Why me, God?

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June 2005

Why me, God?

Last year Doug Edmonds had a health problem - bladder cancer. It turned out to be a mild form and is now cured. But the first question in his mind was 'Why me God?' Doug shares his thoughts on a question that is millenia old and one we have probably all asked.

Similar questions were also being asked when the tsunami took so many lives and devastated so many communities around the Indian Ocean. Did God cause the tsunami? Did God allow the tsunami to happen? Could God have prevented the tsunami?

These are not easy questions and I don't believe there are simple answers. They are part of an age-old theological conundrum, the problem of evil, technically called theodicy. The question behind all suffering is, 'How can evil and suffering exist in a world created and sustained by an all-powerful and all-loving God?'

The puzzle is sometimes represented visually by a triangle.

The simplest way to understand God's role in evil, suffering and sickness is to remove one of the corners of the triangle.

We can say that evil exists and God is all-loving but he is NOT all-powerful.

This view would be held by some religions, especially those said to be dualistic, who believe in equal and opposite forces or gods of good and evil. However, it is not generally accepted by mainstream Christian theology, which asserts that God is almighty, all-powerful.

We can say that evil exists and God is all-powerful but he is NOT all-loving. A view held by some religions and some Christians, exemplified in recent years by those claiming that events like HIV/AIDS or the tsunami were sent by God as punishments.

However the idea that God is not all-loving is difficult to accept for most Christians, given that we come to know the Father through his loving Son, Jesus.

We can say that God is all-powerful and all-loving but that evil does NOT exist. This is the view held by Christian Scientists, for example, who say that evil and suffering are illusory. Again a view which is not satisfactory to mainstream Christian theology, recognising, as most of us do, that our experience of suffering is all too real.

So, how can we explain the problem of evil? How do we recognise that evil exists, yet believe in an all-loving, all-powerful God? For much suffering, for much of what is evil, the explanation is simple: human free will.

God created us to love him and, to be real, that love must be given of our own free will, with the possibility of our deciding to disobey God. Human free will, human wrongdoing, is an explanation for the Holocaust, mud-slides in the Philippines resulting from clear-felling, or the presence of refugee children in detention centres.

But what about natural disasters, like volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis? There are two possible explanations:

The first is an extension of the doctrine of free will: that seemingly 'natural' disasters are caused ultimately by humans, because of greed or exploitation for instance.

When I was growing up every strange event was blamed on 'The Bomb' and, who knows, we may have been right; today we are just beginning to understand the human causes of phenomena like climate change.

The second is an extension of the doctrine of The Fall: that not just humanity but the whole of creation is somehow caught up in the imperfection of the Fall. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, 'We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now.' (See Romans 8:18-23).

But these are only possible explanations. Ultimately, like Job, we may have to admit that the problem of evil is beyond our knowing, a mystery. I don't know if God caused or allowed or could have prevented the tsunami. But I do know God's role in the suffering it produced and in every example of communal or personal suffering we can think of.

God in Jesus Christ knows and understands our suffering. God in Jesus Christ has entered fully and absolutely into our suffering. God in Jesus Christ can use even suffering for his glory.

Did God cause the crucifixion? Did God allow the crucifixion? Could God have prevented the crucifixion? I don't know. But I know God was in the evil and suffering of the crucifixion, and was able to bring from it resurrection life.

Doug Edmonds is rector of Holy Trinity, Launceston.

	The Anglican Church in Tasmania Search
	a healthy church...transformingLIFE
	Home About Contact us News Issues Parishes Prayer Calendar Youth Resources

				June 2005

		Why me, God? Last year Doug Edmonds had a health problem - bladder cancer. It turned out to be a mild form and is now cured. But the first question in his mind was 'Why me God?' Doug shares his thoughts on a question that is millenia old and one we have probably all asked. Similar questions were also being asked when the tsunami took so many lives and devastated so many communities around the Indian Ocean. Did God cause the tsunami? Did God allow the tsunami to happen? Could God have prevented the tsunami? These are not easy questions and I don't believe there are simple answers. They are part of an age-old theological conundrum, the problem of evil, technically called theodicy. The question behind all suffering is, 'How can evil and suffering exist in a world created and sustained by an all-powerful and all-loving God?' The puzzle is sometimes represented visually by a triangle. The simplest way to understand God's role in evil, suffering and sickness is to remove one of the corners of the triangle. We can say that evil exists and God is all-loving but he is NOT all-powerful. This view would be held by some religions, especially those said to be dualistic, who believe in equal and opposite forces or gods of good and evil. However, it is not generally accepted by mainstream Christian theology, which asserts that God is almighty, all-powerful. We can say that evil exists and God is all-powerful but he is NOT all-loving. A view held by some religions and some Christians, exemplified in recent years by those claiming that events like HIV/AIDS or the tsunami were sent by God as punishments. However the idea that God is not all-loving is difficult to accept for most Christians, given that we come to know the Father through his loving Son, Jesus. We can say that God is all-powerful and all-loving but that evil does NOT exist. This is the view held by Christian Scientists, for example, who say that evil and suffering are illusory. Again a view which is not satisfactory to mainstream Christian theology, recognising, as most of us do, that our experience of suffering is all too real. So, how can we explain the problem of evil? How do we recognise that evil exists, yet believe in an all-loving, all-powerful God? For much suffering, for much of what is evil, the explanation is simple: human free will. God created us to love him and, to be real, that love must be given of our own free will, with the possibility of our deciding to disobey God. Human free will, human wrongdoing, is an explanation for the Holocaust, mud-slides in the Philippines resulting from clear-felling, or the presence of refugee children in detention centres. But what about natural disasters, like volcanoes, earthquakes or tsunamis? There are two possible explanations: The first is an extension of the doctrine of free will: that seemingly 'natural' disasters are caused ultimately by humans, because of greed or exploitation for instance. When I was growing up every strange event was blamed on 'The Bomb' and, who knows, we may have been right; today we are just beginning to understand the human causes of phenomena like climate change. The second is an extension of the doctrine of The Fall: that not just humanity but the whole of creation is somehow caught up in the imperfection of the Fall. Paul writes in Romans 8:22, 'We know that the whole creation has been groaning in labour pains until now.' (See Romans 8:18-23). But these are only possible explanations. Ultimately, like Job, we may have to admit that the problem of evil is beyond our knowing, a mystery. I don't know if God caused or allowed or could have prevented the tsunami. But I do know God's role in the suffering it produced and in every example of communal or personal suffering we can think of. God in Jesus Christ knows and understands our suffering. God in Jesus Christ has entered fully and absolutely into our suffering. God in Jesus Christ can use even suffering for his glory. Did God cause the crucifixion? Did God allow the crucifixion? Could God have prevented the crucifixion? I don't know. But I know God was in the evil and suffering of the crucifixion, and was able to bring from it resurrection life. Doug Edmonds is rector of Holy Trinity, Launceston.