Is Believing in God Irrational? by Amy Orr-Ewing

Author:Amy Orr-Ewing
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Published: 2010-02-24T09:29:00+00:00

But suffering is more complex than this for the Christian, since it can be a direct consequence of sin, whether that be sinful abuse by another or our own fault. It may be that we suffer the consequences of our own folly when we contract cancer after smoking for years or end up alone after destroying our marriage by having an affair. Sometimes it is possible to see the reason for our suffering in our own actions.

More frequently we suffer at the hands of others. Living as I do in a deprived community of London, I encounter the horrific reality of this on a regular basis, whether it be domestic violence, rape, child abuse, contract killings, extortion or theft. All of these have been suffered by some in the congregation I am part of-suffering as the direct result of the evil in another person.

From a biblical perspective, this kind of suffering is put into an explanatory context by the beginning and the end of the Bible. In the beginning we see that a world in which love is possible entails human freedom. This choice is abused, and while love is possible, suffering also becomes part of the picture. However, the God who created the world will also judge the world, and so in the end, those who appear to get off scot-free in this life-abusing and violating others-will face the judgment of God. He will ensure that justice is done in the end.

Persecution. There are further reasons why Christians suffer, the most obvious of which is that they may be suffering for their faith. Persecution has been a constant companion for the follower of Jesus from the very earliest moments of the church to the present day. Today Christians suffer in China, the Middle East, Indonesia and elsewhere simply for believing in Jesus.

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