The Problem of Evil

September 2, 2005 Posted by Roger OvertoncloseAuthor: Roger Overton Name: Roger Overton
Email: rogeroverton@hotmail.com
Site: http://ateamblog.com
About: Roger Overton is currently pursuing a Masters degree at Talbot School of Theology. He has addressed various churches, schools and youth camps throughout the United States. Roger was co-editor of The New Media Frontier (Crossway, 2008) and God and Governing (Wipf & Stock, 2009). Roger can be emailed at rogeroverton@hotmail.com.See Authors Posts (569)

Tonight was the first time I’ve been able to watch the news since hurricane Katrina hit. I’ve of course heard about how devastated New Orleans and the surrounded areas are, but pictures are so much more powerful. The number of lives permanently altered cannot be calculated. The amount of suffering goes beyond what words can describe.

In times like these, the rational responses to evil and suffering in the world do little to comfort those who are in the midst of the difficulties. Still, I think there are some points to be made for us to better understand the degree of suffering being faced. In light of any natural event that causes suffering, the degree of suffering is in some capacity based on the reactions of those facing it and their surrounding communities.

In the case of Katrina, some of the reactions we’ve seen from the people in New Orleans have worsened the suffering. It’s amazing to hear of rescue workers, construction workers, and civil servants being fired at. To hear about buildings, even an entire shopping center, being intentionally set on fire. These actions have slowed the incoming aid since any aid going in must be accompanied by ample security.

Even worse, there is an underlying ideology that deepens the tensions. I’ve heard that 25-30% of the population of New Orleans lives below the poverty level. This means that there is a significant portion of the population depending on government aid (welfare) for their bread and butter. This has led to a growing frustration among many of the dislocated people because they believe they deserve to be supplied with food and drink. They are in fact demanding it, not begging for it, but demanding it as if it were owed to them. This leads to anger and lessens the chances of patience and civility as aid and support is distributed.

There are, however, also the reactions of the surrounding communities that also affect the degree of suffering. On one hand, we see the reaction of some Islamic websites rejoicing in the disaster claiming that “Private Katrina” has joined their jihad. But there have also been some 20 foreign countries that have offered physical and monetary aid. God has put in place several institutions to mitigate the impact of suffering in the world. One is government, but another is also the church body. We as brothers and sisters in Christ have a responsibility to help those who, especially at this time, can do little to help themselves.

There is a continuing need now for food, water, and medical supplies. Organizations such as Samaritan’s Purse and Feed the Hungry are doing a great job in this area. But there will also be a long-term need for housing and re-establishing the economies in the devastated areas. So my organization of choice is Habitat for Humanity. At this point, it seems that anything we can give, in just about any form, will be effective in helping to ease the pain and suffering being experienced as you read this post.

Related posts:

1. Natural Evil – Answering By Exegesis
2. Evil and the Cross
3. President Bush on the problem of evil
4. The Importance of Community IV: Practical Application
5. A Burning Ring of Fire
6. Shocking News!

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