"Theologians worry away at the "problem of evil" and a related "problem of suffering." On the day I originally wrote this paragraph, the British newspapers all carried a terrible story about a bus full of children from a Roman Catholic school that crashed for no obvious reason, with wholesale loss of life. Not for the first time, clerics were in paroxysms over the theological question that a writer on a London newspaper...framed this way: "How can you believe in a loving, all-powerful God who allows such a tragedy?" The article went on to quote one priest's reply: "The simple answer is that we do not know why there should be a God who lets these awful things happen. But the horror of the crash, to a Christian, confirms the fact that we live in a world of real values: positive and negative. if the universe was just electrons, there would be no problem of evil or suffering."
On the contrary, if the universe were just electrons and selfish genes, meaningless tragedies like the crashing of this bus are exactly what we would expect, along with equally meaningless good fortune. Such a universe would be neither evil nor good in intention. It would manifest no intentions of any kind. In a universe of blind physical forces and genetic replication, some people are going to get hurt, other people are going to get lucky, and you won't find any rhyme or reason in it, nor any justice." ~Richard Dawkins, in River Out of Eden
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Hi A
ReplyDeleteI came across your blog on my old pc when I was using it with a mapping program. I quit checking your blog quite some time ago, so it was good to take your address and tap it in on my Bookmarks after I saw that you are posting again. I see you moved to N. Carolina and would like to mention a book, newly published, that is non-fiction and takes place in your state. It is called 12 X 12, and might be of interest to you as it was to me.
I look forward to perusing the Abbey clips. After reading this post, I guess I can say good luck (or good fortune) in all your endeavors in your new home state.
Happy Trails from Lake Superior Country,
DW
Hey, good to see your name here, Northland. And you've always got great book tips. Thank you. I miss the North country. Peace.
ReplyDeleteInteresting post! Rabbi Harold Kushner deals with this common imagined problem in his book "When bad thing s happen to good people".
ReplyDeleteI sympathize with you having moved from the North Country!
'Glad to see you blogging again! Thanks!
Catharus,
ReplyDeleteWelcome and thank you. Do I know you by another name from my previous blogging perhaps? Or are you new to my blog?
Hi A,
ReplyDeleteI think I had commented on a previous posting maybe once or twice. But you likely didn't know me by another name; you're welcome to contact me at foreverwild.ny@gmail.com for further discussion.