Suffering and doubting the character of God – Sharon Dirckx

“When we were given freedom to choose, we opened ourselves to the possibility of making  the wrong choice,” says Christian apologist and lecturer for the Oxford Centre for Christian Apologetics, Dr Sharon Dirckx. “When we make the wrong choice, people suffer.” Addressing some of the toughest questions facing Christians today, Dr Dirckx spoke to a captivated audience during BMS World Mission’s Catalyst Live event in Reading.

In a perfect world imagined by imperfect minds, there would be no hurricanes, no death, no sickness, no suffering. Dirckx asked how we would make the world. Would we take away water so that no one would drown? Would we remove bacteria and therefore sickness, but also prevent digestion? What about technology? Would people be so intelligent that they could cure all diseases but have the ability to create weapons of mass destruction? Would there still be freedom?

Dirckx explained that one of our many freedoms is choice. With choice, comes the possibility of suffering. Jesus made a choice. “Jesus allowed himself to be consumed and destroyed by evil so we can live,” says Dirckx. “Good is defined by who God is. Is this a cruel God?” The uniqueness of Christianity is the personal connection to Jesus and the ability to ask questions and seek answers from the Bible.

28/11/2013