thread: 2006-09-08 : Picky-choosy religion, 3 views
On 2006-09-12, Sydney Freedberg wrote:
Sam: I spent some time praying, telling God that I'd do anything he wanted of me - sell my possesions and give the money to charity, stop touching myself, whatever - if he'd just let my daughter live. After I'd had some time to think about it, I couldn't help coming to one conclusion: that if this had been "God's way" of bringing me closer to my daughter, or my wife, or him, fuck him: I wanted no part.
I wouldn't either. I don't think He does that. I don't think He is interested in bargaining with us at all, because there's nothing to bargain with on either side: We don't have anything to offer that He doesn't already have except for our love; He does not offer anything more or less than Himself. And I certainly don't think He puts a cosmic cross-hairs on specific people to prove spiritual points to those around them.
My best guess is the cosmic reason "why" your daughter was born early is that biological systems have the freedom to function or fail in their sphere that people have in their, much larger sphere: Cancer is to the set of all cells as child molesters are to the set of all people. Which means my answer boils down to "God created a good universe in which shit happens."
That doesn't solve "the problem of evil" worth a damn, of course, since it just pushes the question back a step, to why God created the universe like that (don't ask me). But at least it spares us from contorting our minds around the strange idea of God torturing us for our own good.
And of course I'm very glad your child is alive and well and glorious. My 2 and a half-year old is the shining center of my life.
