One common argument used by atheist philosopher Allegedly Ian when he debates Christian apologists goes something like this:
Ian: If you could cure childhood cancer by hitting a button in front of you, would you do it?
Christian Apologist: Absolutely.
Ian: So, it is good to cure cancer?
Christian Apologist: Yes.
Ian: If God could cure childhood cancer, would he?
Christian Apologist: Uh, well, uh, hmm, uh . . .big gulp . . . No!
Ian: So, God is not good? If it is “good” to cure childhood cancer, then is God not good if he doesn’t do so?
We know, of course, that God doesn’t cure childhood cancer, because children have cancer, including babies born with it.
Usually, at this point, Christian apologists realize they are trapped, so they start rolling out the justifications and excuses for God. “No, God doesn’t cure childhood cancer, but he has a reason for not doing so.” “Gods thoughts are not our thoughts, and God’s ways are not are ways. God’s ways are higher, unknown by mere mortals.” “Yes, God gives cancer to children, but after they die a horrible death, he will take them to Heaven when they die. Ain’t God good?”
And so it goes, but never forget, God could in a split second cure childhood cancer. That he chooses not to suggests either he doesn’t exist or he doesn’t care about the pain and suffering of his created beings — especially children. Either way, such a deity is not worthy of our worship.
Bruce Gerencser, 68, lives in rural Northwest Ohio with his wife of 47 years. He and his wife have six grown children and sixteen grandchildren. Bruce pastored Evangelical churches for twenty-five years in Ohio, Texas, and Michigan. Bruce left the ministry in 2005, and in 2008 he left Christianity. Bruce is now a humanist and an atheist.
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I remember receiving a book “Why Your Baby is in Heaven” anonymously in the mail after our baby died at 11 months. (Katherine had been a 26 weeker.) The gist of this screed was that Katherine had died so that my husband and I might get “saved”. We were Catholics. My husband threw the book in the trash when he got home from work. God is a shitty God if he kills little babies/children/anyone so the parents can get saved. Our neighborhood was filled with fundies so it may have been from any number of them.
Oftentimes, when I see / hear the word “child” within the context of the church, it takes me back to an episode of “The Atheist Experience” from 2012, hosted by Matt Dillahunty and Tracy Harris. Specifically, Episode 795 from January 6, 2012:
(At the 55:46 mark: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQmNGAIWg-Q)
Caller: So, why is God so immoral… first of all… why is God so immoral?
Tracy: I don’t know. Why don’t you ask him?
Matt: Yeah, first of all…
Tracy: I’d love to know why he’s so freaking immoral…
Matt: I don’t… I don’t think god exists… But if we’re thinking about the god character in the bible… if god…
Tracy: As he’s written, it’s horrible…
Matt: It’s a pretty horrible jealous angry being that advocates slavery…um…I don’t know why he’s that way…maybe…
Tracy: I said to somebody earlier today, that you either have a god who sends child rapists to rape children or you have a god who simply watches it and says when you’re done, I’m going to punish you…
Caller: Does child rapists… does child rapists make you mad Matt? I mean, do you hear about that and get angry? Yes or no?
Matt: What? What?
Tracy: Do you get angry when you hear about child rapists?
Matt: Yes
Caller: So why shouldn’t God get mad when he hears about evil in this world. You tell me that.
Matt: If there was a god and he heard about evil in this world, I think he should get mad…
Tracy: Well here’s the thing though… if I were… if I were in a situation where I could stop a child rapist, I would. That’s the difference between me and your god.
Matt: Yeah
Caller: Sorry. say that again.
Tracy: If I could stop a person from raping a child I would, that’s the difference between me and your god. He watches and says “I’m shutting the door, and you go ahead and rape that child, and when you’re done, I’m going to punish you.” If I did that, people would think I’m was freaking monster.
Matt: Yeah
Caller: (unintelligible), you portray that little girl as someone who’s innocent. She’s just as evil as…
Tracy: Well, I was thinking it was a little boy…
Matt: Goodbye!
Tracy: (untelligible)
Matt: Goodbye!
Tracy: ..someone who deserves to be raped…
Matt: Goodbye, you piece of shit!
Tracy: And, and I would like to just say that… well, let me just say, I was raised in a different Christianity, and I think it was a better one.
Matt: Yes. You know what, I was a better Christian than you (caller) when I was a Christian, and I still am.
What else would you expect from a religion that sees self-preservation as selfishness?
The Problem of Evil is something that I have yet to hear a Christian Apologist handle well. There’s no good answer. If you believe that your deity is omnibenevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent, there can be no evil. Period. Obviously, something is off-kilter about the Christian deity. Maybe the Christian deity of extreme fundamentalists doesn’t have the problem of evil to contend with as it isn’t actually an omnibenevolent deity. I don’t want to name names, but some of those extreme fundamentalist preachers have no problem with their deity promoting bigotry and violence, and their deity supposedly thinks compassion is a sin. So problem of evil solved – meaning, evil isn’t a problem, it’s something the deity addresses with indifference or violence, and its followers do the same.
Omnibenevolent Jesus is the used car you see in the online ad.
Pissed-Off Yahweh is what you actually end up driving off the lot.
He’s the AMC Gremlin of deities.
Kind of gives new meaning to the alleged sayings of Jesus: “Suffer the little children to come unto me.” 🙁
Cancer is but one of MANY diseases that afflict the new born and young children, the supposed “limitless power” of “The God”,Christians worship so desperately, seems to be comfortable with “allowing” Cancer and other diseases to exist and afflict.
“The God” was comfortable with SLAVERY since the Garden of Eden.
“The God”, was “comfortable” with the near annihilation of the Jew’s by the Romans, the Spanish and the Nazi’s.
(Not to mention many other Jewish “pogroms”) throughout history.
“The God” was comfortable with the Portuguese and the Spanish wiping out tens of millions of Indigenous peoples in the Caribbean, in North, Central and South America. Oh, and BTW, enslaving and murdering those people for mining operations, slavery, and sexual exploitation, all in the name of “Saving them” for………..him.
“The God” was comfortable with innumerable natural disasters that have killed tens of millions over recorded history.
“The God” was comfortable with the 14th century Black Death, Small Pox and Syphillis and it’s many re-occurrences over the centuries.
“The God” was comfortable with the Children’s Crusades.
“The God” is comfortable with the Priests and Preachers of Catholic and Protestant church’s whom prey on preadolescent and adolescent children.
“The God” is comfortable with “men” building nuclear weapons.
“The God”, is comfortable with Tsunami’s killing 225,000 in Indonesia and 20,000 in Japan.
“the God” …………. you know …………… upon contemplation, not a very nice……… “thing”, whatever this unsee-able, unknowable “thing” is.
Whatever “it” is, he ain’t got nothing on John Carpenter’s version.
The Christian God isn’t someone I’d wish to honor and worship.
Great cartoon! Cosmetic surgery faith healers. LOL!!!