The Broken World

July 22, 2008, 10:00 am; posted by
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One consistent observation I draw from my contact with atheists is that they inevitably base their disbelief in God, partly or entirely, on the fact that the world is a wicked and hurtful place, filled with inequity and injustice — something (in their opinion) that no loving God could ever allow.

It never ceases to amaze me that their hostility toward God is neither abandoned nor abated by their decision not to believe in Him. It doesnʼt seem logical to me to be so hostile toward someone that you donʼt believe in. Iʼve never had a salient thought concerning Santa Claus, good or bad, since I stopped believing in him, and I canʼt imagine spending one ounce of energy defaming him or attacking his followers.

I started thinking about this again after reading a wonderful opinion piece by Michael Novak in USA Today. I believe that when a person suspends belief in God and attacks Christianity over the wicked condition of this world, it is due to ignorance of what the Bible actually teaches about Creation. When a tree limb succumbs to disease or age and falls from the tree, it is certainly no proof that the Creator is cruel or indifferent — or worse yet, nonexistent — even if the limb falls on someone, causing death or injury.

It is simply part and parcel of living in a broken world.

This world does not exist in the state in which it was created. That fact should be no mystery because sin and the fall of man are basic Christian doctrine, known by the entire world. Perhaps it is not widely believed by non-Christians, but by now, it should be well-known enough that we don’t have to explain it over and over.

The world is broken. Argue all you want about Godʼs motives in allowing it to happen, but this world has fallen, and we fell with it (actually vice versa). What we see now is the result of that fall; what the Gospel offers is the solution.


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