What do you say to an atheist if they say “if god is real then why are there earthquakes and disasters”

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rosie11
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
Earthquakes and disasters are all part of the natural order of life, as is life and death.
All of it is in the plan of God.

If we really looked at the order and complexity of life, from the molecular level, to the complexity of the human body, to the order and balance of nature through out the planet, we would have to realize that there is a Engineer that put these things in place since it runs like a well oiled machine. Even the moon and the stars follow an order that is predictable and measurable by man.
 
I was thinking to myself, do you know why atheists live so long?
Because God keeps waiting and hoping that they would change their mind so they would want to be in heaven with Him.

For believers, Jesus says to them, “Come! come into the inheritance prepared for you since the beginning of the world!” He doesn’t have to wait forever for them to realize how much they are loved by God.

That’s it in a nutshell why sometimes good people die too soon. Jesus just can’t wait to hug and kiss them in person.
 
This planet, like all life forms, is in a constant state of flux. Earthquakes (shifts in tectonic plates) hurricanes, tornados etc are part of that flux. For instance, if you ever were to drive through a forested area after a vicious storm, you will see some trees uprooted and dying. That is nature (God’s) way of pruning his creation, allowing the strong to grow stronger and the weak to get out of the way. It is like that with all things. Look at an area five years after a serious fire. You will see it is growing heartily and healthier than before. Nature prunes and strengthens itself. It is the constant cycle of life that allows the strong to survive and the planet to flourish.
Remember, we aren’t the owners of this planet, we are just temporary tenants.
 
Last edited:
I’d give them the same answer that an atheist would give.

“Because the earth’s tectonic plates are constantly in motion and good people aren’t given any more warning about an earthquake’s imminence than bad people are.”
 
Rosie11 said:
What do you say to an atheist when they say if god is real then why does he allow good people to die, earthquakes, disasters etc…
Click to expand...
The atheist is assuming that we are good people, which the Bible does not teach. The atheist is also assuming that death is part of natural law, which the Bible does not teach.
 
Also- if the “goodest” person of all- Jesus- suffered and died so that we might attain eternal life, why wouldn’t less-good people (everyone we consider “good”) suffer and die as well, when death is the means that the Just will enter into eternal communion with God? Or, in other words, receive the gift that Christ has given us?
 
Last edited:
The ‘problem of evil,’ is very difficult to understand; but we do get some understanding in this
life with trust in our Benevolent God Who Always Existed; before Creation.
God let free will run it’s course in our plane of existence. Paul the Apostle put it that
because we decided to try a find a good and evil; of our own will apart from
God’s guidance - all of Creation became subject to futility — until through Christ
the New Creation happens.
Unearned suffering, even through nature is part of Christ’s Redemptive Suffering.
I’ve wrestle with understanding how can an All Powerful, All Knowing, God allow
evil. The only answer I can come up with, is that we had to see the result of trying to decide
good v. evil apart from God. Because an All Powerful All Knowing Benevolent God;
would have created us without all this suffering with free will — if that is what we needed.
God suffers with all unearned suffering at every moment; but God also sees the end result;
when there will be war no more, pain no more, and every tear wiped.
Pain lasts for a night; but joy is in the morning forever; (ref. Psalm 30:5)
 
Because creation itself has been formed by God so that it allows for natural disasters. The existence of disasters does not speak to God’s reality. It is simply a fact of his creation that we know by observation.

An atheist who has not encountered God yet is actually looking for him, but has not found him yet. They are asking these kind of questions to probe those people who have encountered God in hopes that it gives them knowledge of God too through the answers. However, that line of exploration does not result in any experience of God, just rehashing of logic and circles of doubt.

What I say is that I will pray for the atheist that they experience God directly. The saints tell us that the more you come to know God, the less you can say about him.
 
Last edited:
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top