A Few Questions of Belief

There are often many questions people have for not believing or trusting in God (whether genuine or not). Generally, these four always come up, so let's look at them!

Isn't the idea of God just wish fulfillment?
Often we have a sense of awe, when we look at a beautiful landscape or a huge cathedral dome, something that cannot be explained or described. Is this God or is it just our WANT to be God? Freud held onto the belief that a person's view or perception of God is no more than an exalted father. However, the biblical God is very different to this, He is constant, objective. Also, the bible tells us that we will suffer, there will be suffering for Christ, yet people still follow. There must be something greater than that to cause our continue strive towards God.

The argument can also be turned on its head. Just because you wish for something, it does not mean that it cannot happen, a farmer can wish for rain, a man can wish for a loving wife. Both are possible realities, C.S. Lewis sums this up well:

"Creatures are not born with desires unless satisfaction for those desires exist. A baby feels hunger, well there is such a thing as food...Men feel sexual desire, there is such a thing as sex. If I find in myself a desire which no experience in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that I was made for another world."

What about the harm done in the name of religion?
There has been a lot of harm done, the crusades, September 11...there seems to be a valid point here. However, the good is often omitted, what about Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, or William Wilberforce convincing Parliament to outlaw slavery or Martin Luther King? Look at the 20th century, it has been the bloodiest in all of history and at the same time, society is becoming more and more secular. There is much evidence to show that actually, religion has a positive effect.

Most people look at the church and see it's flaws, and there are many, because it is made up of broken people. It is not right to judge Christ through us, though we strive to be like Him, we cannot be. This is the same as judging the water inside by looking at the rusty can it is in. Or, a more biblical analogy would be to judge the treasure by looking at the jars of clay that hold it. To examine Christianity, one must look at Christ.

Why would a loving God allow suffering?
There are so many responses to this question. Most of the pain and suffering is caused by mankind because of our own actions through free will. It is our fault, so we shouldn't blame God for it. The other type is that of 'natural evil', things like earthquakes and tsunamis. Perhaps this is God's judgement, or perhaps God is working behind the scenes to save so many more people.

Whatever the response, however intellectually satisfying (or not) it may be...it doesn't solve the question. Suffering happens and no explaination will justify it within our hearts. We complain because we believe in ourselves that things should be better, if not, then why complain? Instead of shaking your fist at God, why not ask Him how He can remedy it, how He can comfort you. God has promised us so much concerning suffering. In our comfort, God whispers but in our suffering God is loud, ask yourself, do you learn more when things are smooth, or when you suffer? Would life be life without suffering?

Can a rational person believe in miracles?
In short, yes. A rational person must not write off anything, there is always a chance of anything happening however small it may be. The problem is that the word 'miracle' is used too much nowadays, it is something that science and nature cannot explain. Examples would be parting the red sea, the Sun standing still in Joshua, Jesus rising from the dead, miraculous instant healings or even the changing of a heart. Science cannot explain these things, they are miracles. Perhaps you will never see a miracle in your lifetime, God does not shake them about randomly but they happen at times of great spiritual importance. So yes, a rational person can believe in miracles, of course, look for other explainations first but it should never be ruled out, or you would be being irrational.