God's Test and Norway

Oslo in better times.

I just finished reading Prof. Bart Ehrman's "God's Problem" and I think it is very topical considering the haps in Oslo, Norway. The book opens with the Holocaust and that thingy Team Atheist keeps saying...if there is an all powerful, all knowing and all loving God, then why is there suffering in the world? If there is this God that Team Believer keeps talking about, then why did that horrible, horrible massacre happen in Norway yesterday.

NOT good times in Oslo.

Prof. Ehrman's book is about how the bible views suffering and he breaks it down into chapters. Of course I forgot the book and my notes at home so I'm going to go off the top of my head (and I feel rather confident right now).

According to Ehrman's interpretation of the bible peeps suffer because they have sinned, other people make them suffer and the good 'ol we don't know why people suffer (but God will take care of everything in the afterlife). Well what did those kids at that summer camp do, did they sin. I don't think so.

Was it a case of someone else making others suffer. Sure. The gunman Anders Behring Breivik, 32, certainly made many people suffer. As Prof. E states in his book there will be some kind of divine justice when people make other people suffer. God has that plan that people are always talking about and in a sort of karmic retribution kind-a way, the Big G has it all under control. In the mean time...people suffer tremendously like in Oslo.

White power, not just American.

The third reason for suffering, the bad 'ol we just don't know, we can't know we are just dumb humans is the lamest of the lamest answers for suffering because it doesn't explain anything. It takes faith to accept that answer and as a card holding member of Team Skeptic I just can't accept that. God tested Job (1) to see if dude had faith and was obedient, but if God is all powerful then why does he need our obedience. Why would he kill the kids in Oslo, or why would he command Job to kill his son? It seems petty to me. We do not know why there is suffering but have faith and God will take care of everything, but in the afterlife...no thanks.

Our perspective is that humans created God in our image, not the other way around. Humans are petty therefore God is also. Those kids in Oslo didn't sin and try telling their parents that God is testing them because he needs...attention. Try telling those parents that we do not know why bad things happen to good people (suffering) but in the afterlife everything will be cool so don't trip and just have faith. I certainly wouldn't want to be the one to tell them that.

I couldn't find it but there is a weirdo anti Muslim video called Knights Templar that the gunman is in. Knights Templar is associated with the Crusades and get this, also white supremacy. There is also a 1,500 page manifesto online somewhere that dude wrote. In it he says things like "cultural Marxists" and "doomsday would be imminent" referring to Norway politics. I think these are the reasons why dude massacred those kids, not a plan or test from a heavenly father that may or may not exist. These are things based here on earth, things that we can touch and acknowledge and know. And that is why this horrible massacre happened...that and dude is crazy.

(1) God told Job to kill his only son because he wanted to test him to see if he was devout and sincere. God killed Jobs whole family (I think, like, 7 kids) but he passed the test and proved his faith to God. Job didn't do anything wrong and totally questioned God "why." So dude passed the test and then God gave him a new family (I think this time 10 kids). So God killed those innocent 7 kids, punished and tortured an innocent Job, but then gave him a new family later. Try telling that to the parents in Norway. "Yea, everything is cool, your kid(s) is dead but if you show faith in God then you will get some more kids later down the line." Good luck with that.