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May I first off start this by offering my condolences to all involved in this tragedy? To those who have families and
friends hurt by this hideous evil today, I offer my condolences. But I also realize there are questions from both sides. Skeptics
will say Christians can't possibly believe in a good all-loving and all-powerful God while this happens and Christians will
wonder where there's is.
C.S. Lewis said when he was an atheist he wondered how God could be good if there was so much
evil? When he became a Christian he realized the fallacy of that view. To see evil and attribute it to a good God? Man may
be foolish but he isn't that foolish.
To recognize evil, one must first recognize good. There must be objective standards
or one can't complain about evil on a universal basis. They can't ask why evil happened if evil is subjective. Otherwise they
have no real grounds for calling it evil other than their own opinion.
Philip Yancey says we might in turn ask why
there is so much good and hope without a good God? His point is a good counter to the skeptical view of the world.
As
I watched the news today, I saw two things were of utmost importance at least in Western society. Truth and Life. I would
like to take a deeper look at these in response also to the typical skeptical and post-modern view.
People say truth
is relative at times but how do you say that with today? Who did this? How many died? When did this happen? In other words,
we wanted facts. But what are facts but representations of the truth? Facts are facts whether you believe them or not. If
I believe gravity isn't a fact and I jump off a building, I'm still gonna fall. Facts are facts.
If facts are objectively
true, then truth is objectively true because facts are true. Thus, if truth is subjective, then there can be no such thing
as facts. When the skeptic says truth is subjective and argues against facts for the faith, he contradicts himself. When one
says there are facts, one says that truth is objective. Facts cannot say gravity exists and doesn't exist. Pluralism and relativism
are ruled out then also.
Life is also of value. These people that died today all will say have immense value. These
people that died today were actual human beings. They were not cosmic accidents. They were not illusions on our mindscape.
They were not little pieces of God. They were not creations grown from a primordial soup. They were people created in the
image of God. That explains their immense value being based on something outside themselves.
How does the Chrsitian
view teach these? Truth is highly important to the Christian view. In the gospel of John I have been studying recently, Jesus
says "I tell you the truth" 27 times. He wanted people to know the truth. The Holy Spirit is called the spirit of Truth in
that gospel.
Life was so valuable to Jesus that he gave his life for it. He laid down his life not only for his friends
but for those who opposed him. The very ones who nailed him to the cross he prayed for. WHen one sees what Jesus said was
true they can see he was no ordinary man. When one sees that he died for those who opposed him wilingly, they can see he was
no ordinary man.
And Jesus has the answer to this. His resurrection says those who believe on him will see life beyond
this Earth. That this isn't the end. Our loved ones who have died today in Christ will be forever with us in Heaven.
And
at the same time, offers love for even those who have attacked us.
Does your view do that?
Comments? Suggestions?
Thoughts? Questions? (Insults were due yesterday)
Nick
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