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New Book: Dying in Indian Country – An Amazing Family Story
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This is a true story of an American tribal member who, after coming to know Jesus Christ, realized just how much liberal policies within tribal and federal government were hurting his extended family.
Roland grew up watching members of his family die of alcoholism, child abuse, suicide, and violence on the reservation. Like many others, he blamed all the problems on “white people.”
Beth Ward grew up in a middle class home in the suburbs. Raised in a politically left family, she also believed that all problems on the reservation originated with cruel treatment by settlers and the stealing of land. Meeting her husband, her first close experience with a tribal member, she stepped out of the comfort of suburban life into a whole new, frightening world.
After almost ten years of living with his alcoholism and the terrible dangers that came with it, they both came to realize that individual behavior and personal decisions were at the root of a man’s troubles, including their own. After coming face-to face with the reality of Jesus Christ, their eyes opened to the truth of why there is so much Dying in Indian Country.
What cannot be denied is that a large number of Native Americans are dying from alcoholism, drug abuse, suicide, and violence. The reservation, a socialistic experiment at best, pushes people to depend on tribal and federal government rather than God, and to blame all of life’s ills on others. The results have been disastrous. Roland realized that corrupt tribal government, dishonest federal Indian policy, and the controlling reservation system had more to do with the current pain and despair in his family and community than what had happened 150 years ago.
Here is the plain truth in the eyes of one family, in the hope that at least some of the dying in Indian Country — physical, emotional, and spiritual — may be recognized and prevented. Unfortunately, persistent public misconceptions about Indian Country, misconceptions sometimes promoted by tribal government and others enjoying unaudited money and power, have worked to keep the situation just as it is.
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- “Roland truly has encouraged many people…the last trip to D.C. was a testimony to God’s faithfulness.” Rev. Robert Guthrie, B.Th. M.A. –Professor, Vanguard College, AB
- “…he earned my deepest respect, and…made heroic and very honorable attempts to improve the lot of Native Americans in this country.” Jon Metropoulos, Attorney, Helena, MT
- “‘Dying in Indian Country’ is a compassionate and honest portrayal…I highly recommend it to you!” Reed Elley, former Member of Parliament, Canada; Chief Critic for Indian Affairs in 2000; Baptist Pastor, father of four native and metis children
- “I truly admire Roland for the message he was trying to have heard.” Ralph Heinert, Montana State Representative
- “He was a magnificent warrior who put himself on the line for the good of all…. I can think of no-one at this time in this dark period of Indian history who is able to speak as Roland has.” Arlene, tribal member
- “…hope emerging from despair… This is a story about an amazing life journey.” Darrel Smith. Writer, Rancher, South Dakota
- “He’s a Christian now you know… I saw him crying on his knees on my living room floor. I was there.” Sharon, tribal member
- “…truly gripping, with a good pace.” Dr. William B. Allen, – Emeritus Professor, Political Science, MSU and former Chair of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights (1989)
Read More:
- Website: dyinginindiancountry.com
- Twitter: twitter.com/WriteBethWard
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/DyingInIndianCountry
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Save Veronica! is a Blessing to Many Children -
Praise God for all that has been happening over the last month. While we grieve for 2-yr-old Veronica who was taken three weeks ago from the only home she has ever known, she has been blessed with national attention – unlike many other children whom this has happened to. This has brought the issue of ICWA to the forefront.
For those who are concerned about this being a case involving a birth father – let us clarify;
The adoption wasn’t finalized because the tribe had intervened, but M&M were ‘parenting’ Veronica from the moment she was born. They were at the birth. The bio-dad was not. Matt cut the umbilical cord – the bio-dad did not. Melanie stayed in a room at the hospital where she could parent/mother Veronica right away. The bio-dad did not. The bio-dad made no effort during the pregnancy or after birth to contact or support the mother, and made no real effort or request to see the little girl at any point in her life. She had never met him up until the evening she was handed over to him in the attorney’s office. The judge had allowed only ½ hour for Veronica to meet this man before he was free to take her. But it took two hours for the transfer to complete because she kept crying for M&M every time they tried to leave the room.
Matt and Melanie are the only parents she has ever known.
Had South Carolina law been applied to this case, the bio-dad would not have had any standing. By state law, he has essentially abandoned her and would not have had any parental rights. This is a law meant to protect adoptive parents and children from being bounced around like ping pong balls. He had also signed a paper sometime after her birth giving up any claim to her. But after Veronica had been with M&M for four months, he changed his mind and because he has a small percentage of Cherokee heritage, he was able to get the tribal attorney involved.
Matt & Melanie are emotionally devastated.
We are praying for Veronica. The State Supreme Court has accepted their appeal. It might take months though for them to hear the case. Knowing how hard it will be for a 2-yr-old to #1) remain away from the only parents she has ever known for months – and #2) how difficult it will be for her to make the transition back if she has been gone for months and then they win the case – we are praying for God’s mercy on Veronica and her parents. As crazy as this sounds, I am praying for a miracle – that Veronica be allowed to go home today, if not tomorrow.
Lord, in the name of Jesus, please return this baby girl to Melanie’s arms.
- We also have a family going to court this Friday, January 27th, who really needs prayer for their little boy.
Please pray for both these families.
But Jesus called the children to him and said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Luke 18:16
Is God in Control?
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On facebook, a friend wrote:
“fear believes the worst is going to happen… faith believes the best is already on its way”
Someone responded:
When your perspective is telling you it’s the worst, that’s when you need your faith to rise. Faith is always needed if we’re going to achieve what we’re called to. Faith allows us to do good despite our less than ideal circumstances because we see what is available to us through Christ.
I still don’t believe that God is in control. I’ll believe otherwise if you can show me in scripture that he is. In the mean time I choose whether or not I get out of bed in the morning. I choose whether to use my words to encourage others or tear them down. I’m pretty sure God has given me a great deal of control over what happens in and around me.
If he were in control there would be no point in us doing anything because God would be taking care of it, there would be no point in relationship with God because we wouldn’t be expected to do anything (there’s the issue: saying God is in control releases us from any responsibility to bring his kingdom to earth).
If God were in control, would there be all the problems there are in the world? Saying God is in control is saying he is not good and that is a fallacy.
Yes, God is all powerful and could take control, but if he did then what would be the point in existing? You have a greater purpose. Start walking in it!
FYI: I can’t take credit for a lot of this. Much of it is just reiterating what Bill Johnson says in Face to Face with God
Then there was this response:
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Very good points – but here’s a question. If God ISN’T in control, then does that mean His plan might fail – and what is fore-told in Revelations might not happen? Aren’t we assured that in the end, God will defeat the enemy?
Romans 8:28 tells us, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who[a] have been called according to his purpose.”
Other ways that is read include, “that all things work together for good to those who love God, who;” or
“that in all things God works together with those who love him to bring about what is good—with those who.”
Note: this assurance is predicated to those that Love God, and this last version of the verse makes it clearer that we are working with Him to bring about good. Our relationship with Him comes with the expectation of participating in His work. (and striving to not hurt others)
God, as you said, is capable of controlling everything, but allows man free will. Maybe this is all about the big picture – not the small,( re: daily free will choices – getting up from bed, or deciding to commit a crime, etc.) The big picture is our unbreakable relationship and life with God – if we choose it.
If Hell is separation from God – we are assured we will never be separated, and He is working with us through all things for good in that direction. Rom 8:39 “neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Some of “those that Love Him” and have purposed to work for Him abbreviate that thought – rightly I think – into our assurance that “God is in control.”
And you are right – Faith is needed if we’re going to achieve what we are called to.
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I need to address the thought that if God is in Control, there is no point for relationship -
Relationship with God, as pointed out in Romans 8:28, involves Him working with us, through us, etc. – to bring about His will and good -
that’s what the Holy Spirit is all about.
We choose relationship with Jesus Christ. There is our free will. But God IS the Master when we do that – he is our LORD – and we are His servants. Therefore, He IS in control.
There is No relationship without accepting His Lordship!
Further, we can NOT do good on our own – we need the Holy Spirit. According to Romans 6, we die – our flesh dies with Jesus Christ – and then we are raised up again new with Jesus Christ – (just as He was raised up again) – to live a New Life, with Him.
Rom 6:22 “But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life.”
This is the Relationship: we can do nothing without Christ (God/Holy Spirit) in Us:
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. [For when we abide in Him -- and He in us -- He shows us His will and that's all we long for!]
“By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” John 15:3-10
Abiding in Him, and He in us – involves letting go of ourselves, and allowing Him – in control – to work through us.
So I think Mr. Johnson, in his book ‘Face to Face with God,” was very wrong about there being no point to relationship if God is in Control. It’s reversed – there would be no point to relationship if he WASN’T in control -
THE DIGITAL STORY OF THE NATIVITY ~
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If it had happened today, how would social media, the web and mobile have told the story of the Nativity?
“Times change. The miracle remains the same.”
One man commented – “Pity the shepherds couldn’t get Wi-fi in that field though – I would have liked to see their tweets and story as well! 
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MERRY CHRISTMAS! ~ ~ ENJOY! ~ ~
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All Children Deserve to Feel Safe -
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“Suffer the Children to Come unto Me”
Deborah Maddox, acting Director of the BIA Office of Tribal Services in 1993, once said Congress intended the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA)
“to protect Indian children from removal from their tribes and to assure that
tribes are given the opportunity to raise Indian children in a manner which
reflects the unique values of Indian culture.”
Advocates of ICWA point to the devastation suffered by children of tribal heritage when, years ago, they were forcefully removed from homes they loved and forced to stay at boarding schools. The trauma those children and families experienced was, indeed, devastating.
However, in the implementation of the ICWA, the exact same thing has been happening to children in reverse. What has to be acknowledged is that we live in a migratory, multi-cultural society. This means that many children who fall under the jurisdiction of the Indian Child Welfare Act have more than one heritage, and many times are predominantly of another heritage, and/or have family who not only haven’t any connection to the Indian Reservation, but have specifically chosen not to participate in the reservation system.
Though some argue that ICWA has safeguards to prevent misuse, scores of multi-racial children have been negatively affected by its application. Letters from birth parents, grandparents, foster families, and pre-adoptive families concerning their children hurt by misapplication of ICWA can be read at ~
http://www.caicw.org/familystories.html
There is no inborn difference between persons of tribal heritage and other persons. Any emotionally healthy child, no matter their heritage, will be devastated when they are taken from their familiar homes and forced to live with strangers.
Even children of 100% tribal heritage can be devastated if taken from the only home they know and love, no matter the heritage, and placed into a home they know nothing about.
In the words of Dr. William Allen, former Chair, US Comm. On Civil Rights (1989) and Emeritus Professor, Political Science MSU;
“… We are talking about our brothers and our sisters. We’re talking about what happens to people who share with us an extremely important identity. And that identity is the identity of free citizens in a Republic…” (Re: The Indian Child Welfare Act, September 20, 2008, Wahkon, MN)
Consequent to this Congressional error in understanding the practical aspects of the ICWA, dozens of adoptions are held up every year. Some of these adoptive homes have had the children since infancy and are the only homes the children know. However, even simple adoptions can be expensive and many families aren’t prepared for this additional impediment. Time and again families have contacted the Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare (CAICW) to ask for help because they don’t have the funds needed to hire attorney’s to defend their children. Some families, after mortgaging their homes and having nothing else to use, have been forced to give up the fight for their children.
- Children have been removed from safe, loving homes and been placed into dangerous situations by Social Services.
- Some Indian and non-Indian families have felt threatened by tribal government.
- Some have had to take out additional mortgage on their homes and endure lengthy legal processes in attempt to protect their children.
- Equal opportunities for adoption, safety and stability are not available to children of all heritages.
- The Constitutional right of parents to make life choices for their children, for children of Indian heritage to associate freely, and for children of Indian heritage to enjoy Equal Protection has in many cases been denied.
Saturday, November 20, 2010 is National Adoption Day. Support Families nationally in defending their children from unreasonable impediment to their adoptions by helping raise $50,000 for ten $5000 Attorney retainer fees for ten Adoptive Families. These would be families that are in the midst of adopting children they have had physical custody of over a long term or from infancy, or stable ‘relative families’ attempting to retain or regain custody within the extended family – whether or not said family is enrollable with a tribe.
The “Fund Attorney Retainers for 10 Families” Drive begins on National Adoption Day, November 20, 2010 and ends on December 31, 2010. The Fund website can be found through FirstGiving.com at
http://www.firstgiving.com/caicw/Event/AdoptionRetainerFund
The Christian Alliance for Indian Child Welfare (CAICW) has been advocating for families affected by the Indian Child Welfare Act since 2004 and is the only National org advocating for these families. Our advocacy is both Judicial and Legislative, as well as a prayer resource and shoulder to cry on.
Funds raised from this event will be used to assist up to 10 families in obtaining the legal assistance they need in order to complete their adoptions.
Additional informational links:
Legal and Constitutional concerns re: ICWA
http://www.caicw.org/icw.html
Letters from Affected Families:
http://www.caicw.org/familystories.html
ICWA Case Law:
http://www.caicw.org/caselaw.html
"Sex, God & Katy Perry"
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After allowing a revealing cover story titled “Sex, God & Katy Perry” in the recent edition of Rolling Stone magazine, Katy Perry, (formerly Katy Hudson) told Christianity Today that she is still a Christian.
The Christianity Today article, published August 6, 2010, related that Perry was raised in a Christian home “where both parents considered themselves pastors and where speaking in tongues was commonplace for the entire family.”
Perry is quoted saying,
“My mom and dad practice ‘tongues and interpretation’ together—my dad speaks in tongues, and my mom interprets it…That’s their gift. Speaking in tongues is as normal to me as ‘Pass the salt. A lot of religions use meditation or chanting as a subliminal prayer language, and speaking in tongues isn’t that different—it’s a secret, direct language to God. If I felt intuitively that I had to pray for some situation, but I didn’t rationally understand it, I just let my spirit pray for it.”
A commenter to the article wrote,
“It sounds like Ms Perry is exploring through life. With our prayers and her open heart, she will see her life with the everlasting illumination of Christ.”
No, She might be “exploring,” but that doesn’t mean she has an open heart. In fact, my take on it was that her heart is closed to all the might interfere with what she thinks she wants – stardom. (…Apparently Psalty the Songbook and Charity Churchmouse weren’t part of her audio/video library while growing up 
There is plenty of Scripture urging young people to trust and obey – This is just two of many:
“Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse, who leave the straight paths to walk in dark ways, who delight in doing wrong, and rejoice in the perverseness of evil.”
Proverbs 2: 12-14
…”then they will call to me but I will not answer; they will look for me but will not find me. Since they hated knowledge and would not fear the Lord.”
Proverbs 1: 28-29
There is no way to the Father but through Jesus. Some churches and people try to bend that and pretend it isn’t true. Well, God had laid it all on the carpet and made his will exceedingly clear. He has also given us the Freedom to make our own decisions – with the understanding that will have to accept complete responsibility for those decisions.
I’ve raised several children, some of whom went on to “explore.” The devastation that came as a result of some of their choices, their turning their backs on the Holy Spirit, is undeniable.
Katy and her family claim to speak in tongues. While I do believe in tongues, I don’t believe that most of what we see today is of the Holy Spirit. Tongues is said to be an indication that the person has received the Holy Spirit. We can’t judge a person’s heart, but we’d be foolish not to keep our eyes open, discerning fruit and watching for wolves. Scripture is very clear concerning sexual immorality. Yet, Katy apparently feels no shame in posing for this magazine. If the Holy Spirit were active in her heart, she would have felt terrible about exposing herself.
See: “Slain in the Spirt, is it for real?”
My guess – and it’s true that I do not know a person’s heart – but my guess based on what I see, hear, know of God’s Word and have experienced, – is that Katy, an obviously perky actress, (much like one of my daughters) knew how to “act as if.” She did what was expected of her while growing up – ie, speaking in tongues. That, or, if she was never filled with the Spirit, she might not be aware of what it feels like to filled with or walk in the Spirit. Therefore, she might not have been aware that she wasn’t actually experiencing it.
I have raised several children, some of whom were foster kids. Some children have known just how to act in church and around me. But their hearts were far from both me and God. It wasn’t until too late that I discovered they were leading two lives. I suspect many Christian parents have experienced the same thing. The temptations our children experience are overwhelming compared to what children experienced 50 years ago.
Further, I’ve seen adults on many occasions push children to speak in tongues – telling themselves and the kids that the Holy Spirit will come if you just “open your mouth” and “do the work.” The belief is that by opening your mouth and making sounds, you are “showing your faith” and opening your heart to God and tongues.
Well, I do believe in tongues and I have prayed for them. But after seeing this method used again and again – and noticing the FRUIT of many of those that claim to speak in tongues – in particular the teens and the youth groups, etc, I determined that when God deems it time for me, it will be the Holy Spirit that does the work. Not me nor man.
In all honesty – the promiscuity etc that I have seen in various “tongue speaking” teens has seriously made me doubt the presence of the Holy Spirit in their lives as well as the wisdom of the adults pushing these methods.
Having learned the hard way, our family has made changes with the younger children. We don’t jump head first into every Christian youth event that comes along. Not all of them are healthy, and not all the adults acting as mentors should be mentors. I am also more observant of my younger kids, talk to them more, and listen better.
No more pretend. My desire is that my children truly, truly learn what it is to honor and serve the Lord and to have the Holy Spirit in their hearts. From that understanding, they can make an informed decision as to whether they want to be Christians or not.
Call me what you will, but the knowledge that Katy’s mother called herself a pastor, and all five of them spoke in tongues, but Katy’s life does not appear to reflect the Holy Spirit or God’s Word, well…’I'm just sayin.’
That evidence is enough for me to have serious doubts that this family really understood God. That’s sad to say, because they might have had the best intentions and really believed they were doing the right things. But Scripture says that there will be many who will in the end say, “Lord, Lord…”
So I agree that we need to pray for Katy and her family. But I do not agree that Katy has an open heart, or that all will come out fine in the end. We are not to judge others in a condemning sense, but James 5:19 is clear that we are to confront sin and error out of love and to save lives.
Source:
Christianity Today August 6, 2010
http://blog.christianitytoday.com/ctentertainment/2010/08/katy-perry-im-still-a-christia.html
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Atheists Using Hair Dryers for ‘De-Baptism?’
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U.S. Atheists Reportedly Using Hair Dryers to ‘De-Baptize’
Published July 17, 2010 | NewsCore
According to Nightline, the leader wore a monk’s robe and said a few mock-Latin phrases before inviting participants to “come forward now and receive the spirit of hot air that taketh away the stigma and taketh away the remnants of the stain of baptismal water.”
Then he “blasted his fellow non-believers with the hair dryer to symbolically dry up the holy water sprinkled on their heads in days past. The styling tool was emblazoned with a label reading “Reason and Truth.”
The leader told the Nightline that he believes parents are wrong to baptize their children before they are able to make their own choices, and slammed some religious education as “child abuse.” He said the blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.
A 24-year-old said, “I was baptized Catholic. I don’t remember any of it at all,” said “According to my mother, I screamed like a banshee … so you can see that even as a young child I didn’t want to be baptized. It’s not fair. I was born atheist, and they were forcing me to become Catholic.”
Ironically, the leaders own son became a fundamentalist Christian minister after having “a personal revelation in Jesus Christ.”
“One wonders where they went wrong,” he chuckled to Nightline.
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/07/17/atheists-reportedly-using-hair-dryers-baptize/?test=latestnews
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Wow. That brings up some interesting questions!
- Does baptizing a child in the Catholic church force them to be Catholic as adults?
- I gave birth to some kids in Montana: Did I abusivley force them to be Montanans?
- I gave most of the kids dance lessons; Did I force the girls to be Ballerinas? What about the boys?
- Should there be a limit to what a parent can introduce to a child or educate a child in, in case they won’t like it when they grow up?
- Or is it okay for a parent to offer academic and creative opportunities, just so long as nothing spiritual is involved?
- What about the child that might say later…’Mom, now that I am an adult, you are telling me that you knew about ‘Jesus Christ’…and that you experienced all kinds of answers to prayer from the Holy Spirit during the time I was growing up…but you never told me about it? You watched me struggle through my teen years, yet never once showed Me how to pray? Why?’
Hopefully the participants didn’t pay their snake-oil leader anything for the “De-baptism.” After all, going through a ritual ”de-baptizing” and making the kinds of statements these people made… are they even truly atheists?
1) “He said the blast of hot air was a way for adults to undo what their parents had done.”
- Excuse me, but what did the parents do? If there is no God, how was their Baptism any different from washing their child’s hair? What is he “undoing?” Wouldn’t one have to believe in something Spiritual in order to “undo” what was done?2) “I was born atheist, and they were forcing me to become Catholic.”
- Are some people born atheist, and others not? Why? How does one know if they were born atheist?Or….is everyone born with an innate understanding that God exists? …Or….
- If he really WAS born atheist…AND from the time of conception never had any kind of spiritual connection, how did he have a ‘sense’ that he didn’t want to have the baptism done?
3) The 24-yr-old, still wet behind the ears, said, “According to my mother, I screamed like a banshee … so you can see that even as a young child I didn’t want to be baptized.”
a) – As a very young child, did he know he was getting ‘baptized’ and that it carried a religious connotation? If he was too young to ‘know’, how did he ‘sense’ that this was something spiritual that he didn’t want done?
b) – Ok, if it wasn’t a spiritual sense…maybe he just didn’t like getting wet. My 4-yr-old grandson still screams like a banshee when his hair is washed. Does the fact he doesn’t want it washed mean he has a right to not have it done? Is his mother abusing him by forcing him to have clean hair?
c) OR – did he have a spiritual sense, but didn’t want to accept the Spirit of God as his authority. Instead, what he is saying is that even as a baby, he wanted to choose another spiritual leadership. In which case, he’s still not an atheist, because even satan believes in God.
Methinks they protest too much. Obviously, the very fact that they are doing this “ritual” and making the statements they made testifies to the fact that they do believe in the supernatural.
Follow up Questions…
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a) When is someone old enough to honestly believe in God? Is there a set age, or does it depend on the person?
b) What do we believe, then, about children that die in infancy?
"Why Does God allow Suffering?"
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I recently shared with my sister a blog my pastor had written concerning God and the suffering in this world.
I was excited about this blog because my sister had told me just two weeks earlier that she can not honor or follow a God that allows innocent children to suffer horribly.
You know the debate… “How can God be all powerful and loving, yet allow the horrors of disease, war, famine, and natural disasters?” If “God is good all the time” – as the song says…then how come there is so much suffering in this world?
In response, Pastor quoted verses from Job that expressed Job would rather die than continue suffering;
“Why is light given to those in misery, and life to the bitter of soul, to those who long for death that does not come, who search for it more than for hidden treasure, who are filled with gladness and rejoice when they reach the grave? Why is life given to a man whose way is hidden, whom God has hedged in?” (Job 3:20-23)
Pastor brought up a great point. He said,
“…we must remember where suffering came from. It actually came from us. When humanity rebelled against God and chose to rule the world in our own wisdom apart from God, the earth and our labors were cursed. …under man’s care apart from God…Weeds began to grow and choke out nutritious plants. Viruses and bacteria mutated into harmful diseases. People no longer provided themselves with the proper nutrition and habits that promoted optimal health. Jealousy and carnal appetites drove humanity to murder, rape, slavery and host of other cruel sins. Earth itself began to quake and unleash cataclysmic disasters upon man.
“Humanity’s choice to call the shots and be like God has had horrendous effects …ever since. If we want to understand suffering, then we must understand that …Humanity brought on its own suffering through our rebellion against God, which started in the Garden of Eden.”
Pastor summed that up suggesting “Perhaps God allows suffering to emphasize the horror of sin and our desperate need of Him. Maybe that’s one reason God allows suffering.”
Great point. Man made a decision to be independent, run his own life outside of God’s direction and guidance. As a result, without a recognized higher power to look up to – or submit to – Man starts in with all those human things – trying to be top dog over each other, etc.
So in deciding to rebel, Man brought in sin and all that comes with it. In greed, pride, self-indulgence… Man’s desire to be a top dog over everyone else means that innocent people will get hurt.
God wants better for us, but he gave us Free will, even though that Free will pains him to watch
The next point Pastor brought up was even better. We are asking why God allows children to suffer horribly, or any innocent for that matter.
Yet Jesus, his son – an innocent whom he could have intervened for – suffered horribly before his death. Jesus – who actually told God the Father in the garden that he really didn’t want to do this.
God so loved the World that he sent his only Son….
Jesus’ purpose from the very beginning was to be our sacrificial lamb, the only way through which we could reconcile with the father and come back into relationship with Him. Jesus died for our sins.
But along with being the promised sacrificial lamb, was Jesus’ horrible death – Jesus who was completely innocent of sin – meant to show us that God the Father, who loves us so much and hates to see our suffering…was willing to …partake in the suffering with us? To cry with us?
Did Jesus come in the flesh and die suffering as he did – as a way to show us that God is walking with us in the pain, knows how it feels, and that He is suffering with us?
In other words, suffering is all about our own sin….a progressive result of ignoring God’s guidance. The children are suffering as a direct result of human rejection of God and His wisdom…they are suffering because of our selfishness and lack of compassion for each other. Not God’s.
Is it not about God allowing suffering, but about God allowing Man Free Will?
My sister shot the explanation down with one crisp sentence;
“So if God has a non-interference policy, then having a God is exactly the same as not having a God.”
But… it’s not a non-interference policy. Jesus healed much suffering. But she’s right in that…for some, the suffering continues despite much prayer.
Sigh. Okay…so Part II coming up…”Why God answers some prayers to alleviate suffering, and not others?
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