by jimwalton » Tue Sep 08, 2015 10:36 am
> isn't it up to human nature to resolve evil then?
Humans are supposed to do everything possible to fight evil and to reduce it, but since much evil resides in the human heart, humans can't resolve the problem of evil. God is the only one who can change the nature of the human heart. So we are supposed to do everything within our power to diminish evil, and we are supposed to turn to God to change our hearts. It's the teaching of the Bible that only the blood of Christ can truly deal with our sin.
You're right that the Bible teaches that God listens to and responds to prayer, but not necessarily in measurable ways. Prayer, despite some people's attempts, is not subject to scientific study. There are too many variables to be able to have a truly controlled situation. And while there are results from prayer, I'm not sure what you mean when you require "measurable" results.
You're also right, to some extent, when you say that the world doesn't really need God to take on ISIS. We have the willpower, the tools, and the technology to confront it with immense force, but again, eradicating the threat entirely is not subject to military action. When the heart is set on violence, it can find a way.
> the point of god is to be ambiguous. God is only god if he can't be measured or proven. Once there is evidence that God directly intervenes in a situation, then there would be no need for faith, which would destroy his purpose right?
I don't agree with this. There are, as you surmise, good reasons for God to stay somewhat hidden. But it's just incorrect to say that God is only God if he can't be measured or proved. That's like claiming you are only you as long as we talk online and never actually meet. In the days of the Bible, so we are told, God intervened directly and measurably in many situations, and we have the literary and historical record to tell us about it. But just because many miracles don't have lasting empirical evidence (like Jesus walking on the water) doesn't mean it didn't happen. I had homemade pizza two months ago that was AWESOME and TO DIE FOR, but I can't prove it. But lack of enduring evidence doesn't destroy God's purpose. The resurrection of Jesus has enduring evidence, and that was within the purposes of God. For instance, we all know that Apple is a very secretive company. They keep their upgrades and new products very tightly under wraps, with barely a clue to what's coming until the day of the GREAT REVEAL. Then Steven Jobs, or now Tim Cook, takes the veil away, and we find out all the great stuff that Apple has been cooking up. The secretiveness neither necessitates that "Apple is only a real corporation if they keep everything a secret," or that being less secretive would "destroy their purpose". It's the way they choose to do business. So also God. He wants to have a love relationship with people, and love must be voluntary, not coerced. He works in ways that make people seek him, and choose to love him, rather than anything coercive. He never wants to hear someone say, "Yeah, I follow God. He made me do it; I didn't have a choice. I don't like it and I don't want it, but I was forced."