A Question that Needs Answering

Here is a question from someone who read this blog and has a serious problem with God and evil:

• The problem:
• i find your blogs fascinating...you seem so sure of your faith in god. tell me, where is god when abuse is happening? where is god when i was being sexually abused? was he standing in the room with us? just watching? was he weeping for me? did he even care? is he there when things like that happen to other people? how do you explain that? how can a god be good and loving and merciful when that happens? how do you reconcile that? my blog is http://warriorchild.blogspot.com/

Here is my answer. It is not comprehensive, and I may add to it if the dialog continues: I will first ask you a question. Do you think that the sexual abuse you suffered as well as the abuse that is happening to others is morally evil? Is it truly, objectively evil, or just events that you subjectively disaprove of? If you believe what is going on is objectively evil, where do you find this standard for good and evil. If an absolute good God does not exist, then the only other alternative is that evil is just a word for things we don't like because there is no real standard or grounded source of good.

In my world view as a Christian, God is an absolute, good God and will judge the world. His moral character never changes, good flows from his very nature and is intrisic to his being. God created free men, and there is a great terror to this. We can do great evil. We can reject to express the moral purity of God, and cause enormous pain and injury to each other. Freedom is a real and active state of being, and if God interfers in all evil acts, freedom is not really free. As a christian, I believe that you will receive justice, those who suffer at the hands of evil people will find justice in the final judgement of God. While we are here on this earth, we should strive to see justice for innocent victims. We should express outrage and demand justice when individuals do so much harm.

Another important point: God is not sitting in heaven unmoved and unconcerned about our state. The Christian message is one of God coming in human form (Jesus Christ), and partaking in our suffering. Subjecting himself to all sorts of evil and identifying in a real, concrete way with enormous pain. He's suffered injustice, lies, deceit, and brutal murder. I do not like to hear Christians respond to people who suffer injustice that It's ok God is in control. It's not OK! From Genesis to Revelation, God say's it's not OK. We should cry with those who cry and hurt with those who hurt, and do our best to see that the will of God is done via justice to evil doers and compassion and concern for victims.

God Eternal: Nature and Attributes Part 2

God is Unique

I have heard the statistic that 97 percent of Americans believe in God. This is probably accurate, but what would be interesting to know, is who Americans think God is and what is he like. I think most people in the U.S would agree that God is unique, in fact most people in the world may believe this is true, but what does Christianity mean by unique? This may not be an extensive definition but here it goes. By unique we mean that there is only one God, and what makes him God is his eternality, immutability, transcendence, omnipotence, omniscience, omnipresence, and that he is incorporeal (immaterial or spirit), and triune.

I would like to discuss each attribute individually and hopefully give a decent explanation and the implications of the view. Our first definition is “Eternality”, or God is eternal. He has always been and there has never been a time when he was not :

Psalm 90:1 Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations. Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.

Deuteronomy 33:27 The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. He will drive out your enemy before you, saying, 'Destroy him!,

Nehemiah 9:5 And the Levites-Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah and Pethahiah-said: "Stand up and praise the LORD your God, who is from everlasting to everlasting. [ Or God for ever and ever ] " "Blessed be your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.

If God is not eternal, that means there was a time when he came to be. If he came to be, that would indicate he himself was created and not the only God or true God. His existence would be dependent, and this affects his being immutable because he came to be and was not at some point. He would not be omnipotent either because he does not sustain his own existence but is determined by something other than his own being. Also, an effect cannot be greater than it's cause.

There must be a first cause, or uncaused cause or what you have is an infinit regress of gods or causes, and that would lead us nowhere. Logically, God must be the uncaused cause by his very definition of being the only true God. There must be a source of eternal truth as well, or we have a serious dilema called relativism. If God is not eternal and therefore not immutable, and he is subject to change, what changes will occurr? God as well as ourselves can only guess.

I will address the other attributes in the coming weeks, but understanding the nature and the implications of the Christian view of God should be a fundamental striving for all believers. Their are more than enough good books on this important topic. I would suggest going to the following site and request the “Nature and Attributes of God” by Robert Passantino. It is a small but effective booklet, and for a small or large donation to this awsome ministry you can get a copy.
http://answers.org