Reframing the problem of evil | N.T. Wright at UT Austin

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[greywolf]

We were given dominion —- and the mind of God via the word and how to live according His ways…. We are our brothers keeper so either God destroys us all for we are all evil… or we live with the consequences of our choices

[virginiashroyer]

I love brother Wright’s answer to the question. Even if we don’t have all the answer’s doesn’t mean that God is behind evil that transpires on the earth. If we trust in God’s love I think we will conclude that just because we human’s can’t explain evil in all its form doesn’t mean there isn’t an answer that would make sense if we were told by the Divine.

[timothywood]

What a mystery it is to be born, to live and to die as a human! The way NT Wright reframes the problem of evil in the terms it was posed by his interlocutor (and many others before him) is quite human. In that reframing, he emphasizes the darkness and strangeness of the cross, which is often sanitized by many Christians from having been overly familiar with that central story of the Bible. In my opinion, it is much more realistic to think of a loving God and evil–as expressed by the cross of Jesus–as a mystery that can hardly be comprehended from a purely rationalistic perspective, and Dr. Wright appropriately shudders at stating some of these things outright to people who are experiencing pain and suffering. Is not the "problem of evil" another deep, deep cry of anguish from humans puzzling over the mystery of life?

[spinvalve]

I really look forward to Mel Gibson's 'The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection' which I hear will attempt to elucidate the metaphysical reality of Jesus descending into the dead to bring about the mystery of redemption

[hermanhandbrush]

In other words, N.T. Wright just doesn't have the answer. So he rejects the question itself on some specious basis. It would be more honest if he said, "I don't know." Christ on the cross
didn't know ("my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?") so it's no fault of our own if we don't know either. But at least admit that.

[stevenmqcueen]

Didn't answer the question. Even admitted that he hadn't answer the question. Talked a lot but didn't really say anything. Disappointing.

[jmclen]

If we can’t talk about it, let’s talk about talking about it. 😀

Maybe the answer is simply this. God is not omnipotent in the way we think of omnipotence. Certainly there must be some self-imposed restriction on his power over the cosmos and those who live in it for free will to exist at all.

But that still doesn’t quite answer why the world is dangerous. Why do humans need danger to thrive? If God can create a heaven or a spiritual utopia for all people to live at peace for all eternity, why do we need this chaotic world at all? Or if, as you’ve said, the second coming is a merger of God’s realm with ours, why the separation in the first place? What’s it all about? And if this separation was the result of eating of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, why plant that seed in the garden at all? It’s already corrupted the realm. It clearly exists so that sin might exist.

On some level, free will means very little without high stakes and without real temptation. Maybe the greatest act of love is for God to put mankind in a cruel and dangerous world so that we would be compelled to rebel against him so that our freedom of choice would really be that. Well that’s my current stab at it.

What I think we can say is that human beings, as we are in this life, are incompatible with anything resembling a utopia though it should be our project to strive for as close as we can get imo. Without evil, we couldn’t make it in this world. I think this question really points back to the nature of human beings rather than the nature of God. 🤷‍♂️

[ileanamuntean]

God is not Father Christmas and this life is a place of suffering.

[robertlight]

Wright doesn't really answer the question.

[violetgypsie]

Dr Andy Woods is my preferred bible teacher as he actually explains things from the Bible in it’s context.

[peterbarker]

..you mean GOD existence
..so then there can be no
, GOD'S..

[markomarko]

I wouldn't pass the exam if i refraimed the question, would i?

[cmp]

Genesis clearly outlines why things are the way they are today.

[reality]

Why does god encourage evil by rewarding satan with mankind as a playground to torment and encourage

[incrediblystupid]

nonsense! He answered nothing in 1000 words.

[downenout]

"Problem of evil", what problem of evil? The Christian God is demonstrably evil, so where's the problem?

[JosiahFickinger]

God doesn't allow natural disasters (I'm being idiomatic) God allows people to live in places that cause such natural disasters. The key is to create a way to escape from them safely.

[ianhall]

Mark 3 verse 28 "Every sin will be forgiven". That includes the sin of being an atheist, or far worse, the sin of not believing the sermons of N.T. Wright.

[usekcf]

NT Wright uses more words to not answer questions than any theologian I can think of.

[GabbyKunga]

The Christian answer to the problem of evil must begin with Genesis 3 - the fall accompanied by divine curse. So, evil is not part of the original creation order.
The problem now seems to be NT Wright being a non-creationist.