Wednesday, January 26, 2005
NCR VIEWPOINT - WAS THE TSUMANI AN ACT OF GOD ?
Here is the crux of the argument:
Like many philosophers through the ages, I believe that if God could have stopped the tsunami and did not, then God is not all-good and so does not exist. However, if God is all-good, then God must not be all-powerful. I cannot believe in a God who could have stopped this tragedy but did nothing. I can believe in a God who did not have the power to stop this tragedy. In a contest between a God of infinite power and a God of infinite goodness, I choose goodness over power.
If we choose a God who is all good but not all powerful, just what is He good for, anyway? If He couldn't stop a tsunami, can he stop a thunderstorm? But thunderstorms sometimes harm people, too. They bring a lot of water that can flood places. And sometimes people die.
What is the value of one single life compared to thousands? Can we exempt God from responsibility for the tsunami but not the thunderstorm since the loss of life is disproportional? A sort of "He can kill one and still be good, but He can't kill thousands and be good"? Or must we conclude He is good but He cannot control the thunderstorm? If He can't control the weather, what can He control?
Life is full of happiness and tragedy. If we reject the thought that God is in control, what reason is there to be happy? What hope is there for tomorrow? Without a God in control, the universe is spinning at random, and we with it. There is no reason to be certain of anything. If the environment can produce one tsunami, it can produce an infinite number of them. Tragedy, because it exists somewhere, is a threat everywhere. Always. Without a Being in control, we have no reason to believe we are safe. Ever.
The tsunami was a terrible tragedy. I don't know why God permitted it. I do believe God could have stopped it had He wished. I reconcile that belief by knowing that God is a mystery far beyond anything I can conceive, that He is in charge of His creation, that He works all things for good for those who love Him.
And I believe this life is not the end. Once it's over, we go on to something else. Something better if we imitate God's goodness through His grace. That we are here for a purpose in His plan, and we will leave this life when that purpose is completed. And that is the whole reason for living, and the only source of happiness.
