How do you defend the existence and goodness of God in these types of situations?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Diamond93
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
D

Diamond93

Guest
Last night I was reading the horror stories of Natascha Kampusch and Elisabeth Fritzl and the unimaginable horrors they suffered through, and the unbelievable evil that permeated their lives. I’ve been reading other similar horrific stories lately, and was wondering how you would still be able to effectively defend God’s existence and goodness to unbelievers when this stuff happens. What can you say to explain to people how God is still all-loving and all good when He allows that sort of evil to happen in our world? And just to clarify, I myself am not questioning God’s goodness or existence, I still very much know and believe He’s all good and He exists. I’m just asking how I would defend Him to someone who doesn’t believe, as these are the very sorts of arguments that they use against the existence of God. How do you defend this?
 
If I were having this conversation with somebody who was truly inquiring (not just angry at the God they don’t believe in), I think I would ask them, if they were God, what would they do differently? I think that is a fascinating topic, and one that would quickly get them thinking about things in a new light.
 
snarflemike said:
If I were having this conversation with somebody who was truly inquiring (not just angry at the God they don’t believe in), I think I would ask them, if they were God, what would they do differently? I think that is a fascinating topic, and one that would quickly get them thinking about things in a new light.
Click to expand...
So are you saying that we shouldn’t even try to reason with the people who ask these questions out of anger towards God?
 
Diamond93 said:
I’m just asking how I would defend Him to someone who doesn’t believe, as these are the very sorts of arguments that they use against the existence of God. How do you defend this?
Click to expand...
To someone who doesn’t believe I would start with God is love. Do you believe in love? All love comes from God. All that is done through love, with love, in love, & for love is of God. All that is done without love is not of God.

Men are free to choose to love (God) or not (conceit). God “speaks” to us through all things. He blesses us with His goodness all the time but many refuse to hear what he is saying. He allows us to make our own choices & the more we choose ourselves, the darker our souls become. Then we act in wrath, lust, greed, sloth, envy, gluttony, & pride.
 
Both the Catholic Answers main site and this forum have answered this question literally dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I suggest searching both.
 
The problem here is a problem of free will. Free will allows us to freely choose to love God instead of being forced into submission like some kind of pre-programmed robots. Unfortunately, the same beautiful system that allows us to freely choose God allows us, by definition, to reject Him. Whenever someone rejects God, people get hurt. God is love. Rejecting Him is rejecting love and in many cases what’s left is hate, violence and brutality.
 
Diamond93 said:
So are you saying that we shouldn’t even try to reason with the people who ask these questions out of anger towards God?
Click to expand...
I’m afraid you completely misunderstood my reply. Invite them to reason out how God could do things better. (hint: the final conclusion they will almost certainly arrive at, after a long and winding path, is that we should be “born” directly into heaven).
 
Last edited:
Reflect the image of Christ to them by living out the fruit of the Holy Spirit, and love them unconditionally. Be patient with them, and be there for them when they need you. Most importantly, pray and never give up. Eventually, they will know who GOD really is through you. Be the hands and feet of Christ in this world, cos’ that’s where we’re called to be. May the peace of our Lord be with you always.
 
Last edited:
Justin_Mary said:
All that is done through love, with love, in love, & for love is of God. All that is done without love is not of God.
Click to expand...
Excellent way to put it. Shows that there is a choice to be made in our actions. To the best of my ability, with God’s help, I choose love.
 
Tolle_Lege said:
Both the Catholic Answers main site and this forum have answered this question literally dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I suggest searching both.
Click to expand...
Yes, there should be a FAQ on this question as I think the same question gets asked on the forum literally every other day.
 
Tis_Bearself said:
40.png
Tolle_Lege:
Both the Catholic Answers main site and this forum have answered this question literally dozens, if not hundreds, of times. I suggest searching both.
Click to expand...
Yes, there should be a FAQ on this question as I think the same question gets asked on the forum literally every other day.
Click to expand...
I understand that the answer is everywhere, I knew that the answer was free will, but I was asking specifically how to answer it towards people in these sorts of scenarios as these people seem to accept no explanation you give them. I was just wondering if there was another way to explain it to people specifically who don’t accept the free will answer, and they argue back against the concept of free will.
 
We don’t have the big picture which God has.

A Russian Jewish Woman asked me once, “if God exist, why did he allow all the Jews to die in the Holocaust ?”

I told her the same, “we don’t have the big picture God has.” What if, you knew that those who died in the Holocaust, were immediately taken into a paradise and place of love and happiness which they would never experience on earth, would you still be angry at God ?" She could not answer the question I gave her.

We don’t have the big picture and must trust in God.

Jim
 
Free will is the answer.
If people don’t accept it, then one must simply pray for the person to gain more understanding via the Holy Spirit.
Many people have anger or closed minds and will not respond to any answers.
 
…Nor open to faith. Faith and reason—the two inseparable ingredients to believe in God.
 
Last edited:
snarflemike said:
If I were having this conversation with somebody who was truly inquiring (not just angry at the God they don’t believe in), I think I would ask them, if they were God, what would they do differently? I think that is a fascinating topic, and one that would quickly get them thinking about things in a new light
Click to expand...
I am not sure where that would get you. Obviously, the answer is that one would have God provide supernatural protection for the innocent. Protect them like a loving parent would protect their child, using everything within their means to do so (talking about a small child…one who is not able to protect himself). It is a simple concept.
 
Last edited:
Then that is the answer that should be given to the person asking the question. It is a perfectly logical answer.

When someone asks this type of question, it is usually because they really are at a loss for an answer. The way you just described it was perfect, I believe.
 
Diamond93 said:
Last night I was reading the horror stories of Natascha Kampusch and Elisabeth Fritzl and the unimaginable horrors they suffered through, and the unbelievable evil that permeated their lives. I’ve been reading other similar horrific stories lately, and was wondering how you would still be able to effectively defend God’s existence and goodness to unbelievers when this stuff happens. What can you say to explain to people how God is still all-loving and all good when He allows that sort of evil to happen in our world? And just to clarify, I myself am not questioning God’s goodness or existence, I still very much know and believe He’s all good and He exists. I’m just asking how I would defend Him to someone who doesn’t believe, as these are the very sorts of arguments that they use against the existence of God. How do you defend this?
Click to expand...
Free will is necessary to allow the possibility of sharing in the divine nature through choice of charity. Evil is a necessary complement of that because free will makes mortal sin possible and that brings moral and physical evil.

Catechism
1743 “God willed that man should be left in the hand of his own counsel (cf. Sir 15:14), so that he might of his own accord seek his creator and freely attain his full and blessed perfection by cleaving to him” ( GS 17 § 1).

460 The Word became flesh to make us " partakers of the divine nature ":78 "For this is why the Word became man, and the Son of God became the Son of man: so that man, by entering into communion with the Word and thus receiving divine sonship, might become a son of God."79 "For the Son of God became man so that we might become God."80 "The only-begotten Son of God, wanting to make us sharers in his divinity, assumed our nature, so that he, made man, might make men gods."81
Click to expand...
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top