The above question rings through people's mind from time to time, especially after major natural disasters like the eathquakes that devastated Indonesia in 2007 and Haiti in 2010, and recently with the landslides in Brazil and China. Is this really a sign that God is incapable of taking control of his universe? In response to this question, I will start by observing that the universe and all within it embody certain natural laws which help things operate the way we observe them do. These laws control the movements of the planets, the gravitational force that maintain both the atmosphere and the moving/moveable objects.
On our planet earth, there are laws that maintain the movement of waters, the atmosphere, the reactions of different things with respect to their interaction with other - the physical, natural, biological and alll other laws. In elementary school I was so intrigued by the geography class on the shape of the earth and the other planets within our solar system. One thing stood out for me after observing that the continents traverse different parts of the globe. I observed to the teacher that the biggest surprise I had was that the people who live in the southern hemisphere (notably Australia) stand with their head downward, yet they do not fall off and continue on to space below them, and those that live along the equator do not feel the pressure of trying to fall off. Though she tried to explain the gravitational force, it was almost impossible for me to comprehend at that time. The one thing I was convinced of is that there must be a way that God keeps things the way he wants.
That having been said, when things like earthquake occur, the first thing that comes to people's minds is the enormous suffering and pain felt by all the people it affects. Unfortunately, these people often have no control over how things turn out. We often wish that these things never happen, but they are bound to happen.
The earth is created to maintain itself through certain processes. Scientists tell us that the core of the earth is a molten fiery magma trying to push its way out through the earth's crust. To get a breather, the earth must every once in a while get the built up magma out through cracks on it's surface. When the forces of this enormous energy in the earth push the rigid shell beyond what they can handle, the rocks shift at specific places known as faultlines. The force of this energy burst moved everything above it in different ways depending on the intensity. This results in the quake known as earthquake. This is one of the ways the earth maintains itself.
Now, this natural force existed before humans inhabited the earth. That our ancestors did not know exactly the physics behind it would not have any effect on the reality that it will continue to act out once in a while. The unfortunate thing is that if people live along this faultline in the earth, they willl feel the effects of the earthquake depending on their proximity. The natural law tha guides the process of the earth's release of energy through earthquake was there, is still there, and will continue to be there for as long as the globe exists.
I think that the mistake people make is to blame God for what happens when there are laws in nature that control these. There is also the need to point out that for as long as people build and live close to the faultlines, and the earth will continue to release it's energy and maintain itself, there is always the possibility of disasterous earthquakes. Knowing the reality of the earth's movement that results in earthquakes and laws guiding it, it is important that regulations for building in such areas be strict and of very high standard. But the best option is to make the choice not to build along the faultlines.
Does this mean that God has no power to control things? Not really. If God continues to change things to suit human quest, there are probably going to be worse disasters than the ones we have seen as everyone will expect God to act in accordance with his/her wishes. God's power to control things is seen in the establishment of these natural and physical laws which humans and all of creations ought to follow. Ignorance of any of the laws does not nullify it.
When accidents happen (natural or human made), it is important to ask whether such could have been avoided and by what means. God does not take delight in the suffering of any of his creatures. When he allows what is seemingly evil thing to happen, it is not because he is incapable of controlling things, but as a result of humans not understanding and following the laws established in nature. The response to specific situations may differ depending on the circumstances behind it.
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Why do bad things happen to good people?
The question above has plagued religious people through history. The opponents or religion take this as an indication that either there is no God or that God is not able to control events in one's life. The proponents of religion on the other hand insist on seeing beyond the pain of bad things happening to the eventual good which may come from it.
That bad things happen to good people is something everyone grapples with. After the bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York (2001), and again the earthquake in Indonesia (2007) as well as that in Haiti (2010), many people wanted to know why a loving God will allow such a thing to happen. Some also point to the reality that many people suffer from cancer, diabetes and other forms of illness. Are these to be seen as punishment from God or even as God neglecting his creation?
The answer to these questions and other questions people face may not be very simple, however, I will dabble into it. With regards to the World Trade Centre bombing, it shows how perception of reality coupled with religious fundamentalism can lead to a distorted understanding of life and eventually to disaster. For the people who propagated and carried out this horrible attack, there must be a belief that this is the way "God" wants them to avenge what they perceive as evil against their religion or kin. To the rest of the world, it was a bad decision. No loving God wants anybody to kill for him! Why then did he allow this to happen? We can say that the answer to this hinges on human freedom. Because God is not a "control freak" who is interested in making his creatures robots, he gave us the freewill and the freedom to make choices. The bombers could have decided not to fly the aeroplanes into the buildings, but they did otherwise. To them it was the right thing to do based on their perception of reality, to the rest of the world, it was the wrong thing to do based on our perception of reality.
Imagine a situation where one who has no mental health/medical conditions or accidents that limit her/his use of any faculties, at the age of 30 or older, is being told exactly what to wear everyday by the parent(s), what food to eat, how many steps to walk in order to get from point A to B. In our minds, forcing the individual will constitute abuse. In this situation, there is absolute lack of love. God loves us so much that like every good parent, he gives us options and yet reminds us of the consequences of our actions. It is up to people to choose to do what is right and not what destroys. I know that there may still be questions arising from this, but I will handle them as they come up.
The same response may be used for the prevalence of cancer and other forms of illness. I have a sister who is struggling with cancer so it is not like I am insensitive to the plight of people who suffer this and other horrible illnesses and their families. When God created the earth and the rest of the universe (according to Judeo-Christian tradition), he saw that all he made was good. For those who do not ascribe to the Judeo-Christian tradition, there is also the acceptance of the goodness in people and things. How did we end going from goodness to bad situations?
As people's perception of reality and understanding of the laws in nature mature, humans began to learn the reactions of certain materials when mixed together (science started), and how some of them react in the human, animal or plant species. This led to the development of different hormones, drugs (prescription and non-prescription), pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Some of these developments were accidental in nature while others were done within controlled environment.
My thought (non-scientific research) is that as some of these hormones are being used, they start interfering with the workings of the human body. Cancer is the result of the human cells growing uncontrollably. In the olden days, animals were raised in the farms and it often took much longer to raise them, but today, it takes about a fifth of the time it took in the olden days as a result of the use of hormones on these animals. Chicken used to take six months in a free range farm to reach maturity, today they are ready for the marked after four to eight weeks or so. What this is telling me is that the rate at which we see our younger people look much older is a result of the hormones society allows farmers to pump into the food we buy and the hormonal rage within their bodies. These external hormones join force with the ones their bodies produce naturally to overload the body. When these hormones overtake the normal workings and functioning of the body, coupled with stress, lack of water intake and proper nutrition (fatty food, eating at odd times), the body starts to grow uncontrollably!
This also has to do with choices. Society can choose to control the use of these external chemicals and laboratory hormones. Please note that I am not against the use of chemicals and medications when necessary, but the prevalent overuse and wrongful use results in many of the avoidable illnesses. I think part of the problem is that the corporations put profit over health. One ca also say that the human species is one of the few that sees what will kill it and goes on to eat it. Often we do not see cats fighting for dog food or vice versa. Could these hormonal overload be responsible for the many behavioural issues we see in some of our young people today? Possibly.
In my next posting, I will talk about the earthquakes and the likes.
That bad things happen to good people is something everyone grapples with. After the bombing of the World Trade Centre in New York (2001), and again the earthquake in Indonesia (2007) as well as that in Haiti (2010), many people wanted to know why a loving God will allow such a thing to happen. Some also point to the reality that many people suffer from cancer, diabetes and other forms of illness. Are these to be seen as punishment from God or even as God neglecting his creation?
The answer to these questions and other questions people face may not be very simple, however, I will dabble into it. With regards to the World Trade Centre bombing, it shows how perception of reality coupled with religious fundamentalism can lead to a distorted understanding of life and eventually to disaster. For the people who propagated and carried out this horrible attack, there must be a belief that this is the way "God" wants them to avenge what they perceive as evil against their religion or kin. To the rest of the world, it was a bad decision. No loving God wants anybody to kill for him! Why then did he allow this to happen? We can say that the answer to this hinges on human freedom. Because God is not a "control freak" who is interested in making his creatures robots, he gave us the freewill and the freedom to make choices. The bombers could have decided not to fly the aeroplanes into the buildings, but they did otherwise. To them it was the right thing to do based on their perception of reality, to the rest of the world, it was the wrong thing to do based on our perception of reality.
Imagine a situation where one who has no mental health/medical conditions or accidents that limit her/his use of any faculties, at the age of 30 or older, is being told exactly what to wear everyday by the parent(s), what food to eat, how many steps to walk in order to get from point A to B. In our minds, forcing the individual will constitute abuse. In this situation, there is absolute lack of love. God loves us so much that like every good parent, he gives us options and yet reminds us of the consequences of our actions. It is up to people to choose to do what is right and not what destroys. I know that there may still be questions arising from this, but I will handle them as they come up.
The same response may be used for the prevalence of cancer and other forms of illness. I have a sister who is struggling with cancer so it is not like I am insensitive to the plight of people who suffer this and other horrible illnesses and their families. When God created the earth and the rest of the universe (according to Judeo-Christian tradition), he saw that all he made was good. For those who do not ascribe to the Judeo-Christian tradition, there is also the acceptance of the goodness in people and things. How did we end going from goodness to bad situations?
As people's perception of reality and understanding of the laws in nature mature, humans began to learn the reactions of certain materials when mixed together (science started), and how some of them react in the human, animal or plant species. This led to the development of different hormones, drugs (prescription and non-prescription), pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals. Some of these developments were accidental in nature while others were done within controlled environment.
My thought (non-scientific research) is that as some of these hormones are being used, they start interfering with the workings of the human body. Cancer is the result of the human cells growing uncontrollably. In the olden days, animals were raised in the farms and it often took much longer to raise them, but today, it takes about a fifth of the time it took in the olden days as a result of the use of hormones on these animals. Chicken used to take six months in a free range farm to reach maturity, today they are ready for the marked after four to eight weeks or so. What this is telling me is that the rate at which we see our younger people look much older is a result of the hormones society allows farmers to pump into the food we buy and the hormonal rage within their bodies. These external hormones join force with the ones their bodies produce naturally to overload the body. When these hormones overtake the normal workings and functioning of the body, coupled with stress, lack of water intake and proper nutrition (fatty food, eating at odd times), the body starts to grow uncontrollably!
This also has to do with choices. Society can choose to control the use of these external chemicals and laboratory hormones. Please note that I am not against the use of chemicals and medications when necessary, but the prevalent overuse and wrongful use results in many of the avoidable illnesses. I think part of the problem is that the corporations put profit over health. One ca also say that the human species is one of the few that sees what will kill it and goes on to eat it. Often we do not see cats fighting for dog food or vice versa. Could these hormonal overload be responsible for the many behavioural issues we see in some of our young people today? Possibly.
In my next posting, I will talk about the earthquakes and the likes.
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Religion versus faith
In my last blog, I explained that I do not favour any of the three areas. Now some people may wonder why. The reason is because there is a big distinction between religion and faith. Between these two, I favour faith!
Being religious does not necessarily mean having great faith. In fact, for many people religion can take different forms depending on what one's core belief is. However, this does not necessarily mean "supernatural." As it is, some people may have physical and material objects as their object of worship as one famous TV personality says, "Money is my god, I worship it." This is not to be equated to faith in the supernatural, that which is beyond the physical.
In a sense, one's religion could be a thing, an activity or the likes. It is important to note that religion does not exclude faith, but there can be religion without faith in the supernatural as in the case of making a cause one's religion. Such cause may include fighting for equality for all, fighting to eliminate racism, and other forms of injustice. In this case, religion is placed on the realm of sets of ethics to guide one's life.
Christian faith goes beyond mere belief. It is all about relationship between humans and God as well as how humans relate with each other and all of creation. In this, ethical codes are not the core injunctions. In fact, the Ten Commandments are there to guide people, but to be able to attain their true meaning, relationship with the Divine comes first. That is why Christ invited his followers to relationship with him, to learn from him, and then to go out into the world and make disciples.
So, reality for people who claim to be religious may differ - one may be purely materialistic and physical, while the other may be supernatural. Society as an entity ought to recognize that people's core belief needs to be respected and not stiffled. While most people will not necessarily believe in the same manner, it is important that we all realize that what unites us is much more than that which divides. There is need for more conversation so that each side may understand where the other is coming from. Who knows what the result may be - conversion due to better understanding.
Please let me know what you think. I am open to conversations.
Being religious does not necessarily mean having great faith. In fact, for many people religion can take different forms depending on what one's core belief is. However, this does not necessarily mean "supernatural." As it is, some people may have physical and material objects as their object of worship as one famous TV personality says, "Money is my god, I worship it." This is not to be equated to faith in the supernatural, that which is beyond the physical.
In a sense, one's religion could be a thing, an activity or the likes. It is important to note that religion does not exclude faith, but there can be religion without faith in the supernatural as in the case of making a cause one's religion. Such cause may include fighting for equality for all, fighting to eliminate racism, and other forms of injustice. In this case, religion is placed on the realm of sets of ethics to guide one's life.
Christian faith goes beyond mere belief. It is all about relationship between humans and God as well as how humans relate with each other and all of creation. In this, ethical codes are not the core injunctions. In fact, the Ten Commandments are there to guide people, but to be able to attain their true meaning, relationship with the Divine comes first. That is why Christ invited his followers to relationship with him, to learn from him, and then to go out into the world and make disciples.
So, reality for people who claim to be religious may differ - one may be purely materialistic and physical, while the other may be supernatural. Society as an entity ought to recognize that people's core belief needs to be respected and not stiffled. While most people will not necessarily believe in the same manner, it is important that we all realize that what unites us is much more than that which divides. There is need for more conversation so that each side may understand where the other is coming from. Who knows what the result may be - conversion due to better understanding.
Please let me know what you think. I am open to conversations.
Monday, July 26, 2010
Reality, society, and religion
Today, I am starting something I have desired for some time but have just been quite busy. Finally, I get to be a blogger. But that is not all, I will be blogging on reality, society and religion, three areas I feel people need to be open to debates and seeing from other people's perspectives.
Reality, because every human being sees reality from a particular lense influenced by certain sociaological, ideological, physical as well as psychological beliefs. Society, because as humans, our earliest history indicates that we have been creatures who take great care to protect our territories - and that was carried on to modern days with the distinctive regional, national and international boundaries. Religion, because our checkered history have taught us that though religion can be a great uniting force, if used negatively, it can also be a great dividing force. Religion has the ability to build and or to destroy any civilization. History is rife with examples.
Which of these areas do I favor most? None. As a philisopher, a theologian, and a social worker, it is important to be open to other ideas and yet, to critically analyze all things to avoid being guided by unexamined phenoms, unethical social ideologies, and/or blind faith.
My goal is to be able to respond to questions while inputting my thoughts. So, any question is welcome.
Reality, because every human being sees reality from a particular lense influenced by certain sociaological, ideological, physical as well as psychological beliefs. Society, because as humans, our earliest history indicates that we have been creatures who take great care to protect our territories - and that was carried on to modern days with the distinctive regional, national and international boundaries. Religion, because our checkered history have taught us that though religion can be a great uniting force, if used negatively, it can also be a great dividing force. Religion has the ability to build and or to destroy any civilization. History is rife with examples.
Which of these areas do I favor most? None. As a philisopher, a theologian, and a social worker, it is important to be open to other ideas and yet, to critically analyze all things to avoid being guided by unexamined phenoms, unethical social ideologies, and/or blind faith.
My goal is to be able to respond to questions while inputting my thoughts. So, any question is welcome.
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