That is your best one yet! Very touching. - Diane Plott

I just read an excellent article related to this where Gregory Koukl explores the reason for evil. He does a great job laying out what evil is (and isn't).

http://www.str.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=5093

- Scott

God lets everything happen for a reason rather it be to teach us a lesson or to let us know that he is still God and thru him all things are possible. God will never close a window without opening a door first. The devil can't do anything that God doesn't ok first. Rememeber that our life is a trial and God throws things our way to see if we will jump or stumble. - Nikki

As horrific as September 11th was, it was a great example of how much we as people can accomplish when we come together and support each other rather than bickering over things. Unity in God's purpose is key in overcoming the world. Unfortunately most of us have gone right back to contending with one another. - Katherine

The Bible says it rains on the just as well as the injust. It's who you have to go through your trial with you that matters. He was there with Shadrack, Meshak and Abednego.

Instead of asking "why me" ask "why not me" as Job did.

I suffered a ruptured brain aneurysm and stroke which resulted in surgery, 3 weeks of intensive care and 5 weeks of inpatient rehab - and still have physical impairments. I had about 3 days of "poor me's" and "why me's" then realized just how blessed I was to still have life and be in my right mind. I have learned to say "why not me" and have seen much good come out of my experience. - Anita

I always thought this was a silly question. I mean what would a world look like where bad things DIDN'T happen to good people? What would happen if someone got mad at you and tried to punch you? Would there fist just bounce of your face like rubber? Would babies falling out windows bounce back up again like a trampoline? Would hijacked planes just stop before hitting a building and land themselves safely? When you think about it the "problem of evil" isn't really a problem at all. It's a consequence not so much of free will but of a free world. A world that obeys the laws of physics and where miracles very seldom happen outside of religious fiction and the minds of true believers.
- Erik the Mighty

What happened on September 11, 2001 was horrible and some hearts will be hurting for their whole lifetime as a result. There are others who put it all behind them and forget. From my viewpoint God made us aware of the potential for loss of life both physically and in the manner of the American way of life which is so often oblivious of what goes on outside our own little bubble. The bubble was burst and evil crept in that day. Who knows what plots of much greater consequence could have occurred since that date had God not given us the 911 warning? I praise Him for the good He does for us who are so unaware of the magnitude of His daily miracles. - Janice

Not a good answer at all, definitely not adequate. How about non-evil ocurrences and why they occur; such as a car wreck where someone swerves to miss a dog and they run into a ditch and break their back. This person is a born-again christian and is wonderful in serving others daily. She is a loving wife and mother. Now she suffers every complication possible and is in a long-term ventilator facility. She cannot walk and has severe pain. She mentally has suffered and has a different personality now. Her loving husband is trying to live life and move on with faith and good thoughts but I am seeing his faith suffer. WHY did this happen? THERE IS NO GOOD THAT WILL COME FROM THIS! - Bob

Bob- - - In response to your email. MANY things unseen are going on in regard to this tragic situation with the woman in the long term vent. facility. In this "physical" world we live in, we tend to forget that it is ALL spiritual and as Christians we must cling to that and praise our Heavenly Father that we have Jesus to help us through this very worldly, confusing, period of our "eternal" spiritual life. The gift of the Holy Spirit is SO powerful and will give us answers if we get quiet, slow down, and LISTEN. God Bless - Sarah

Bob's question is one of the best posts I've seen here. He deserves an answer. Unfortunately the traditional answers are always going to be unsatisfactory- that it's God's will or the man's faith is being tested or that the wife is somehow suffering the consequences of some sin (I guess we would know why this happened if she were a gay man instead of a faithful wife). I heard a similar debate in my office recently- someone saying that a man's faith was being tested by the wife's injury. Seems pretty cruel though doesn't it, a God who plays little games with people to test them, torturing their loved ones to make a point.
Or maybe you could look to the story of Job for answers- where God allows Job's family to be killed only to obtain bragging rights with Satan. But consider this: stuff just happens. Maybe there is a reason, maybe not. We don't know. Stuff just happens. - Erik

While a holy and all powerful God is incapable of sin, men, who are created in His image, have the facility to act at will for good or evil in a world that was designed for their pleasure and God's glory. This God given characteristic is itself a testament to God's great love and faithfulness.

He knew from the foundation of the world the great price that would be required to redeem and reclaim mankind, thereby saving them from their own selves. “I was lost, but now I am found”. I do not dare blame God for the shameful and sinful condition of the world in which I live. I will on the other hand gladly give him praise for his grace and mercy. Men choose to blame God in ignorance, or pride.

One only needs to genuinely consider the life of Christ to know the heart of God. He loves us beyond comprehension. This is a problem for many.

God has taken away the mystery by simply asking us to “believe” in His provision, Jesus Christ, the Savior, the risen Lord. This is God’s gift to us. It is undeserved unlike the consequences of our actions.

“Thank you, God for giving to me thy great salvation so rich and free”.
- Henry Farquharson

Bob, in your struggle with what has happened to your friends you have come to the point of making the pronouncement that, THERE IS NO GOOD THAT WILL COME FROM THIS. That is based upon your human vision. If you were God your words would be the final outcome. But God continues the stories to His own conclusions. He wants us to have faith in Him and what He can do and to exercise our faith through prayer. Suppose you could influence God by your attitude and words and pronouncements. Would you still use that same pronouncement or would you ask God to help your friends as He knows best how to do? I hope you will reach deep into your heart and find a mustard seed of faith and use it to pray for the benefit of your friends. It may be the very seed God is waiting for to sprout a new good work. - Janice

Erik - Ravi Zacharias is speaking at the Atlanta Civic Center tomorrow night. You should go and listen.... - TG

Bob, there can be good that comes out of tragedy. It can be an opportunity to demonstrate love, hope, faith and compassion - for each person touched by it. Let us know what this couple needs (assistance with care, help with expenses, counseling), and I have faith that we as the Body of Christ can meet those needs. - Scott

Thank you for your words of encouragement. I am praying and will continue to pray for my friends. I certainly do not understand though why she had to suffer so much pain. - Bob

When Adam and Eve chose to disobey God, they set the precedent for all human kind. We are all sinners, none are just. We are only made justified by the acceptance of the spilled blood of Jesus Christ and the serving of God. Bad things happen to all people. To say that nothing good can ever come out of a bad situation is to state an untruth. The choice of how we react to a bad situation is what determines if we will play a part in a good outcome or not. If in the midst of the bad situation we continue to do our best to honor God and put our faith in Him and rely on His GRACE to sustain us through to the end, then good does indeed blossom. We never know just how many people we touch in our everyday life. They all see our example. Living a life for Christ in the good and bad times always plants a seed of goodness. I do not respond for only the readers of this comment, but to remind myself of this truth as well. Thank you God for your Word, your Grace and your Mercy. - Janet