliantly proving that both God and suffering can indeed coexist. Lewis was a great help to many Christians on the subject.
Continue reading "Why Is There So Much Suffering In The World?" »
September 17, 2009
Why Have I Suffered So Much?
"My father just passed away after a 4 month battle with lung cancer. He suffered towards the end. My grandmother spent 13 years dying in a nursing home where she could do nothing but lay in bed. She was in pain and suffering. She didn't even recognize her children for almost 10 years. Also I have been physically abused/ assaulted/ raped on 3 occasions before I was 22 years old. What kind of God would let this happen to my family? What is the ultimate purpose in this?"
I'm sorry to hear all that you've experienced, Lindsay. And rather than cheapen this very real question with a simple answer, let me just open this one up to whomever would like to respond. . . And this may be a situation where words of encouragement would speak louder than an attempt to defend your theology.
September 16, 2009
Why Do You Allow War?
This is a great question from Jennifer Lloyd: "Jews Muslims, and Christians all worship the same God, yet throughout history, we have witnessed countless wars waged over religion. Why do people fight and kill each other in the name of God, and how can he allow this to happen." It's a great question (and a bit of a loaded question too . . . For instance, I think I know what you mean when you say we "all worship the same God" but I would probably say it a bit differently . . . but I might get into that in a later post).
So what does the Bible have to say about war. This is actually a tough one because there isn't really a broad consensus among Christians when it comes to the subject of war. There are some who advocate the use of military under certain conditions. There are places in the Bible where God commands Israel to go to war with other states, and where Israel is forced to defend herself against outside aggressors. Of course the criterion for entering war with an enemy (barring a direct command from God) is not entirely clear. So around the 13th century, Thomas Aquinas (and Augustine a bit earlier) began talking about a moral code people refer to as "Just War Theory." This theory provides a moral checklist to determine if a nation can morally engage an enemy in battle (I.e., is innocent life at stake? Are they the aggressors or am I? etc.). Just War theory later laid the foundations for the Geneva Convention which guides (supposedly) wartime activity today. But among Catholic Christendom, Just War theory gave the "when" and the "how" to war for centuries. And among many Christians today, war is understood as an unfortunate, but sometimes necessary factor of life in a fallen world, I think primarily because of Aquinas' work on Just War Theory.
What's the Requirements for Receiving Blessing?
This was another phone question we received today. This gentleman said he had been struggling with financial trouble, recently had his car repossessed, and he was wondering what he had to do in order to begin receiving "blessing" from God or at least wisdom in order to turn his situation around.
It's a great question. I think it's fairly natural when life begin unravel for us to ask God what I should do differently in order for him to grant alittle blessing. . . . I see a couple of issues here. . . .
1. It's important to recognize that difficult circumstances in life are not necessarily a direct result of my disobedience toward God and his punishment. The book of Job makes that very clear along with other places in the Bible like John 9:1-4 and Luke 13:1-4. Sometimes we hit rough spots in life and only God knows why, and we may never get a good reason or rationale for that specific issue.
2. It's also important to note that the Bible never rules out a correlation between hardships in life and personal disobedience. The Bible does indicate that sometimes (and I must stress the word SOMETIMES . . . NOT ALWAYS), the difficult life circumstances we face are a result of divine discipline. So the author of Hebrews says, "Endure hardship as discipline" (12:7). That doesn't mean that all hardship is a result of disciple, but I do believe that we would be wise, when we do encounter difficult moments in life, to consider if there are things in my life for which I should repent.
3. Thirdly, the Bible is very clear that there is a significant correlation between rough times and my own poor choices. When I live in a wise manner, life tends to work out fairly smoothly (not ALWAYS, but more often). When I live foolishly, things tend to get a bit dicier (see the entire book of Proverbs). So to the point of our caller's question . . . "How can I begin receiving wisdom and blessing from God?" My advise would be to begin with Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." By fear of the Lord, the author means "reverence" or "respect." You want to begin getting wisdom? Let a healthy respect and reverence for God begin permeating every area of your life, and let your actions be guided by that reverence for him.
Would anyone else like to add anything?
Why Did You Create Mosquitoes?
That's a question we got by phone today. I'd love to provide my own answer, but as an avid mosquito smacker myself, I feel alittle unqualified. Are there any biologists, entomologists, or mosquito experts out there who can help us understand why God might have created those pesky little boogers?
