Dr Hugh Ross
Sunday Morning Services, March 21, 2010
Watch the video from Sunday:
Why the Universe is the Way It Is
http://www.myrmcc.org/video/why-universe.flv
Beyond the Cosmos
http://www.myrmcc.org/video/beyond-the-cosmos.flv
Watch the video from FORUM on March 20, 2010 featuring Dr Hugh Ross.
Origin of Life
http://www.myrmcc.org/video/origin-of-life.flv
Science and Religion in Public Schools
http://www.myrmcc.org/video/science-and-religion.flv
The Q&A Session with Dr Ross
http://www.myrmcc.org/video/ross-qa.flv
One of the most perplexing problems facing believers in God—one which has existed for eons—is the problem of pain. Philosophers, theologians, and others have discussed and written about this problem for millennia.
So, does it make sense to believe in a loving, all—powerful, good God given the terrible things that have happened through the centuries? Why would God allow all the pain and suffering to exist in the world—or in your life or mine? Are there reasonable answers to this dilemma?
The following are answers given by Dr Chad Meister, Director of Philosophy Program and Associate Professor of Philosophy at Bethel College in Mishawaka, Indiana at the recent Faith Articulation Workshop.
Humans have Free Will
A world containing creatures who are significantly free (and freely perform more good than evil actions) is more valuable, all else being equal, than a world containing no free creatures at all. Now God can create free creatures, but He can’t cause or determine them to do only what is right. For if He does so, then they aren’t significantly free after all; they do not do what is right freely.
To create creatures capable of moral good, therefore, He must create creatures capable of moral evil; and He can’t give these creatures the freedom to perform evil and at the same time prevent them from doing so.
As it turned out, sadly enough, some of the free creatures God created went wrong in the exercise of their freedom; this is the source of moral evil. The fact that free creatures sometimes go wrong, however, counts neither against God’s omnipotence nor against His goodness; for He could have forestalled the occurrence of moral evil only by removing the possibility of moral good.
God may use the evil in the world for our greater good and the good of others.
Romans 5:3-5 ― “…we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.”
Romans 8:28 ― “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him…”
James 1:2-4 ― “Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
The purpose of our lives on earth may not be for us to be as happy as possible, but rather to help us come to know God and to mold our characters into His image.
Our minds may be too limited to understand it all.
The Christian message is that the goodness of God will, in the end, engulf all evils which have been experienced in this life.