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Where is God during tragedy?

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    Dr. Alex McFarland and Lino Rulli on why does evil exist

  • Duration 16:12
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And now back to our lead story the shooting in Colorado.

The mass shooting at Colorado movie theater at least twelve dead.

And 38 injured when the dust settles the question may be.

And will be many people asking is where was -- why did god allow something like this to happen and that's the top subject of a panel discussion today.

Joining me from Atlanta is Alex McFarland -- out that -- he's the president of world view and apologetic at North Greenville University also the panel to give a regular guys.

I view on the on the Colorado shooting -- what do you have a bit -- -- local -- -- this is.

-- ruling he is the he's the host of the -- Sirius XM radio show the Catholic guy welcome to you -- Scott LX I'm going -- you -- I think yes is that when I hear me shooting there's just nothing.

More.

The bigger question that anybody -- this point is where was god.

And I'm gonna bring that to you because you -- -- this is the number one.

Issue that drives people fund faith is this issue -- pain and suffering where was god in a row or California Colorado.

Well god is on his -- and very much in control but I think what this shooting shows is how desperately we need and we need a savior.

You know it's interesting that this is only moments away from where another tragic shooting took place over a decade ago column buying.

And -- you know I lived out there for three years when I was working for focus on the family.

I know exactly where that theater is in fact I once -- a movie in that very -- years ago when I was writing a review.

For another publication but -- This is the number one question.

As you know I've written a number of books on atheism and skepticism.

And the number one question is -- question of pain and suffering if god is good if god is wise if god is powerful.

How do we account for the fact that there's evil in the world and I think -- shooting com gives us an occasion to distinguish between.

Natural evil like -- hurricane or something and moral evil which is human against human.

And god is in control but man has fallen and sinful and things like this just show that we have predisposition towards evil.

And apart from god and morality.

They're really.

Literally -- this way that the escalation in violence since 1960 we've seen violence escalate like 600 times within our culture.

Violent crimes without morality without the ten commandments without a belief in god.

This.

Increasing violence is is really to -- expect.

We can't can you blame society or do you want to point your finger at the entertainment industry -- Hollywood that is.

Continually putting out movies with escalating levels of violence ends in tragedy and all sorts of horrific kinds of scenes and -- you blame them.

-- we say I don't blame people for asking the question because when when people's hearts are broken in win their lives are or you just falling apart.

There's there's it's just human nature to say.

God -- where are you god come and help me.

And let me say on behalf of myself and the should -- for new generation conference north can we university we extend our love and prayers and condolences our hearts.

Are broken as we see these horrific things and -- it is understandable the pain.

That people experience in a situation like this.

But it's I think I do think.

Not only the Bible says that a man as a man thinks in his heart so is he.

I mean psychology shows that what we fixate on and what we habitual way what we think about -- The media and the information we -- can.

Does inform our beliefs and our behaviors.

And we -- we live in a culture where life has become so cheap.

We abort babies for convenience.

-- life the violence among young people think about this of African American young people.

Of African American young people that don't graduate high school by age thirty more than 90% will either be incarcerated.

Or -- That is tragic.

And we had entertainment.

When things it says that you brought up though when I ask you where -- Scott is a god is on Islam that implies -- god is in control.

If god is in control then why would something like this will be allowed to happen I think that's the question that's usual lot of people want answered this point.

Sure and it and I -- believe me I'm keenly aware this is this is gonna sound rather academic.

But god in his sovereignty and in his power.

Always brings good out of tragedy and the question becomes could god have had a morally sufficient reason.

For allowing this to happen.

And the answer has to be yes because if we compromise God's goodness -- -- power or -- wisdom he's not fully god.

Now why why did god not intervene and cause that shooter -- not to start.

And why did god not prevent him from going downtown.

We don't know the fact -- -- No doubt god he is hindering more evil than we.

Even know about any -- we happen to note of guests that -- people that have tried to enact.

Violence against humanity that were unsuccessful.

This is so sad in this is tragic.

-- clearly god allow this to happen.

And the reasons.

That he he allowed that will have to be forthcoming you know this moment we can't really -- I just wanna get a lead at a time trying to time in chime in on this one topic right now because you must get a lot of calls like that from people you know I mean -- just kind of -- -- I got understand and.

Yeah well I'm glad you didn't ask me to be if you look on this one because this is the type of thing I've got a master's degree in theology and and I understand it intellectually right I understand -- -- a paper I can understand it in the book.

And then you see tragedy and you experience it either personally -- experience it just through television or radio.

Then it all goes away if yes -- that's when I go.

I lose faith.

And sometimes people say all now not say that because you're supposed to be the Catholic got.

This causes me to lose faith because it causes me to ask the very questions -- -- -- but I don't feel like should ask.

But I also have to acknowledge I think -- -- a very real thing in faith.

And I have to live with my -- have to live with my concerns and have to live with the fact that.

Not only -- not have the answers I don't even like the answers that I might be getting when I ask the questions about god and so for people perhaps like myself.

Who start to lose faith in something like this all I can remind myself is that's a pretty natural.

React I think it's a national -- I want to read that's up from Charles reasons this came -- here he says.

As a member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints we believe that when we airborne -- was placed over our mindset that we do not remember our father savior and hit what is planned.

Is for us we also believe that all people that are born have the light the Christ which helps us no truth as well as knowing what is right and wrong.

In these are all kind of believes in all and end at four.

Betty and I talked to were not believers -- are coping mechanisms in it may -- maybe not but it's these kinds of issues there really no hard fast answers.

That are satisfying to a heart that is breaking that's really the bottom line so I want to move on to the next topic because.

It we're going to be talking about the shooting for some time and as the dust settles I say the dust will settle and we will continually ask these questions and then we'll -- back for a lot kind of forget about it until the next tragedy happens.

Now the next -- -- looked at what had.

I didn't wanna say this I do think though that we need to send a message to our culture and especially -- children that life is precious and people are mating God's image.

And because there is an eternal god there's an absolute moral code at which includes -- thou shall not murder.

Yeah and I.

And -- S solution moving forward for the years ahead we have to communicate that there is truth there is morality.

And we are accountable to god and that that's a message that does cause people to pause and think before -- Do things that their conscience tells them is wrong.

-- and so we've got to talk about god and truth and the ten commandments consider our culture there is right there is wrong.

And it's in the best interest for everyone to.

Embrace the right and avoid the wrong.

-- -- have a great point because you know intellectually we can get a lot of things but when you live and out it really takes a whole lot more background and foundational elements in your.

You're citing initial order -- prevent you from doing something like this is everybody's got their trigger points.

Let's move on though because -- today obamacare and religious liberty of Republican presidential candidate hope we talked about that his -- but the final topical obamacare and religious liberty we are gonna talk about that.

Republican candidate Mitt Romney says you know the controversial health care mandates that's a dangerous president.

And accuses the Obama administration of all we're writing people who witness beliefs.

We have just heard this week that Wheaton College.

Has.

-- in the litigation against the health and human services and and we have a sound -- from.

Latest the president of Catholic -- -- at the university as wells we can always take a listen.

They as well -- that we can -- as a Protestant institution.

Moon where our convictions on on theological matters in our differences with Roman catholicism are pretty well known but here is an area.

Where we find common cause and I think it highlights for the whole nation that it's this is not a -- -- sectarian issue.

It's really a fundamental issue of religious liberty which is after all one of the first freedoms guaranteed in -- -- The -- this is a question of religious liberty and not just for Catholics but also for people of other faiths.

The number two that the fight is not really about contraception you notice that president -- said evangelicals and Catholics have some differences on that.

Point but -- to have difficulties.

Conscientious difficulties in complying with the law.

You know I wanna bring in -- promise for us because it used to be the last few weeks has -- -- -- -- but clearly.

As we go to college is a very -- -- prominent evangelical college -- this fight it's clear that it's not as a Catholic issue.

Do you see.

Alex that this is a -- -- -- war that's being waged on religion or is that really just going too far.

No I well I think Obama care has no problems on a lot of levels on me for one thing of the Hyde amendment makes it illegal for federal funds to be used for abortion and yet Obama here.

It's estimated would appropriate at least a billion dollars for abortion and even.

For contraception is that include but the court morning after pill which is -- and hit it to truly be an -- efficient.

This is.

Compromising.

The convictions that people have causing people to have to participate in things -- He is against their conscience because Protestants and Catholics agreed that life begins at conception life is precious.

And when our tax dollars.

Are being used to of the worked.

And you know snuff out human life that something that we can't not sit by silently and allowed to go forward.

It is more of well -- times and doesn't want to correct some of the the shooting at the movie theater police now say that seventy when people attending -- midnight screening.

Peter were shot by James Holmes 24 year old doctoral student -- -- Colorado he killed twelve.

And wounded 59 so a total of seventy when people have been.

Shot by him twelve have been explored that.

59 wounded.

Ten bodies remain in the -- police are investigating says is a tragic case we keep quiet updating you on the particulars of -- -- of course will be following this.

Continually to get the facts and the ways in the house of why this happened.

But going to do obamacare and the idea is -- is it waging a war is Obama.

The administration waging a war on religion telling me I must have your finger on the pulse of of the Catholic people want -- -- calling -- And his show even though you earlier -- -- and our -- there are some serious accidents.

They're very serious side to it first of all speaking as a Catholic I'm happy to see my evangelical friends.

Joining us honest because -- -- whenever we say something about religious liberty this isn't just for Catholics and it's only Catholics saying -- you get the sense we're just making that story out.

So it's very nice to see some people saying this really -- of -- religious liberty.

And we don't have to pretend that we do agree upon everything if I -- yeah we've got real differences as Catholics and Protestants we have plenty of differences.

But hey I'm -- I'm a person who loves to see when people are uniting in -- one of the causes of pain for me is.

-- church and state are fighting it doesn't look good for the state and it doesn't look good for the church.

But if something positive like well at least charges are getting along a little bit better because of this that's a good sign and it's another good sign that says.

The story continues it's not simply a good a story starting to slide when people are forgetting about this story it's Catholics complain about something of Catholics make -- noise.

So it's kind of nice now that we know of other people are making noise about it -- -- it's not simply a Catholic issue.

You know isn't using it and there's been a lot written now about justice John Roberts because he was the conservative is local conservative who -- the gold jumped the fence in and sided with the more liberal side of the Supreme Court to actually you know past and put the stamp of approval on the health care law.

Expect a little bit I'm Alex about what you think happened there there isn't a lot written about like why did he do it why do you think legally this was.

This was the right thing to do.

-- -- -- I didn't believe it was some kind of moral kind of backing for his decisions what do you think.

Well he is is everyone has there's so much discussion going on about you know well but did he do something that -- was very wise that on in the long run could you know hamstring obamacare.

Or did he compromised the one thing that I thought was of great concern was he said he -- that it court's decision was that.

He knows.

The government can't require people to buy a product.

And much was spun about that but -- congress and the government can lead the attacks the thing is -- that Obama -- was not presented as attacks I mean.

I and I think about this you know what if an assailant said the somebody on their rate is illegal but what you're about to experience is not -- I mean to redefine it does attacks -- I was not comfortable with that because it was a present -- -- attacks.

That's good but -- reason why I think that there -- some kind of morality behind it that he felt was justified and I'm.

Of course reading into this much more than any anybody's written -- -- I didn't talk to him but they're just.

His whole belief system seems to be on the line here with this vote.

Sure sure outlook I would say this.

I think just that the debate and the wrangling over Obama here.

Represents that this is a failed presidency because here's the thing.

If if our president champions -- Obama -- knowing that it was unconstitutional.

Then then that's that's evil and if he champion did not realizing that it would ultimately be.

Unconstitutional.

Or -- would have to be all of this new -- -- to try to spin it as being legal and viable then that's that's incompetence that.

They Lebanon and the Annapolis to go now we're running out of time but I want -- thank you so much for being your battles they've got Alex Oliver is coming out of Atlanta and we don't really worry zinger of the Catholic guy.

A serious -- -- thank you very much for both being that on the panel today thank you so much.

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