How does one theologically explain the whole Jessica Ridgeway tragedy?

[gxensen]

What prompted me to wonder this was when I was explaining to my little sister, and her friend, why it’s even more dangerous, now, to play out side without an adult’s supervision; since Jessica Ridgeway’s[may her soul rest in peace] murderer is still on the loose…and we also live in Colorado.

As the conversation was moving along, my sister’s friend asked with a sadly curious tone, “But, why did God do that to Jessica? Why did she deserve that?” Being a fledgling Catholic, I told her that only God knew why…but I’d, honestly, love to give her a fuller answer than just “only God knows why.”

Please help me.

 

[Regina_Love]

God didn’t do evil to Jessica. God allows us to have free will, so we can freely choose to live with Him forever. Some people choose evil instead of God’s goodness, that’s where the problems come in. Sin hurts everyone not just the person choosing it. Satan is the father of sin. When sin entered the world, THAT’S when disease, and death came.

 

[Robertanthony]

Ultimately, God is in control, that means that the murderer may run and may even escape human justice, but when he faces God, the harm that he’s done to that precious girl will be expiated either in hell or purgatory. God gives us commandments and guidance, but each one of us has free-will and God will not always step in to stop evil from being committed. I believe that God protects those who love him to an extent but he’s not always keeping us out of harm’s way (being hit by a drunk driver, being the victim of road-rage, having someone steal something from you, or worse etc.) This didn’t happen to her because she deserved it, God didn’t do this to her, that much I know. The mystery of evil and why God lets some of it happen and prevents some of it from happening is just that: a mystery. Being finite beings we can’t totally understand the mind of an infinite being. Hope this helps.

 

[Linusthe2nd]

What prompted me to wonder this was when I was explaining to my little sister, and her friend, why it’s even more dangerous, now, to play out side without an adult’s supervision; since Jessica Ridgeway’s[may her soul rest in peace] murderer is still on the loose…and we also live in Colorado.

As the conversation was moving along, my sister’s friend asked with a sadly curious tone, “But, why did God do that to Jessica? Why did she deserve that?” Being a fledgling Catholic, I told her that only God knew why…but I’d, honestly, love to give her a fuller answer than just “only God knows why.”

Please help me.

1. The bad man did it not God
2. We all die some day, lots of children die each day from cancer, car accidents, drownings, etc. Jessica died a different way and perhaps she didn’t suffer as much as another child taking painful cancer treatments or one who has to live all their lives without arms or legs or who are trapped in their wheel chairs all their lives.
3. God allows all these things to happen to show us we must put our complete trust in him by believing he will make some greater good come out of the evil. But we may not know what it is. That is where the trust comes in.
4. It was very sad and terrible but now Jessica is in Heaven with God and perfectly happy and praying for all the other children on earth.
5. It is the devil who causes evil. God allows him to work his evil partly because he wants to see just how evil and mean the devil is. And when we do evil we are helping the devil grow in strength, we are doing his work.
6. God wants us to see that our lives are a war against evil.