While in my last post I called what happened in Newtown Connecticut an unthinkable tragedy, I have been pondering it the last two days as "evil." A public official in Connecticut called it evil. My pastor called it evil in his sermon today. Yes, 27 people including 21 first graders being killed in an elementary school by a shooter who then killed himself is evil. How in the world do we comprehend such evil happening at a time where people are supposed to be nice to each other? (You know peace on earth and good will toward men.)
For all practical purposes we are entering a theological and philosophical discussion here versus one of self-help psychology. Part of emotional journeys often mean considering philosophy and theology. In a sense everyone has both a theology and a philosophy.
Definitions
There are different theologies and different philosophies so, let me be precise here in the definitions of what I am aiming to discuss. For the purpose of this discussion:
How Can a Loving God Allow Such Evil to Happen?
When it comes to theology/philosophy, people tend to ask how a loving God could allow such evil to happen? It is a fair question and one to which there has been so much written that justice could not be done. It serves to say that there is a continuum of views that go all the way
As a Christian, I prefer to think that a loving and all-powerful God has given us choice. He (I do prefer the male pronoun) will allow choice and stay out of the way unless he sovereignly decides to get involved according to His will. He will allow people to choose and he will allow people to choose evil. Sometimes that evil is horrific.
Mind you, it is not exactly easy just to make academic, theological/philosophical statements about evil to someone is hurting. Theological discussions like this about the presence of evil in the world are just not something you are going to have when you are talking to a bereaved person. We only have academic philosophical and theological discussions when we are in a good spot.
When talking with the bereaved who lost someone to a violent crime, the common sense option is to have little to no such discussion about such matters. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care!
Our Theologies and Philosophies are Challenged by Life's Collisions
Regardless, some of us have faith and have been regularly interested in spiritual matters and can fit life's pain into where it in our theologies and philosophies. When I had been diagnosed with a brain tumor over 16 years ago and faced the reality that I could die, I was able to choose how to think in detail given that I had a seminary education (to me the fallen nature of human bodies means some people are going to get brain tumors--me included).
However, not all of us have the interest and time to put into theological education beyond our attendance at church. We are usually intensely involved with the day to day affairs of life and we only stop and think about God when we have a collision course with death and tragedy. The times of tragedy force us to usually call us to times of reflection about what we believe and how things fit together.
Evil has happened in this world, is happening in this world, and will continue to happen in this world. Most of us deal with evil and horrible bosses, neighbors, co-workers, school-mates, professors, and family members every day and it will not make the news. Many of us think about evil people who have abused us in the past and it will never make the news. Many of us will have to endure evil family members at family celebrations in nine days and our suffering will be discounted and brushed away by codependent family members who say "It's just them." However, only when the evil is catastrophic does it seem to shake us up to think about it.
So Where is God? Jesus? The Babe in the Manger?
In a somewhat abrupt closing to this post, I think the Sandy Hook School shooting two days ago in Connecticut may challenge what significance Christmas will have for you and me. Did your expectations and views get shaken and changed because of Friday? I think that it is okay if they were. You are entitled to question as it is a human trait to question.
To me God is bigger than Christmas and I pray that God will be a very real and present comfort to the people of Newtown Connecticut.
For all practical purposes we are entering a theological and philosophical discussion here versus one of self-help psychology. Part of emotional journeys often mean considering philosophy and theology. In a sense everyone has both a theology and a philosophy.
Definitions
There are different theologies and different philosophies so, let me be precise here in the definitions of what I am aiming to discuss. For the purpose of this discussion:
- a theology has to do with how you see things regarding God (or God as you understand him, her, it) or as God pertains to a subject and
- a philosophy is the system by which you order your thoughts and view the world.
How Can a Loving God Allow Such Evil to Happen?
When it comes to theology/philosophy, people tend to ask how a loving God could allow such evil to happen? It is a fair question and one to which there has been so much written that justice could not be done. It serves to say that there is a continuum of views that go all the way
- from Atheism (God does not exist)
- to hyper Calvinism (God sovereignly made it happen for a purpose).
- from a distant God who is not involved (Deism view)
- to a God who is in process and not all powerful (Process Theology view)
- to a God who allows free choice (Free will defense view)
- to a God who has created the best of all possible worlds (Theodicy view)
As a Christian, I prefer to think that a loving and all-powerful God has given us choice. He (I do prefer the male pronoun) will allow choice and stay out of the way unless he sovereignly decides to get involved according to His will. He will allow people to choose and he will allow people to choose evil. Sometimes that evil is horrific.
Mind you, it is not exactly easy just to make academic, theological/philosophical statements about evil to someone is hurting. Theological discussions like this about the presence of evil in the world are just not something you are going to have when you are talking to a bereaved person. We only have academic philosophical and theological discussions when we are in a good spot.
When talking with the bereaved who lost someone to a violent crime, the common sense option is to have little to no such discussion about such matters. People do not care how much you know until they know how much you care!
Our Theologies and Philosophies are Challenged by Life's Collisions
Regardless, some of us have faith and have been regularly interested in spiritual matters and can fit life's pain into where it in our theologies and philosophies. When I had been diagnosed with a brain tumor over 16 years ago and faced the reality that I could die, I was able to choose how to think in detail given that I had a seminary education (to me the fallen nature of human bodies means some people are going to get brain tumors--me included).
However, not all of us have the interest and time to put into theological education beyond our attendance at church. We are usually intensely involved with the day to day affairs of life and we only stop and think about God when we have a collision course with death and tragedy. The times of tragedy force us to usually call us to times of reflection about what we believe and how things fit together.
Evil has happened in this world, is happening in this world, and will continue to happen in this world. Most of us deal with evil and horrible bosses, neighbors, co-workers, school-mates, professors, and family members every day and it will not make the news. Many of us think about evil people who have abused us in the past and it will never make the news. Many of us will have to endure evil family members at family celebrations in nine days and our suffering will be discounted and brushed away by codependent family members who say "It's just them." However, only when the evil is catastrophic does it seem to shake us up to think about it.
So Where is God? Jesus? The Babe in the Manger?
In a somewhat abrupt closing to this post, I think the Sandy Hook School shooting two days ago in Connecticut may challenge what significance Christmas will have for you and me. Did your expectations and views get shaken and changed because of Friday? I think that it is okay if they were. You are entitled to question as it is a human trait to question.
To me God is bigger than Christmas and I pray that God will be a very real and present comfort to the people of Newtown Connecticut.
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