God’s business risk?

Originally posted on October 01, 2009 – by Andre Piet

debate

Last Tuesday evening a debate took place on EO television between archbishop Wim Eijk and SP figurehead Jan Marijnissen on the question ‘does God exist?’. For those interested, this conversation, led by Andries Knevel, can be viewed and listened to via ‘uitzendinggemist.nl’. The bishop had earlier claimed in a TV conversation with Marijnissen that he could prove the existence of God and was now given the opportunity to make this happen. The sympathetic bishop succeeded only to a limited extent and mainly resorted to the medieval philosopher Thomas Aquinas. Marijnissen was of course not satisfied with that and therefore won this debate, in my perception and speaking in boxing terms, on points.

business risk

An important reason why Marijnissen cannot believe in God is what he called “the imperfect world”. Suffering, natural disasters, crime, in short ‘evil’, he cannot reconcile with the existence of an almighty and loving God. The bishop answered that evil can ultimately be traced back to original sin, to which Marijnissen replied in astonishment that according to the Bible, God Himself had placed the tree in the garden and had also created the serpent that tempted man! Yes indeed, said the bishop, by creating free beings God took “a tremendous business risk”. And unfortunately that turned out badly…

an answer that is no answer

That was once again the traditional, church answer to the question of the origin of evil. An answer that is no answer, for whoever says GOD (>all-knowing and almighty), cannot at the same time speak of a business risk. Only someone who does not know everything and does not have everything under control takes risks. With his answer, the bishop did not point to GOD but to a limited construct of man. Someone who takes risks and therefore does not have everything under control. Someone who, since things went wrong, tries to salvage what can be salvaged. He tries that, for why would things not go wrong again in the future? More strongly: it is already certain beforehand that many of God’s creatures will ultimately end up in eternal perdition. So no ‘all’s well that ends well’ according to ‘the church’. Is such a God not a failure and a ‘loser’?!

God is GOD!

The so-called Christian answer that the bishop expressed robs us of a God who truly is GOD. One who created everything and has a purpose with c and also accomplishes this. A GOD who gives evil a place as a dark background, in order to let His love and glory shine. “…Through suffering to glory”. Thus He proves His Love for all His creatures and all people. And just as all humanity experiences the consequences of eating ‘the forbidden fruit’, so that same humanity will reap the blessed fruits of the obedience of “the last Adam”. No one excluded!

In the garden of Eden no industrial accident took place and God did not have to switch to plan B. For with Him nothing ever goes wrong. THAT is the GOD of the Bible and THAT is truly GOOD NEWS!

Delen: