Here’s the most recent Solas podcast.
https://www.solas-cpc.org/wp/quantum-of-solas/quantum-108-fake-news-crocodiles-blasphemy-and-a-brace-of-presidents/
- Zimbabwean Pastor eaten by Crocodile
- Ian Brady’s Humanist funeral request
- Stephen Fry and Blasphemy
- President Macron of France
- Will President Trump be impeached?
- Hillary Clinton: Abortion is ‘right and moral’
- Obama’s £2.5 mil speech
- Jakarta’s Christian governor found guilty of blasphemy
- Transgender Police Caps
- The Rubbish Party
LINKS
HeraldScotland – Fake news story takes hold of major national newspapers
Premier Christianity – Ian Brady’s humanist beliefs show why atheists need to own up to their own fake news
Mashable.com – Viral story about the pastor eaten by crocodiles is so, so fake
Spectator Blogs – Macron is president – but he starts out under a deep cloud of suspicion
The Christian Institute – Hillary Clinton: Abortion is ‘right and moral’
Express.co.uk – Bit rich? Barack Obama ‘to pocket £2.5million for sold-out speech in Milan today’
Al Jazeera – Ahok: Indonesia’s religious tolerance on trial?
The Telegaph – Police swap helmets for caps to attract more transgender officers
MORE FROM SOLAS
SHORT/ANSWERS – www.solas-cpc.org/shortanswers
SOLAS Magazine – www.solasmagazine.com
Free will may explain some types of suffering, however it cannot explain cancer, earthquakes, animal suffering etc… So you can’t simply respond to Stephen Fry’s argument by playing the free will card.
Actually you can and it does – once you move out of the individualistic mindset. Here is a fuller response – https://theweeflea.com/2015/02/06/letter-to-stephen-fry-youve-created-a-straw-god/
I appreciate you’re very busy, so thanks for replying.
As a response to your article.
1) I don’t see how the fall really helps. God was ultimately responsible for the fall or he at least set up the conditions for the fall to happen. Humans are fallible creatures and we make mistakes. For God to punish all of humanity for a mistake two humans did, seems very unjust. God is still responsible for suffering that results from the fall.
2) I agree that some amounts suffering/evil is compatible with God. But we seem to witness huge amounts of completely unnecessary suffering. For example a deer caught in a forest fire and burns to death. The deer suffering a horrible death and for no good reason. It’s very difficult to see why an all good, all powerful God would allow such needless suffering.
7) The idea of Jesus as a savior is comforting only to Christians. What would you say to someone who lost a family member that was an atheist, Jew, Muslim, etc..?
Best,
James
James –
1) If you hold that position then God is to blame for everything and human responsibility and free will are impossible. Thats not what we teach. God does not punish all of humanity for a mistake two humans made – we are judged according to what we have done.
2) You presuppose that you can judge what is necessary and unnecessary suffering. I don’t think either you or I can. In an atheistic world view there can of course be NO reason, purpose etc in any kind of suffering. Its just the way it is. Suck it up….
3) Jesus as Saviour is not about feeling comfortable! It’s about whether it is true or not. And he is saviour for the whole world – he invites all to come to him….in my ministry I have baptised atheists, Jews and Muslims who have come to know Christ!
Ok, we can argue about this forever.
All I want to say is this.
You said that Stephen Fry’s argument (Evidential Problem of Evil) was a ‘childish point’ (8min mark). I find this ridiculous. This is a question that many apologists like John Lennox, Vince Vitale and philosophers Michael Tooley, Stephen Law have given a lot of thought about, I’d wager that none of them would say it’s a childish point.
To respond to your last points.
1) I’m not saying God is to blame for everything. But God (all powerful, all knowing, morally perfect) could and would stop unnecessary suffering.
2) I don’t presuppose I can judge necessary and unnecessary suffering. What I said was that it is very difficult to see how there is any higher purpose in the suffering. Just think of the massive amount of suffering in the animal kingdom every day. Why would God create a world like that? If you reply with the Fall. Then the next question is why did he allow the fall to happen? At the very least this argument makes me more skeptical than I would have been without it of the existence of God.
3) To be fair, I think I misread what you we’re saying in the 7th part of your Stephen Fry article, so I agree with you here.
I do honestly think I’m open minded about God and if I was presented with sufficient evidence/argument/experience I would believe.
Thanks for taking the time to reply,
James
It was actually Rod Liddle who said that…and he was spot on. And yes Lennox, Law etc would regard Fry’s version of the question of suffering as childish. AS to you points.
1) How would you know what unnecessary suffering is? Can you judge it? Or me?
2) Because something is difficult to see does not mean that it is not there. AS regards the fall and why God allowed it – can I suggest that you read this more detailed explanation. https://theweeflea.com/2014/08/02/the-apologetic-of-evil-the-keswick-lecture-16th-july-2014/ also type ‘apologetic of evil in the serach on this blog and you will see several articles.
Thanks for the interaction – glad you are open minded!
Thanks, I’ll have a look at the lecture.
James
At the risk of interjecting, in addition to the references David has provided, you may be interested in the following, James, if you’ve not already encountered them
Not in any particular order:
1 Making Sense of God – Timothy Keller
2 Reasons for God – Keller
3 Walking with God through pain and suffering – Keller
4 The Problem of Pain- CS Lewis
Simple or simplistic, it is not.
Does Satan and evil, form any part of your thinking in this matter?
It seems that you accept that the world is not as it should be. I’d suggest that Christianity provides both an intellectually satisfying answer. We were created by and for God, to live in generous and good relationship with Him. If you want to know what God is like look to Jesus, in whom the fullness of God dwells, in His incarnation, in whom we have a new creation.
So which God do you not believe , or at least struggle to comprehend?
Hope you find what you are looking for.
Thank you for the resources Geoff, I’m somewhat familiar with both Keller and Lewis and I’ll check out those book.
James
Hope you enjoy the I intellectual challenge, James.. The Triune God of Christianity, is the only God about whom it could be said “God is love.”. It flows from the pre-creation relationship that exists within the Trinity. (See John chapter 17). Love is not one of the many names of Allah.
John 17 also shows that God created to share His love for the Son, that we may love Him as the Father does. Ultimately, it was to spread and share the love within the Trinity such is the generosity of God .
Of embedded significance in all of this, is the Holiness of that love: it is Holy -Love. And this is where God Himself steps in to provide for our holiness, by and through, Jesus, through death and resurrection taking on, into Himself, all our sin, remitting them, ( including the first and of not loving Him.
And God does not leave it as an abstract, intellectual exercise. . He always gets personal.