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Meditation 1209
Where was God?

by: John Tyrrell

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The recent Nepal earthquake generated some really awful comments from some* Christians, some seeing the whole thing as a God-given opportunity to bring Tibetans to Christ. And Ken Ham blamed the whole thing on the sin of Adam and Eve - yes - the gospel according to Ken has up to 10,000 Tibetans dying because Adam and Eve tasted a piece of forbidden fruit 6,000 years earlier.

I'm sure a clear explanation of this piece of Christian theology to the Tibetan people could safely inoculate them from Ken's f*cked up religion and malign vengeful f*cked up God for generations.

But what of liberal Christianity? How do they square their kind, good, and loving God with major natural disasters. Kyle Roberts tried to answer the question with Where is God in the Nepal Earthquake?. And he finds no answer.

All he can do is quote from someone who wrote an entire book on the same issue: Where is God? Earthquake, Terrorism, Barbarity, and Hope by Jon Sobrino. And Sobrino says:

There is no logical, rationally convincing answer to the question about where God is in suffering. Without discussing it further now, let us simply say that God is also crucified.

OK, apparently it's alright then - because an eternal God allowed a piece of himself to die for about 39 hours** before resurrecting himself, we can accept that there's no logical rational reason for God allowing earthquakes even though he does.

I hate to say it but Ken Ham's permanently full-of-hatred vengeful demon of a God actually makes more sense than does a liberal theologian's loving God.

But an even more logical and rational answer to the question of "Where was God in the Nepal Earthquake" is "There was no God, there is no God."

Footnote:

* I emphasize the word some. Many more Christians condemned the thoughtlessness and callousness.

** About 3pm Friday to about 6am Sunday

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