Recently I had an interesting discussion with 3 young men who were drinking and enjoying the Friday night downtown activities. They were grouped together, standing with some ladies talking and waiting for dinner and I offered them a gospel tract related to the person of Christ and asked them to consider the question ‘Who is Jesus?’ The main gentleman I spoke with in an apparently preset response immediately said “What about a kid who gets cancer and dies?”
I asked him if he was making a statement by his rhetorical question regarding the problem of evil- How can a good God allow unnecessary suffering? He affirmed this and we began a very interesting talk. The discussion didn’t settle well with these particular girls as they said something like ‘You are hurting my vibe’ or a similarly profound expression. So, they departed rather suddenly which didn’t seem to bother the gentleman, much to their credit. I proceeded to apply a presuppositional apologetic response to this regarding the necessity of assuming God’s existence to account for the existence of his personal moral outrage, as well as logic and science. I told him that his was a psychological or emotional rejection of God’s existence and not a logical one. I thought he was denying God’s existence, but he didn’t. He stated that he didn’t deny God’s existence but could not imagine any reason why He could allow a child to suffer like that. After a little further discussion, I realized what he was saying and restated it, “So you don’t deny the God of the bible, you just hate him!” He basically agreed that this was indeed the case. I was surprised that he was this honest and didn’t couch his hatred in self-serving sophistry like most. I asked him “So, you don’t think it is possible that God who is infinitely smarter than you, might have a logical reason for allowing the child’s suffering that were you to know you would heartily agree?” He unabashedly said “No. There is no reason that he could provide me that would account for this.”
There was more back and forth with him and his 2 buddies, I’m just focusing on the more interesting points. But as I was framing this possibility to him- “What if the child’s cancer was because of a nutritional deficiency or...” -his friend to my right interrupted as he saw where this was going and asked if he could finish my line of reasoning. I obliged him and he said 'What if everyone would focus resources on finding a cure to cancer and it could be found.’ Right! What if everyone spent their money and energies into curing cancer and could but were more interested in eating, drinking and being merry? His friend enthusiastically agreed with this and said “I’m on his side” and humorously proceeded to give me a fist bump. The first guy reluctantly said that this could be a possibility. I was going to drive the point in more vigorously but they said they had to go eat. So, I exhorted them to consider what we discussed and we all shook hands and they went in to the restaurant.
As I thought about it later, I wish I would have been able to express to them of God’s anger towards a society and people more concerned about a life consisting in the abundance of things they possess than children suffering from numerous curable things. (Psa.9:17) I wanted to ask the young man what he has personally done to help these afore mentioned children. Or if he has devoted his own life to helping these kids. Imagine Judgment Day when God confronts people with all the devastating irreparable suffering that would have been alleviated if they cared less for themselves and their shallow and seasonal pleasures. What a wretched, vile and contemptuous existence we live as sinners even as we carelessly and ignorantly stare death in the face every moment at the precipice of eternity. Is this not truly delusion? They have no fear of God, just presumptuous and insufferable arrogance. ‘But, you see, God could easily fix it and that would free me up to live a life of self-serving, self-aggrandizing pursuits. And His obligating me to certain responsibilities I never chose I find to be rather bullying’. So, the magnificence of existence is cancelled by the burden of the severity of existence. (Rom.11:22) And of course you, being the more benevolent one would have done a better job than God did, obviously. Perhaps we need a hymnbook named for you!
The Lord warned through Paul “This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come. For men shall be lovers of their own selves... lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God”. (2 Tim.3) Perilous times will increase in these last days expressly because men love themselves and their pleasures. A complete disregard for the sufferings of others while they blame God for it. Then they flatter themselves and their ‘unlimited human potential’ with motto's like “We are the ones we’ve been waiting for!” They graduate college and move on from reckless hedonism (dorm life) for a career in a high paying job so they can amass great wealth for themselves. Completely blind to the severity of their mistakes, the tragedy of unforgiveness and broken relationships to the permanency of death except to point their fingers accusingly in the face of God who gave them the immeasurable power to get wealth, who live and move and have their being in him. With open face they view the history of man (those who bother to get off of Facebook or pause from enhancing selfies to post) looking at the incalculable pain men have inflicted upon one another and they, carelessly and totally detached from reality say ‘God is letting this happen, he must not exist.’ Fools and blind! They can see how a single person can make a difference in numerous examples all around, but they focus their own energies on acquiring bigger and more expensive things or ever more intoxicating pleasures. (1 Jn 2:15-17) Even though we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out, this seems to be the purpose they choose for their life- laying up treasures and pleasures. (1 Tim 6:5-19, Lk.12:21, Mt.6:19-20, 2 Thes.2:12, 1 Tim.5:6, Tit.3:3, Heb.11:25, Jam.5:5) And then they blame God for problems but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers. Thou hypocrite!
Ezek.34:4 The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost...
Matt.25:41-43 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me no meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me no drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me not in: naked, and ye clothed me not: sick, and in prison, and ye visited me not.
Jer.5:27-9 As a cage is full of birds, so are their houses full of deceit: therefore they are become great, and waxen rich. They are waxen fat, they shine: yea, they overpass the deeds of the wicked: they judge not the cause, the cause of the fatherless, yet they prosper; and the right of the needy do they not judge. Shall I not visit for these things? saith the Lord: shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?
Amos 6:4-6 (v1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion...) That lie upon beds of ivory, and stretch themselves upon their couches, and eat the lambs out of the flock, and the calves out of the midst of the stall; That chant to the sound of the viol, and invent to themselves instruments of musick, like David; That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
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