I would like to share my recent study I posted on my [link removed]
“God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, is so good to me.”
This is the song we all sang in our Sunday school days and even today. But is God good to all? I am bringing in the question of the “All Benevolent God.” Let us also keep in mind throughout this reading that God is also omnipresent and omnipotent. What does it actually meant when we say that God is all benevolent? Is God someone who loves everyone and looks at everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality?
The centuries old question “Why there is suffering, violence and evil in the world if there is God who is all present, all powerful and all loving?” keeps hitting us even today. And none could give a fitting answer till date. My burden is not on giving an answer to that question, but rethinking Christian Theology on what God is and is not.
We know that all human being from childhood have the nature to have the best and claim what s/he has as the best. And this is exactly what happened with Christian theology. Christians ascribe all good things to God; I am not telling they are wrong, but this shadowed the true nature of God and what God really is. Here, I am also not telling that we can know God to the fullest. If we can, I wouldn’t be writing this. In simple human thought and sense, can we call someone who destroyed the world as all loving and good? But this is exactly what Christians and Christian theology is doing.
Let us flash back to the catastrophic events in the Biblical story as a bystander. Now watch the horrific flood in Noah’s time, watch the holocaust in Sodom and Gomorrah, the epidemic of the ten plaques in Moses’ time and God taking side with Israel in Joshua’s time in the conquest of Canaan. God definitely had a good reason for His acts, and this is what Christians have been presenting as an argument to the centuries old debate on the problem of evil. But can we as human being, in plain simple sense and thought, call someone who did or does that as all loving? And to the one who is capable of turning the table of anyone, anything, anywhere and anytime? I think rethinking Christian theology on this matter is the need of the hour and the need of every Christians.
Every human has an innate nature of longing and quest for perfection and everybody has the notion of perfect. This innate nature in every human being brings in the concept that there is a state of absolute perfect or perfect being. I am not telling that this reasoning is wrong. But when human reason on God and its attributes, they naturally assume and claim that God is this and that, probably based on their experience. See and hear the cry of a sinner saved from his sins and turning to God, “Oh how great thou art, you are an awesome God, all loving and merciful, who saved a wretch like me.” Can this expression be taken as a maxim? Now, let us think about what Pharaoh would have thought of the Christian God after his son was killed, his army swallowed by the Red Sea? Here, I could only think of the dialogue of Dharmendra, an old time mega Bollywood star, “Kutte, Kamine, tera khoon pee jao wung ga.” Please Google translate the quoted Hindi texts if you want to know what it says.
We cannot just rely and be content with someone’s personal experience and view on God of a particular time, place and situation. And this is also the case in the biblical record of God and about His attributes. Therefore, we must ask, “Is it God’s direct declaration, or exaltation or exclamation of a particular person recorded by biblical writers?” such as in the Psalms by David. Is God really what we think of Him today? Are we missing any? Or have we added much of our own views? We need to dig deeper on this theologically.
I am well aware that some few section of Christians who called themselves as fundamental Bible believing Christians who practices bibliolatry will react negatively to my thesis; but I am also well aware that truth will prevail in its own due time, which is not a burden of mine.
One may try to defend God as someone who looks with everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality. Or that He is not violent. Can anyone buy that after studying God’s dealings and judgements with mankind throughout history recorded in the Bible?
There is a problem to state God as someone who looks with everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality and to say He is not violent. If we study the Old Testament, it is surely not. The Israelites are special chosen people of God, God himself declared them as “My People.” See the exclusive declaration there. Upon reading the story, we know that despite God’s faithful presence and deliverances from many situations, they rebel against God; they even began to worship other gods. Still then God was gracious to them. Now let’s ask this question, why God gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites? Some had tried to defend this by saying that the Canaanite were too evil and are needed to be destroyed. But this is not the case. Long ago, God promised Abraham the possession of the Canaan land. Why should God make a covenant with only one people and left the rest? We cannot call that absolute equity, can we? There is some preference, and Israelites enjoys a special status than the rest of mankind.
We cannot ignore or justify the violent act of God theoretically alongside with other idealistic belief and world-views. Such as destroying the world in Noah’s time, Sodom Gomorrah in Abraham’s time, the 10 plaques in Egypt in Moses’ time and the conquest of Canaanite in Joshua’s time. For God Himself said, “I form the light, and create darkness: I makes peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). We are not assuming that evil necessarily comes out of Him. But He did allow or use evil people as a tool to bring judgements on others. However, we cannot describe God as evil for the violent act simply that He is the creator. We are created out of nothing for His pleasure and glory. He can do anything for His pleasure and glory. And this act does not make Him something which He is eternally not.
One may find different views and examples to support their own stand but the real necessity is to know whether God is really what we have been thinking of. Many Christian think of Jesus as a kind generous man who willingly suffered at the hand of many men. This nice “Lamb of God” concept is not totally wrong but not all right either. Focus on the reaction and behaviour of Jesus when the temple was misused by the people for business. He did what a “lowly white good lamb” probably wouldn’t be doing. From the perspective of the Pharisees of His time, he was a hostile man, a proud man, a socio-religious rebel. This view cannot be ignored because that was one of the root reason leading to His crucifixion. Same as this, Christians are missing the dot here when it come to the attribute of God.
Again, it is stated in the Bible that God is a jealous God. When someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him (Exodus 20:4-5) which is in regards to people worshipping idols; this type of jealousy is not wrong. Perhaps a practical example will help us understand the difference. If a man sees another man flirting with his wife, he is right to be jealous, for only he has the right to flirt with his wife. If God is a jealous God, then the consequences in the judgment will not be the same. There can be no absolute equity between believers and non-believers. Suppose, if this is wrong, then all human beings must be saved from damnation whether they believe in Him or not. Therefore to think of God as the God who looks with everyone with absolute (or ideal) equity will be false.
Conclusions:
The logical problem of evil has been a topic of debate for centuries. And the problem of evil is the greatest obstacle to belief in the existence of God. I wouldn’t think of God’s attributes logically as I have only limited knowledge on the being of God. But rather understand God of the person He is from His dealings with mankind. Logically there can be no evil in good. One may have hundreds reasons to support why God acted violently or allow evil in the world. But logically it is impossible for God to do that. Therefore it is necessary to assume that God is not exactly what we think of what He is.
Christians for ages has believed and has been defending the attributes of God when we really don’t have definite answers on the being of God. Many are human assumptions based on some personal experience of a particular person in a particular time and situation, some of which may be plausible beyond reasonable doubt but some are not.
Looking into the Jewish history and the salvation story manifested in Jesus Christ, we can safely conclude that God does things deem fit according to his will, pleasure, purpose and plan. And one who laid a salvafic plan for mankind on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself (Ephesians 1:9), And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11), that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly (Ephesians 3:3).
Now the option rest here, it is up to the person to believe in God or not. But we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. But damnation and hell for those who don’t. Here, the burden of the logical arguments on the problem of evil is lifted.
“God is so good, God is so good, God is so good, is so good to me.”
This is the song we all sang in our Sunday school days and even today. But is God good to all? I am bringing in the question of the “All Benevolent God.” Let us also keep in mind throughout this reading that God is also omnipresent and omnipotent. What does it actually meant when we say that God is all benevolent? Is God someone who loves everyone and looks at everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality?
The centuries old question “Why there is suffering, violence and evil in the world if there is God who is all present, all powerful and all loving?” keeps hitting us even today. And none could give a fitting answer till date. My burden is not on giving an answer to that question, but rethinking Christian Theology on what God is and is not.
We know that all human being from childhood have the nature to have the best and claim what s/he has as the best. And this is exactly what happened with Christian theology. Christians ascribe all good things to God; I am not telling they are wrong, but this shadowed the true nature of God and what God really is. Here, I am also not telling that we can know God to the fullest. If we can, I wouldn’t be writing this. In simple human thought and sense, can we call someone who destroyed the world as all loving and good? But this is exactly what Christians and Christian theology is doing.
Let us flash back to the catastrophic events in the Biblical story as a bystander. Now watch the horrific flood in Noah’s time, watch the holocaust in Sodom and Gomorrah, the epidemic of the ten plaques in Moses’ time and God taking side with Israel in Joshua’s time in the conquest of Canaan. God definitely had a good reason for His acts, and this is what Christians have been presenting as an argument to the centuries old debate on the problem of evil. But can we as human being, in plain simple sense and thought, call someone who did or does that as all loving? And to the one who is capable of turning the table of anyone, anything, anywhere and anytime? I think rethinking Christian theology on this matter is the need of the hour and the need of every Christians.
Every human has an innate nature of longing and quest for perfection and everybody has the notion of perfect. This innate nature in every human being brings in the concept that there is a state of absolute perfect or perfect being. I am not telling that this reasoning is wrong. But when human reason on God and its attributes, they naturally assume and claim that God is this and that, probably based on their experience. See and hear the cry of a sinner saved from his sins and turning to God, “Oh how great thou art, you are an awesome God, all loving and merciful, who saved a wretch like me.” Can this expression be taken as a maxim? Now, let us think about what Pharaoh would have thought of the Christian God after his son was killed, his army swallowed by the Red Sea? Here, I could only think of the dialogue of Dharmendra, an old time mega Bollywood star, “Kutte, Kamine, tera khoon pee jao wung ga.” Please Google translate the quoted Hindi texts if you want to know what it says.
We cannot just rely and be content with someone’s personal experience and view on God of a particular time, place and situation. And this is also the case in the biblical record of God and about His attributes. Therefore, we must ask, “Is it God’s direct declaration, or exaltation or exclamation of a particular person recorded by biblical writers?” such as in the Psalms by David. Is God really what we think of Him today? Are we missing any? Or have we added much of our own views? We need to dig deeper on this theologically.
I am well aware that some few section of Christians who called themselves as fundamental Bible believing Christians who practices bibliolatry will react negatively to my thesis; but I am also well aware that truth will prevail in its own due time, which is not a burden of mine.
One may try to defend God as someone who looks with everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality. Or that He is not violent. Can anyone buy that after studying God’s dealings and judgements with mankind throughout history recorded in the Bible?
There is a problem to state God as someone who looks with everyone with absolute equity and with no partiality and to say He is not violent. If we study the Old Testament, it is surely not. The Israelites are special chosen people of God, God himself declared them as “My People.” See the exclusive declaration there. Upon reading the story, we know that despite God’s faithful presence and deliverances from many situations, they rebel against God; they even began to worship other gods. Still then God was gracious to them. Now let’s ask this question, why God gave the land of Canaan to the Israelites? Some had tried to defend this by saying that the Canaanite were too evil and are needed to be destroyed. But this is not the case. Long ago, God promised Abraham the possession of the Canaan land. Why should God make a covenant with only one people and left the rest? We cannot call that absolute equity, can we? There is some preference, and Israelites enjoys a special status than the rest of mankind.
We cannot ignore or justify the violent act of God theoretically alongside with other idealistic belief and world-views. Such as destroying the world in Noah’s time, Sodom Gomorrah in Abraham’s time, the 10 plaques in Egypt in Moses’ time and the conquest of Canaanite in Joshua’s time. For God Himself said, “I form the light, and create darkness: I makes peace, and create evil: I the Lord do all these things” (Isaiah 45:7). We are not assuming that evil necessarily comes out of Him. But He did allow or use evil people as a tool to bring judgements on others. However, we cannot describe God as evil for the violent act simply that He is the creator. We are created out of nothing for His pleasure and glory. He can do anything for His pleasure and glory. And this act does not make Him something which He is eternally not.
One may find different views and examples to support their own stand but the real necessity is to know whether God is really what we have been thinking of. Many Christian think of Jesus as a kind generous man who willingly suffered at the hand of many men. This nice “Lamb of God” concept is not totally wrong but not all right either. Focus on the reaction and behaviour of Jesus when the temple was misused by the people for business. He did what a “lowly white good lamb” probably wouldn’t be doing. From the perspective of the Pharisees of His time, he was a hostile man, a proud man, a socio-religious rebel. This view cannot be ignored because that was one of the root reason leading to His crucifixion. Same as this, Christians are missing the dot here when it come to the attribute of God.
Again, it is stated in the Bible that God is a jealous God. When someone gives to another something that rightly belongs to Him (Exodus 20:4-5) which is in regards to people worshipping idols; this type of jealousy is not wrong. Perhaps a practical example will help us understand the difference. If a man sees another man flirting with his wife, he is right to be jealous, for only he has the right to flirt with his wife. If God is a jealous God, then the consequences in the judgment will not be the same. There can be no absolute equity between believers and non-believers. Suppose, if this is wrong, then all human beings must be saved from damnation whether they believe in Him or not. Therefore to think of God as the God who looks with everyone with absolute (or ideal) equity will be false.
Conclusions:
The logical problem of evil has been a topic of debate for centuries. And the problem of evil is the greatest obstacle to belief in the existence of God. I wouldn’t think of God’s attributes logically as I have only limited knowledge on the being of God. But rather understand God of the person He is from His dealings with mankind. Logically there can be no evil in good. One may have hundreds reasons to support why God acted violently or allow evil in the world. But logically it is impossible for God to do that. Therefore it is necessary to assume that God is not exactly what we think of what He is.
Christians for ages has believed and has been defending the attributes of God when we really don’t have definite answers on the being of God. Many are human assumptions based on some personal experience of a particular person in a particular time and situation, some of which may be plausible beyond reasonable doubt but some are not.
Looking into the Jewish history and the salvation story manifested in Jesus Christ, we can safely conclude that God does things deem fit according to his will, pleasure, purpose and plan. And one who laid a salvafic plan for mankind on the cross and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Having made known unto us the mystery of his will, according to his good pleasure which he hath purposed in himself (Ephesians 1:9), And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose (Romans 8:28), In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will (Ephesians 1:11), that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly (Ephesians 3:3).
Now the option rest here, it is up to the person to believe in God or not. But we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him. But damnation and hell for those who don’t. Here, the burden of the logical arguments on the problem of evil is lifted.
