GOD is Great?

“God created everything. Everything that is happening is a part of his divine plan. He is all knowing, all powerful, all kind, all loving, all forgiving, blah blah blah”. This is a short version of what we usually hear when we discuss about ‘GOD’.

For all of you who speak so highly of god, I have a few questions. Now please don’t deflect by saying that god doesn’t have any control in these things etc. If you have the audacity to credit every good thing in this world to God, have the heart to blame him for every bad thing too. Here are a few questions, please try to answer them (if you can):

-When a kid dies right after birth: how is that a part of a divine plan? Why would God allow a baby to be born and then just let him die right away? What kind of a devastating impact does it leave on the parents of that kid? Why would a kind god do such a thing?

-Kids dying from cancer and other illnesses: What’s that all about? Where’s the kindness and love in that? Why would God bring an innocent life on this earth and then allow it suffer and die like this?

-Rape: Since God is Omniscient he knows already what’s going to happen and when. Why would God allow rape to happen?

-Religious Wars: God knows that there are several religions in his name and people misuse them and fight and kill in his name. But he does absolutely nothing about it. Why?

The list is endless. However, let’s turn the tables and let’s say, YOU are GOD (hypothetically). Being all powerful, capable of absolutely anything and everything, all loving and all kind, would you allow any of the above to happen? Would you allow a kid to die, knowing that you can prevent it? Would you allow someone to be raped, knowing you can stop it? Would you allow people to kill each other in your name, knowing that you can put an end to it and bring peace in the world?

If you answered ‘YES’, then I must say that you are a terrible person who just enjoys the suffering of others. If you answered ‘NO’, then you are a decent human being, because you will do everything you can to bring peace to this world. Let’s not forget that the god you worship does not!

A general case: You pray before you eat. You thank god for providing you with food. Please tell me what you have done so good that God is just blessing you with food. While at the same time a small kid is dying of starvation because he couldn’t do the good that you have done. So god decided to starve him? How does this work?

Anytime anything good happens, and god is credited with it without a second thought, and that’s okay. But anytime anything goes terribly wrong, either someone else is blamed or we get to hear the golden phrase “God works in mysterious ways”. What’s so mysterious about people suffering?

It has become our tendency to ignore the truth and embrace comforting lies. We immediately ignore whatever challenges our core belief. Why? Because we have been believing in it for years and now it’s too hard to accept the fact that there is a possibility that none of it is true. So what do we do? We simply ignore it. Thus continues the tradition of passing on of comforting lies from generation to generation, because truth might not be all that pleasant.

If you say we are not meant to know these answers, because god wants it to be this way. To that, I would say that you are ignorant and you are living in denial. Wake up!

"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent.

Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent.

Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil?

Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?"

- Epicurus