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The Problem of Evil and Me
At church we are studying “The Problem of Evil” and “Theodicy”. Many involved in “American Christianity” go through a modern “deconstruction of faith”, coming out on the other side by destroying their inadequate concept of…religion, God, Christianity, and even themselves.
Theories on justifying God, while recognizing evil exists, abound. Perry Hall’s 3 point answer is itself just a beginning point – 1) I don’t know. 2) I’m not God. 3) Deal with it.
I deal with it by becoming more familiar with the gospel.
That’s the ultimate answer. The gospel. Suffering is real. Sin is real. God’s love is real. God’s judgment is real. Jesus’s death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to rule as King is not a denial of our own existential questions, but is a reality upon which we must depend.
People become atheists often after enduring pain. Jesus did not escape suffering. People also become atheists because Christians today don’t have an authentic view of the gospel. Jesus was not understood either which is one reason He suffered. We may not like the world we live in, but our Creator did not separate Himself from this world either.
Why is it like this? I don’t know. I’m not God. Deal with it. I deal with it through Jesus.
Jesus cannot be deconstructed from faith if we see Jesus as living our faith for us to construct in and through Him. That is the answer to the problem of evil.
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