This is something that I wrote for The Echo. If it gets published it will be in next weeks paper.
I often read the letters in the local The Echo just to see what residents of the Northern Rivers have to say. I enjoy reading most articles but find some more entertaining than others.
I have been a Christian for about 9 years now and I have also studied science for 5 years. I am not a creationist, matter a fact I don’t know what I am, I just believe that the God of the Bible (Yahweh) made the universe.
In the paper published on the 19th of February there were two letters talking about evidence for evolution and one talking about pain and suffering and where God fits into all that. These two questions need an answer that has some weight and historical evidence; however I don’t necessarily think that having a conversation through the paper is the best way to go about it.
As a Christian I think Jesus’ historical life, death and resurrection are the answer to all of our questions about God. Next term at Southern Cross Presbyterian Church (where I work) we are working through Lismore’s big questions about God. If you have ‘Got Questions’ about God why not go to our website www.scpc.org.au and leave a question. The ministers are then going to work through all the questions to find out the top 10 and will be preaching on those questions in term 2.
Simon Allery
Lismore
Hi Simon,
It is worth noting that if people want to leave a question anonymously, they can also do that at our web site. If they want to discuss their question with one of the ministers, they can do that too.
A lot of people seem to be asking a question about suffering (see the previous blog “God In Our Image” and the comments at the bottom of the blog). The book “Questioning Evangelism” by Randy Newman looks at this subject too and it would be helpful for Christians to read this so we can sensitively try and answer this sometimes very personal and painful question. I highly recommend the book.