Why ... Lord?      
   
   If we didn't confuse you over the weekend, please give us another chance. Asking "why God allows bad things to happen" might do the job.

   Two years ago our daughter and husband lost their baby due to a defect in his chromosomes. Recently, my high school classmates lost their son, age 53. You have had your own heartaches.

   After He created man, God, saw all that He had made, and it was very good. 

   Here we are after multiple wars, diseases, fires, kings, earthquakes, tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, suicides, floods, mudslides, famines, terrorism, homicides, accidents and poisonous plants. Even some lower creatures God made will take a bite out of us, given the chance. And then there is evil.

   Professor John Peckham, interviewed by Marvin Olasky, attempts to explain: 

   "God is entirely good - omnibenevolent, and entirely powerful - omnipotent. Why, then should evil and man's own troubles exist? Is He cruel, unsympathetic, or unable? 

   The "free will" defense explains the logical problem of evil, says the professor. If free will is necessary to honor some other value, like love, God remains morally good.

Devil: evil with a D 

   Due to the Fall, we inherited sinful nature and depravity. Nevertheless, God's grace, which is very good, allows us to make decisions within our human limitations. 

   In Greek, the word devil means slanderer. Satan has access to God and makes charges against us. See the book of Job. 

   God can answer with power, but that would leave the door open for charges of meanness or unfairness, etc. 

   Where do we go with this? We think we know.      Tomorrow >