It’s ok to blame God for floods and famines.
True or False?



False.

When we see images of homes and businesses ruined by floods, or we are dismayed by the number of migrants who can no longer scratch a living from soil that used to be fertile, who do we want to blame? Some people say God is responsible, asserting that if He really loved us He could stop all the suffering at a stroke. If only it were that simple.

Do you really think it’s fair to blame God for the ferocious storms which are becoming more and more common and for all those migrants who are fleeing from starvation or genocide when human activity is the cause? Do you blame God for global warming (assuming you’re not in denial on the subject)? Do you blame God for the world’s genocide? Do you blame God for all the crime that afflicts every country?

The Bible tells us that God is only responsible for good things and for wonderful ideas. We have to look elsewhere for the source of suffering and the evil schemes which hatch in people’s minds.

Whatever is good and perfect is a gift coming down to us from God our Father.
James 1,17

Is God responsible for the the ice-caps melting, causing sea levels to rise? Should He have to take the blame for all the pollution being pumped into the atmosphere and into the oceans? Surely not. Again we have to look elsewhere for the reason why our precious planet is being degraded so rapidly.

Instead of us blaming God, shouldn’t God be blaming us for abusing the planet He gave us? In the early days of mankind, which the Bible calls The Garden Of Eden, God had great plans for us and life could have been so amazing. Instead, over time, humans broke all His laws, resulting in much of the mess we’re in today.

It’s easy to blame God, but isn’t that terribly unfair?

God is love.
1 John 4,8

If God is love as the Bible says He is, how do we reconcile this with the terrible things we see in the world around us?

I know it’s not fashionable to mention the devil, but do you have a better explanation for all the evil taking place in every part of the world? For every good force there is an evil force. If God is the source of good things and love, what is the source of the bad things and hate? If we say we believe in God but deny the existence of the devil, the world doesn’t make sense. If, on the other hand, Jesus was telling the truth and there is indeed an evil force at work, life suddenly makes a lot more sense!

the devil, or Satan, who leads the whole world astray.
Revelation 12,9

God puts good thoughts into our minds for us to turn into action. Similarly, the devil puts mean and horrible thoughts into our minds, which some people are only too glad to act on. But what about the way we are destroying the planet God gave us, bringing misery on millions of people? Who should take the blame for that? In short, we should.

We bring trouble on ourselves, as surely as sparks fly up from a fire.
Job 5,7

The Bible is full of wisdom. When we read it with the insight of scientific knowledge, it explains so much.

[Where the Bible and science appear to be in conflict it is because of misunderstandings between experts on science with little knowledge of the Bible, and experts on religion with little knowledge of science. I’m lucky in that I know folk who, between them, are experts in both.]


Then there are the so-called "acts of God". This phrase is woefully inaccurate because it suggests that God chooses to harm us. That’s like saying that as a father I would deliberately choose to harm my children.

For many reasons the natural world is a dangerous place, which means it is a good idea to live carefully. Sometimes, though, nature can force its way into our lives in unexpected and often dreadful ways. Some examples of this are accidents, illness, fire, or earthquakes, where many innocent adults and children suffer terribly through no fault of their own. In these cases it’s often not possible to point the finger of blame. It is just nature taking its course.

Insects can spread a new virus, lightning can set a forest on fire, or a cliff could collapse onto a village. This is nature at work. I don’t think it is realistic to think God would somehow keep reversing the laws of biology, electricity, or gravity to prevent these events happening.

You can’t reverse the laws of nature. They were fixed at the moment God created the universe at the time of the "Big Bang", but you can try to understand them through science and control them through technology, medicine and ecology. The caring professions and charities, politicians and scientists have a tremendous role to play in dealing with events caused by nature.

Share each other’s burdens, and in this way obey the law of Christ.
Galations 6,2

Christians have a duty to share with the rest of the world the love they have received from God.

He comforts us in all our troubles so that we can comfort others. When they are troubled, we will be able to give them the same comfort God has given us.
2 Corinthians 1,4


To summarise.

God is responsible for good things

The devil is responsible for evil things

Mankind is responsible for both good and evil. We have been given intelligence and consciences by God. It is up to every person to decide what path they want to take.

Nature is responsible for nearly everything else.



Instead of blaming God for the woes of the world, wouldn’t it be better for us to concentrate on being as charitable as we can, helping the victims of awful events to put their lives back together and reshaping the world as it was meant to be? We can also play our part in undermining the devil by frustrating people’s evil schemes with our good deeds at every opportunity.

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Romans 12,21

Christianity is 50% faith and 50% action.