Saturday, February 10, 2007
Zach, I believe you may have a point on when to post. There should be a rule that comments have to be cut off after 20. Of course I have not helped by not posting more often, but then I have a life beyond blogging.
Because of the course of the comments I want to briefly deal with the experiential relevance of the Biblical world view. Is human caused suffering consistent with the existence of God? Yes, provided you understand who God is. Just as the Bible presents God as being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent; the scriptures also declare Him to be personal, just, loving, good, immutable and so on. Additionally, these attributes are as equally present and part of His essential being as the 3-Os.
Man was given freedom of will at the creation and God being who He is, does not renege on His gifts. Additionally, in Genesis chapter 9 we find that God put the responsibility to govern on man as well. Have we governed poorly? Yes. Have people suffered because of this? Yes. Is God indifferent to that suffering? No. He has promised to judge evil. Does He act justly in doing so? Yes, because He does not judge before the fact. Stopping evil before the fact would be inconsistent with His just nature. It would also violate His gift of a free will. At least that is my understanding of the matter.
It makes sense, but is still leaves us with enduring the acts of evil men. I admit I don't like that much. At the same time I like the fact He gives me the chance to make amends for the wrongs I commit. Would we all like to see suffering eliminated? Yes, but would you like God to take you out because of something you have not done? The issue is not so much God's nature as it is His working out His sovereignty within a frame work of man's freedom and self govnerance.
I am not completely satisfied with my understanding of the matter which is much more complex than this brief post. It is, however; more consistent with reality than any over view I have investigate. I also believe free will and self governance factor into suffering from natural events. I will post on that next.
Because of the course of the comments I want to briefly deal with the experiential relevance of the Biblical world view. Is human caused suffering consistent with the existence of God? Yes, provided you understand who God is. Just as the Bible presents God as being omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent; the scriptures also declare Him to be personal, just, loving, good, immutable and so on. Additionally, these attributes are as equally present and part of His essential being as the 3-Os.
Man was given freedom of will at the creation and God being who He is, does not renege on His gifts. Additionally, in Genesis chapter 9 we find that God put the responsibility to govern on man as well. Have we governed poorly? Yes. Have people suffered because of this? Yes. Is God indifferent to that suffering? No. He has promised to judge evil. Does He act justly in doing so? Yes, because He does not judge before the fact. Stopping evil before the fact would be inconsistent with His just nature. It would also violate His gift of a free will. At least that is my understanding of the matter.
It makes sense, but is still leaves us with enduring the acts of evil men. I admit I don't like that much. At the same time I like the fact He gives me the chance to make amends for the wrongs I commit. Would we all like to see suffering eliminated? Yes, but would you like God to take you out because of something you have not done? The issue is not so much God's nature as it is His working out His sovereignty within a frame work of man's freedom and self govnerance.
I am not completely satisfied with my understanding of the matter which is much more complex than this brief post. It is, however; more consistent with reality than any over view I have investigate. I also believe free will and self governance factor into suffering from natural events. I will post on that next.
