How Dare God! (Update from 1/10/2015)

"Tony, I've met a couple of people who not only don't believe in God but are angry at him and bitter. How can the question of how do I worship a god, that allows death and pain, be answered? And to believe my god is the only God is being a theist."

-- Anonymous, reader of "The Path"

My answer:  "I try to be tolerant, I really do, but I feel there are times when God tests my resolve.  Taking your email, as a whole, the question of answering these people, though simple, would require violating my new rule - don't get into braying contests with jackasses.  My advice to you, dear, is just that... don't."

This, for me, is typical "atheist".  They don't believe in God, yet they are angry at him... and bitter. I would love to address this, but atheists are charter members of the League of the Perpetually Offended.  Atheists and theists both have faith in what they believe. Faith, however, is a belief in something for which there is little or no proof.  Let me restate this: Niether side has any incontrovertible proof that they are right. Theists should stop talking to atheists.  It just isn't worth the drama.

But my sidestepping the ridiculousness of what I'm reading, here, will not give an answer to the questions asked.  These questions are not only pertinent to the perpetually unhappy who have asked the questions but, also, to those of faith that must come to grips with their own answers, answers as numerous as the theologians that voice them.

I've run into the folks voicing these questions on so many occasions they finally pissed me off. They helped the other group guide me onto my current path.  These are the folks that, if they were Christian, would throw their bible up like a shield and damn me to hell for questioning "The Book."  I'll give you one guess who the other group, that constantly pissed me off, were.  But, the first group aren't Christians.  Or... are they?

Let's take a shot at the first statement, "a couple of people that not only don't believe in God but are angry at him and bitter."  My goodness!  These intellectuals are angry and bitter at a deity they don't even think exists.  I was angry and bitter, once, but at least I knew it was my ex-wife.  These folks are angry and bitter at a "concept," and it's a concept they don't even believe in.  I got drafted before finishing my psychology degree but, off-hand, I'd call this misplaced anger... toward an "imaginary" deity... they don't even believe in!  It bodes the question:  Who is more sane?  These folks, or people with faith?

First of all, and obviously, they seem to "believe" in God by their own admission, vis a vis, assigning anger and bitterness toward, what they would call, an "imaginary" God.  Misplaced?  I equate this to cursing an inanimate object when you inadvertently run into it.  You're the dumbass that ran into it, yet you feel better assigning blame to an inanimate object.  Yeah, there's nothing "insane" with that.  Yet, this seems to be exactly what is happening here.  Let me try and elaborate.

If God doesn't exist, ask yourself this question, "To whom should we assign fault for all the pain and suffering in the world?"  If you're hearing the "Jeopardy" tune in your head, you're trying way too hard to answer.  The only other scapegoat is us, hence why we assign it somewhere else.  Goodness knows none of it could possibly be our fault, right?  Not that we don't suck at almost everything we try, which is why it costs so damned much when we get the final product, kind of like cancer drugs.

Let us assume, for the moment, there is an omnipotent God; a God that created all the beauty in the universe and gave us life, knowing full well that the only absolute, is God.  Therefore, to everything else, there must be a counterbalance, yin and yang, positive and negative, light and dark, good and evil.  Like any good parent, we are given a brain to understand, hands to work, a mouth to communicate, and ears to hear.  We were also given a set of "moral rules" to follow, and only one task - to live righteous lives.  But, we are children and, as expected, having been given everything, we are spoiled brats who want more and are willing to sacrifice nothing to get it.  

Then, after being spanked, several times, we were sent a prophet to save us from ourselves.  And, like any good parent, sooner or later the child must be set free to live or die of its own devices, but the parental love never wavers.  Innocence and faith will pave the path to heaven.

We suck at almost everything God has asked of us, and still the believers and "unbelievers" wonder why God visits misfortunes of our own doing down upon ourselves.  This isn't rocket science, if it were, they'd probably understand it.  People, for the most part, just refuse to accept responsibility for being morons.

What of the children and the innocent?  Why are they punished?

There is never an easy answer for the death of innocence, but I have to direct you back to the concept of "misplaced anger."  We must ask ourselves my favorite question, "Why?"  Why do the children die?  Why do the innocent die?  Why does it seem the good die so very young?  Well, the bible says it best:

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me.”

-- Exodus 20:5

"The Lord passed before him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness, keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children’s children, to the third and the fourth generation.”

-- Exodus 34:6-7

We are responsible for what happens to our children.  We spit in the face of the Creator by destroying the planet we were given custody over, by waging wars, by allowing lawlessness and sin, starvation and famine, and we dare to ask God why the innocent are dying?  If we look to assign blame we would be better served looking in the mirror.  The murderer of innocence is us.  To cast blame elsewhere does nothing to solve the problem.  Why would God deem to stop that which we visit upon ourselves?  If we want help, we have but to ask.  The answer we seek is usually right in front of us, but be careful what you ask for, it is rarely as easy as you would hope.  But, then, why should it be?  We created this mess, not God.  Yet, only we would dare to cast blame upon the God who gave us the tools to prevent it.  And if God did step in every time we mucked things up, what would we ever learn?  What have we learned so far, other than to sidestep blame?

Some children die due to a lack of parenting.  The kid is a handful and the parents simply give up on them or send them away.  Children can run away due to bad situations.  The child dies for one reason or another and, instead of looking for the parents to accept responsibility for not being there, or giving up as role models, the first blame goes straight to God.

Two young skiers, Olympic hopefuls, died in an avalanche.  Oh, God, why?  Well, gee... they left the groomed trail they were on because, obviously, they knew better than the team setting up the track to keep everyone safe.  Not.  It would seem, from the news, that these two guys ignored safety for themselves and those around them.  They were, after all, "Olympic" material and above safety concerns.  Their stupidity is God's fault?  Young people die for so many reasons we can trace right back to us, we just have to ask, "Why?"  Why did they think they were too good for rules?

Atheism is not a disbelief in gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.

-- American Atheists

These people my friend encounters are not atheists, if they don't believe in God.  By the definition from the organization American Atheists, this seems fairly clear, although by this definition I come to the conclusion that it seems not even they know what they believe in, other than making theist's lives miserable.  I have met some very nice atheists who don't make a big issue of being atheist; they choose to live and let live.  The atheists we hear about in the news, are there to be in the news; they have an agenda.  These are members of what I've heard called the League of the Perpetually Dissatisfied.  It really doesn't matter what you do, they will find a reason to complain about it.  So, by my definition, and the fact that the people she met are angry and bitter at God, I think they do meet the "definition" of an atheist, as shown above, no matter how you read it.

My father would probably look at this definition as so much bullshit.  I can hear him saying they should either fish or cut bait.  "Man up" and make a decision, a commitment, one way or the other.  I would have to ask an atheist to define "lack of belief."  I look at the definition as something put forth by people that want to say something without having to say anything; covering their collective asses by leaving plenty of wiggle room for nonsense arguments that would leave both sides braying and looking like jackasses.

By the definition put forth by the American Atheists organization, my friend is not an atheist, and for these atheists to call her one shows their own lack of knowledge as to what an atheist is.  That would be hard to believe?  Consider the definition, above.

As far as the Christian God being the only God, like Judaism and Islam, all three claim roots in Abraham.  Hey, same God, imagine that.  Our interpretations of His word differ, but it is the same God.  So it is with many other religions in the world.  Hindus have many gods and goddesses but consider only one to be supreme.  Buddhism considers the existence of deities and quasi-deities.  Native Americans look to the "Great Spirit" for their faith.  For the most part, there are probably a couple of hundred religious sects in existence today, the majority of which are peaceful and tout the same basic precepts of peace, love, understanding, and tolerance.  Are they wrong in their belief?

According to interpretations of the Qur'an, Bible, and Torah, they very probably are.  What everyone, including other non-Abrahamic faiths, keeps missing, is that it is not our place to judge, and it states this pretty clearly in the Bible:

"Who are you to judge a Servant who is not yours?  For if he stands, he stands to his Master, and if he falls, he falls to his Master, for it is appointed to his Master to be able to establish him."

-- Romans 14:4

To my friend, I can only say this: These people you've met are angry and bitter.  This is not your fault, nor is it the fault of any deity.  Their happiness or misery is their own responsibility, as is ours.  To try and discuss something with them, that they do not want to hear, is, as my uncle would say, "getting into a braying contest with a jackass."  You ultimately succeed in showing everyone two jackasses braying at each other.  So, what's the point?

Control what you have control over.  To do anything else is like shoveling manure against the wind, and we all know how that turns out.

“In California, the state's huge dairy herd produces twenty-seven million tons of manure a year, the particulates and vapors from which have helped to make the air quality in the agriculturally intensive San Joaquin Valley worse than it is in Los Angeles.”

-- Paul Roberts

 

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com