September 12, 2009
WWGHA (Chapter 1)
This is the first of what I hope will be a series responding to the claims of the website whywontgodhealamputees.com. This is my response to their first chapter, which you can read here.
The story that begins this chapter is powerful. It is detailed, perfectly scripted for the point of the chapter, and most importantly relevant (it actually happened and could easily happen again). However, the moves that come next, while rhetorically vital, are questionable at best (and let’s ignore, for the moment, the question of what God should do).
- What help has Jesus promised? If we look at the Biblical claims (which the website does later), a lot of the force of this point is lost. There is nothing that says God will help exactly how we want Him to each and every time we ask (though the author(s) of later chapters make that claim). However, it is right to say that Jesus promised God’s help.
- This kid (whose name was Jeff Weise) certainly isn’t pure evil. In all likelihood, this is a boy who has been wounded emotionally and perhaps physically. He has probably suffered at the hands of parents and/or authority. We know for a fact he suffered at the hands of his peers (see here). What he is doing is certainly evil, but he himself is more deserving of pity than hatred.
- Neva Winnecoup-Rogers’ exhibited tremendous courage and faith in the face of a great threat, knowingly risking her life. However, to make her the chief exemplar of faith and goodness is too much, as I’m sure she would attest if she could.
- It isn’t clear that God “completely ignore[d] the prayers”. The account says she prayed that God would be with them and help them. We have no way of knowing God wasn’t with them, and all we know is that He didn’t stop the shooting; we don’t know He didn’t “help” in other ways.
All that being said, this situation (and others like it) is deeply paradoxical, just as the author claims. And there must be a reason why, just as the author claims. The questions at the end of the chapter are important ones, ones that Christians and non-Christians alike need to take seriously. Unfortunately, too few people take the time to do so honestly and carefully. I hope to be one who does.
David Baldwin said,
September 14, 2009 at 11:33 am
Is it clear that Jesus’ promise is not a promise of God helping “exactly how we want Him to each and every time we ask?” What is the textual evidence?
charismaticanglican said,
September 14, 2009 at 11:42 am
My response to Chapter 2 will (hopefully) answer this question.
David Baldwin said,
September 15, 2009 at 3:14 pm
A post from my Dad:
The first point that was made by Carter is on the money in my mind. God may not answer prayers like we expect or intend. God gave man abilities, brains, desire, quest for knowledge, etc. If man uses these tools that were given to him to cure cancer, polio, AIDs, or save a little girl from a rattle snake bite, did God not answer our prayer? He give us the tools to make great things happen. I think God expects us to use the tools he gave us. He would not have created us like he did if that was not his intent. There will not be manna coming from the sky unless that is all that is left. God gave us the ability to plow the fields, tend the livestock, and feed ourselves, so the manna from heaven is not required. Whose to say what God does and does not do? Not us! God only knows what he does. But one thing is for sure: we cannot discount anything when it comes to God. God used Moses to get the Israelites out of Egypt. God used Noah to build an ark to save mankind and the animals. God used Abraham to build a nation. I think God has used men to make his will happen countless times. We should all stop and think about that. The question is: Would these things have happened without prayer? This is the $64,000 question. Many of us will not go through adversity without a prayer or two. Man will only know the answer once he meets his death or the afterlife. I think we will all know then. Yes, I agree that man would have undeniable proof if someone were to pray and an arm or a leg appeared where there was none before. I cannot lie. I too would love to see this undeniable proof. But I have come to the conclusion that God does not intend for us to know this answer. He wants the choice to believe to be all ours. He wants us to have faith in him. Why? I don’t know. Why did Christ have to die to save us? Why doesn’t God give us all a pass into heaven. Why does God allow sin in the world in the first place? Why do bad things happen to good people? I do not know. These are also $64,000 questions. There are some things we will not know until we either die or meet him. If we die, it will not matter, will it?
My faith is based mostly on this: If I am wrong about God, then at least I would have lived a good, productive, and civilized life. It will also make me feel better when it comes time for me to die to believe there is an afterlife. We do not need God to explain the unknown in the natural world anymore. We now have science. But, he is the only explanation we have for the unnatural world. May God Bless us all and may it be his will for us to live a long a productive life. May we please him by staying busy doing his work.