There's a dyin' voice within me reaching out somewhere
Toiling in the danger and in the morals of despair
Don't have the inclination to look back on any mistake
Like Cain, I now behold this chain of events that I must break
In the fury of the moment I can see the Master's hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand.
- Bob Dylan, Every Grain of Sand 1981
In the beginning, God...
- Genesis 1:1
When a tragedy occurs in the magnitude of the shootings last week at Virginia Tech, we look for answers. How could such evil be in the heart of one man, and why did this evil take the lives of 32 innocent lives? Has evil and hate taken over the world?
And one question many will ask:
Where was God when this happened? How can a loving God stand by and watch such evil and not stop it?
I don’t have the answers, and I’m not even close to understanding. I do know that all of us are confronted by evil and hate every day. We all know right from wrong, and sometimes, despite our greatest efforts, we succumb to the wrong and somehow are able to justify it at the end of the day.
Bad things happen. When they happen to bad people, we understand. An eye for an eye, we say. But when bad things happen to good people, we don’t get it. And many question God, his place in their lives, and his very existence.
Here are just a few of the horrific examples of evil that have cut to our hearts:
- On July 27, 1981, Adam Walsh was abducted from a shopping mall. His dismembered body was found 16 days later…
- On October 1, 1993, Polly Klass was abducted from her home at knifepoint during a slumber party. Her body was found 65 days later…
- On April 20, 1999, Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris entered Columbine High School in Littleton, CO and killed 12 classmates, a teacher and injured 20 before taking their own lives…
- On April 16, 2007, Seung-Hui Cho, a student at Virginia Tech, kills 32 before taking his own life...
If your faith is shaken by this event or one that is much more personal, then the evil has won. God is here, and He is great. Evil exist in all our hearts, and God loves us enough to allow us to make these choices yourself. God could force you to love and obey him, but what kind of love would that be? He wants you to come to Him of your own free will and love Him because you want to and not because you have to.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Bob
Or... maybe there is no God.
2 - Leslie Bohn
There's no evidence for any gods.
The Cassie Bernall story has been disproved. Didn't happen.
3 - Arch Conservative
There is also no evidence that disproves the existence of god Leslie.
4 - Baritone
God did not "take the evil in this world and ... use it for good." How people can repeatedly believe such drivel is beyond me. Whatever "good" has come out of the recent horrific events was accomplished by human beings, not any god.
Again, how a supposedly omnipotent and omniscient god could not forestall evil events in this world if he didn't want or intend for them to happen is beyond me. If god is as advertised, how does anything get by him? The only answer I can fathom is that your "loving" god did intend for evil things to happen. The Holocaust, 911, Sanjaya, all horrific events which happened in this world at your god's behest.
We can't fathom god's plan? Bullshit! As there is no god, (I know this cause a little bird told me) there is no "plan." Evil happens because people are capable of it. Good happens for the same reason. It is our choice. Cho Seung-hui made his choice. The good that may rise from the ashes of Hui's actions will be the results of choices made by other people, not your's or anyone's god.
Baritone
5 - Leslie Bohn
Sorry, Mr. C:
People have been disproving the existence of specific gods for a lot longer than some blog's been running. The many many inherent contradictions in the Bible, combined with the historical record and the laws of nature and physics, are enough to pretty easily disprove the Judeo-Christian god, for example.
Is he willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is impotent.
Is he able, but not willing? Then is he malevolent.
Is he both able and willing? Whence then is evil?
-Epicurus
You can't completely discount the possibility of some hypothetical god beyond logic or something, but every single one humans have come up with so far is demonstrably fictive.
6 - Kaonashi
As noble as the work has been done by John Walsh and Mark Klass, I don't doubt that they would give it all away in a heartbeat if it meant they would get their children back.
7 - Christopher Rose
It's not necessary to disprove the existence of god.
Anybody can postulate the existence of something and then the burden is on them to prove it. There is no requirement to prove them wrong, they have to demonstrate the truth of their assertion.
8 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Chris, I was going to stay out of this entirely - 'tisn't worth arguing over - until you came along and arrogantly asserted that you can state that there is no G-d and not be burdened to prove it.
Weak as I view Leslie Bohn's analysis to be, at least he attempted to prove his point of view, which appears to be not too dissimilar from your own. Where he differs significantly from you is that he at least made the attempt. While I disagree with him (and you, of course), at least he had the class to attempt to prove his assertions. You would do well to take a lesson from him.
I'll not further participate in this "debate." As I said, 'tisn't worth the effort. Rabbis Meir Kahane's, z"l, "Facing the Holocaust - Jewishly" found at comment #14 of this article is more than an adequate complement to this article's general arguments and I leave it top Rick Vassar, the author of the article above, to contemplate its points, should he so desire to.
9 - Christopher Rose
Ruvy, after laughing at your doublespeak of trying to not argue whilst arguing, I sobered up with the realisation that you are simply blind on this point.
My remark is not arrogant in the slightest, it's simply rational and reasonable. If I asserted that the entire universe was created by myself other folk might reasonably ask me to substantiate the point.
It is you that is being arrogant in making your entirely unsupported claims without anything at all to back it up. To rebutt such hollow words is not arrogant, it is sweet reason. If you weren't blinded by your faith, you would be able to see this, but of course you suffer from the zealot's affliction of a closed mind.
This point is supported by the fact that I have told you many times that I am completely open to the idea of god, indeed I wish there was such a thing. However, not having the trusting mind of a child, I'm not prepared to accept it just because some other humans make the assertion but can't support it.
10 - troll
(I invoke the MCH option on any further comments concerning religion by these two bozos who constantly browbeat each other and all readers with their incessant tirades destroying the value of the comments section)
11 - J. K. Jones
Just a quick question.
If evil disproves God's existence, then why do you have a basis to call something evil?
12 - Christopher Rose
troll, although I love the elegance of your rhetorical attempt to use my own invention against me (it's exception not option though), I was pointing out the error of Arch Conservative's opinion when Ruvy gave in to temptation.
I must therefore reject your clowning around with the same two words as in my last comment to you. You do remember what they were, don't you?
LOL
13 - troll
Chris - I bombard you with smiles and suggest that a 30 day cooling off period might do you a world of good
I am serious (somewhat) about your duel with Ruvy
and oh yeah - bite me
14 - JC Mosquito
If God manipulates human affairs, then we are merely His puppets. His non-interference allows choice and free will.
BTW... He also doesn't interfere when good things happen to bad people - which happens more often than you'd like to think.
I really don't believe anyone here is going to convince anyone else here to change their minds. Look, if there's no God, we all end up dead as posts. If there is, all can be forgiven. Win win situation I figure.
15 - Rick Vassar
I appreciate all your comments.
This article is not about the existence of God. It is an observation based on my beliefs, which I am allowed to have, just as you are allowed to have your own beliefs.
As a Christian, I believe in God, and I chose to write from that belief system. If you disagree, that's okay. I know He exists, and I neither attempted to prove it or disprove it. I chose merely to proclaim it.
To attack because you disagree does not help the conversation and is unfair.
Now, it's either that or somebody missed snacktime.
16 - JC Mosquito
Good for you, Mr. V - a nice place to leave it hang (if people are willing to leave it).
The problem with belief in God is that it's often assumed automatically that one is a Bible thumpin' zealot ready to call down damnation on non beliveres. It's possible to believe in God and be a sane, rational kind & caring human being, and I suspect that you yourself might actually be that kind of person.
Pax Vo,
Sk.
17 - Rick Vassar
Thanks (I think)
18 - fitman
God says, "My kingdom is no part of this world". He has nothing to do with what is going on in this world today. Satan controls it all for the time being. God's time is soon to come. It is very short in coming. All wickedness and unforgiving sinners will be wiped from the earth.
All false religion, which is 99 per cent of it, will be destroyed by the world governments, and then when everything looks like it is going well and we have peace, "The end will come upon them like a thief in the night". Search for the truth, and be ready!
19 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Rick,
Just asking if you looked at the link I left in comment #8, and was curious what you thought of it. It, obviously is a Jewish point of view dealing with a related topic.
And no, I'm not looking to argue with you over it. The main reason I have not commented very much here is that, from your own perspective, you said much of what I would have.
20 - JC Mosquito
Yep - it's s'posed to be a compliment. Unless you were about ready to thump somebody. ;)
Hey, that could be a Dylan type song: "You Gotta Thump Somebody." Maybe I can sell that idea to Weird Al.
21 - seamus
So if I go out and slaughter a bunch of people, then God will create good from it?
Yay, Virginia Tech killer! I can't wait to see how God turns this into something awesome!
And God, way to go with that Holocaust. And Darfur. And Nagasaki. And the Black Death. So much good created there.
22 - Leslie Bohn
Mr. Vassar:
I find the assertion that your entry titled "Where is God?" isn't about the existence of God confusing.
You asked, I answered. Where's the attack? Maybe you didn't mean me, and if so, I apologize.
And my other point was just a correction of your incorrect information about Cassie Bernall.
23 - JC Mosquito
Naw, God doesn't cause that stuff to happen - it's just the way of the world. Hitler had a choice to do what he did, just like everyone else had a choice in how to deal with him. Too bad they couldn't have dealt with him sooner & saved a lot of grief and lives.
If anything good has some out of that, it's not God making Hitler rise to power just so he can make some good out of it - once again, it's a human choice.
So, you can look at this two ways - it's all about a godless world with human choices, or it's about a world where God has to allow all things to happen: the bad things that happen to good people as well as the good things that happen to bad people. And, the mediocre things that happen to mediocre people.
What's the diff? Why choose God? For me, because the evidence of the world around me and my understanding of God coexist and support each other. Actually, Genesis Ch 1 - 11 pretty much says the same thing. But people keep interpreting the Bible like a science text, which the Bible itself says it isn't.
Like I said before, if there's no God, we're all dust. If there's God, he'll be forgiving and all will be well. We'll all get a chance to find out if Eddie Van Halen really is as good (or better) than Hendrix.
24 - Baronius
There was an article about a week ago, about the golfer who acknowledged God after his Masters victory. Some people replied, "sure, you thank God for the good stuff, but what about the bad?" I think this article answers that question. It's interesting that both articles got the same kind of reactions.
25 - meeee
I really like that song Every Grain of Sand!!!