The Problem of Evil
Thursday, July 07, 2005 by niebuhrian
I am deeply saddened and angry over what has occurred today. It hurts me to think about the families who are identifying charred remains and body parts. It also hurts to know that that activity is happening all over the world. These types of attacks are frustrating and tiring; the relentless coverage, the speculations, the rumors, and the innuendo are primed to strike both fear and resolve into the hearts of humanity.
There is something great at stake here, I am just not sure what it is yet.
I don’t know what to say about London. I don’t know what to say about Madrid or New York or Auschwitz or Darfur or Iraq. I can’t smile and pretend that they haven’t happened. I don’t want the “hug the terrorists” or “send them to therapy.” I also don’t think sending troops in to “eradicate the evil” works either. There is no theology of terrorists to my knowledge; there is only theodicy – the problem of evil.
All of humanity is abused by these acts of irresponsibility, both the initial acts and the consquential acts. Evil is not just a problem over there, but over here as well. This is what I struggle with, what are we meant to do with these acts theologically? What is the responsible response?
I expressed my frustration concerning my confusion over this event with a minister friend today. He has the same issues. How do we respond to this event faithfully? How do we dare hope in the face of evil acts and intentions? How do we love and turn the other cheek without opening ourselves to a termination of our existence?
There is something great at stake here, I am just not sure what it is yet.
I don’t know what to say about London. I don’t know what to say about Madrid or New York or Auschwitz or Darfur or Iraq. I can’t smile and pretend that they haven’t happened. I don’t want the “hug the terrorists” or “send them to therapy.” I also don’t think sending troops in to “eradicate the evil” works either. There is no theology of terrorists to my knowledge; there is only theodicy – the problem of evil.
All of humanity is abused by these acts of irresponsibility, both the initial acts and the consquential acts. Evil is not just a problem over there, but over here as well. This is what I struggle with, what are we meant to do with these acts theologically? What is the responsible response?
I expressed my frustration concerning my confusion over this event with a minister friend today. He has the same issues. How do we respond to this event faithfully? How do we dare hope in the face of evil acts and intentions? How do we love and turn the other cheek without opening ourselves to a termination of our existence?
