A Sample Of Apologetic Thinking

This blogger has previously mentioned a particular local apologetics blog in examples of apologetics. Below is a comment post by one of its owners that is particulary revealing regarding the mindset of these folks (note bolded sections, with this blogger comments immediately following in parentheses):

Tim,
If you are saying that God allows a child to get cancer, then I agree, but that’s not what you originally said. What causes a child to get cancer? Physical defects in her body, maybe the environment, maybe the genes passed on by her parents. There are many physical, or material, causes for cancer, but I don’t think there is a particular person who can be blamed for directly causing a child’s cancer, and certainly blaming God seems unwarranted.

If we ask why there is disease in the world, the Christian answer is that the fall of Adam and Eve pushed humanity out of Paradise where there was no disease. We live in a fallen world where disease runs rampant and eventually kills every human being who doesn’t die some other way. This is the fault of our human ancestors, who were our representatives. (Wow, an actual Garden of Eden, where there was no disease or death -- ALL scientific evidence refutes this!!)

But why does God let us live in a world where pain and suffering occurs? It seems that we are in a moral and spiritual training ground. There is no doubt that pain brings out the best in human beings and that without pain, in this world we would be morally and spiritually stunted. So God allows suffering to grow us. Eventually God will put an end to this world, and completely renew it so that there is no pain and suffering any more. This is what Christians have to look forward to. (So, we should then be glad there is pain and suffering so that we become the best we can be?)

But back to the original question. Why pray for healing? Because God commands us to pray to him. God sometimes heals through our prayers. We don’t know what his plan is for each person, as he doesn’t reveal those details, so we work as hard as we can to alleviate pain and suffering in the world. (Why should we try to alleviate pain and suffering, as it helps us to be better people, according to the previous paragraph) No one can say whether the child’s cancer will be healed or not, but shouldn’t we try, using one of the tools God has given us, prayer? This is what Jesus did when he walked the earth, and so should we.

Just because God allows cancer doesn’t mean that he likes it. Just because God allows evil doesn’t mean he is pro-evil. He hates sin and he only allows suffering because he can bring a greater good out of it. (if God doesn't like suffering and can stop it, is this consistent with human moral understanding?)

I’m not sure if I addressed your question, so let me know if there is more to what you’re asking.

Thanks,
Bill

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What do you think? Does this conform to known reality?