Suffering, Evil and the Existence of God

In this NY Times article, Dr. Stanley Fish discusses two very different books written by two authors whose spiritual journeys seem to criss-cross in some ways, particularly on these topics.

"Bart D. Ehrman is a professor of religious studies and his book is titled “God’s Problem: How the Bible Fails to Answer Our Most Important Question – Why We Suffer.” A graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary, Ehrman trained to be a scholar of New Testament Studies and a minister. Born-again as a teenager, devoted to the scriptures (he memorized entire books of the New Testament), strenuously devout, he nevertheless lost his faith because, he reports, “I could no longer reconcile the claims of faith with the fact of life . . . I came to the point where I simply could not believe that there is a good and kindly disposed Ruler who is in charge.” “The problem of suffering,” he recalls, “became for me the problem of faith.”

"What impels him is not the fascination of intellectual puzzles, but the anguish produced by what he sees when he opens his eyes. “If he could do miracles for his people throughout the Bible, where is he today when your son is killed in a car accident, or your husband gets multiple sclerosis? . . . I just don’t see anything redemptive when Ethiopian babies die of malnutrition.”

The horror of the pain and suffering he instances leads Ehrman to be scornful of those who respond to it with cool abstract analyses: “What I find morally repugnant about such books is that they are so far removed from the actual pain and suffering that takes place in our world.”

He might have been talking about Antony Flew’s “There Is a God: How the World’s Most Notorious Atheist Changed His Mind.” Flew, a noted professor of philosophy, announced in 2004 that after decades of writing essays and books from the vantage point of atheism, he now believes in God."
-via NY Times


I don't have the time or energy right now to write a lot about this although I found it quite interesting - and I have to get back to work -

The comments to this piece are as interesting as the piece itself...click above to read.

On suffering - and being a believer

"In meeting suffering humanity, believers know that they are meeting Christ himself, whose Holy Face is the face of those who bear the endless crosses imposed on them by injustice, violence and selfishness."
Pope John Paul II


There is a mystery to suffering, one that can frighten us if we let it.

In fact some people run away from those who are suffering. They avoid them - intentionally or unintentionally. They may say they don't want to get involved, or rationalize their behavior in other ways.

But the bottom line is - they're scared. Or perhaps they're choosing to be selfish.

Why be afraid? Our faith tells us that suffering is part of life and, in fact, Christ took on suffering in human form to obtain our redemption. It is part of the faith life we have.

Selfishness, although common, is also inexplicable, considering how vulnerable we are as humans. Do we feel so immune from bad things happening to us, that we think it's okay to ignore those in need? What if we were the one who needed the help?

Maybe we don't think of it in those terms, but when we turn our backs on each other, we are making serious choices that affect others who need us.

Day after day I talk to people who are newly disabled who say the same thing: "I never thought it would happen to me."

Sadly, in my experience, it is not the disability itself which will cause them the most sorrow, but the way they are treated by some people. Most will adjust to the change in their body, but it is a far crueler thing to be treated as "less than". Being stared at will freak them out at first. They will be in shock when they realize that the invitations to social events stop from certain friends. They will hurt when they need help and other people are too busy.

And then there will be the joy that comes when others step up to the plate and act in a loving way. This will wash like water over the wounds, healing the sorrow . The newly disabled will learn to find their own joy in helping others again. For some, like myself, this will only be possible if others unselfishly help them with daily tasks. I pray that they find that help.

Hopefully, these newly disabled folks will learn to put human behavior in the right perspective- which is that we all are guilty of doing wrong at times and convict ourselves of that and learn from it. Such is the world in which Pope John Paul II wrote these words. He calls those of us who are believers to recognize that Christ's face is in those who carry crosses.

He calls on us to be there, whether we are disabled or not, for each other.