Beacon2Light

Bart Ehrman is an atheist author who states he was a “devout and committed Christian.” He denied this faith because he couldn’t reconcile evil and suffering with God’s goodness.  He states that for most of his life he was a Christian. While in High School, Bart attended a Youth for Christ club and had what he called a born again experience. Later, Ehrman went to what he called a fundamentalist Bible college (Moody Bible Institute) to study for the ministry.  Bart claimed he could recite whole books of the New Testament from memory. He finished college at Wheaton then off to Princeton for an Master's in Divinity and a Phd in New Testament studies. After having served as a youth pastor, Bart stated that he began to lose his faith. Now, he no longer attends church, no longer believes or even considers himself a Christian.  But what happened was that Bart first started questioning the Bible’s authority and inerrancy. To him, it was “a very human book with...

Joni Eareckson Tada has a great little tract online for helping children process suffering and death Why Bad Things Happen For teens and adults:  Randy Alcorn's If God is Good, chapter 4  Why Doesn't God Do More to Restrain Evil and Suffering? (also by Alcorn) Why Is There Death and Suffering? by Ken Ham and Mark Looy Ultimately, how do we make sense of the senseless?  All we can do is mourn with those who mourn, pray with and for those who hurt, spend more time with our loved ones and look to God for a future with Him without suffering and death. Update: A person briefed on the Boston Marathon investigation says the explosives were in 6-liter pressure cookers and placed in black duffel bags. The person says the explosives were placed on the ground and contained shards of metal, nails and ball bearings. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the investigation was ongoing. The person says law enforcement officials have some of the bomb compone...

Especially in light of the terrible shooting rampage in Aurora, Colorado, questions about God and evil naturally arise. In response to the awful tragedy, Chris Sigfrids of WaterBrook Multnomah made this chapter available for your viewing at no charge, hoping that it would help you in a time like this to think biblically about God's goodness in the face of evil and suffering. He also hoped it would affirm your faith in the midst of tragedy and provide some measure of comfort. This chapter of Randy Alcorn's If God is Good asks: What Are Some Possible Responses to the Problem of Evil and Suffering? If God is Good by Randy Alcorn (Chapter 4) Chris Sigfrids didn't ask me to post this part, I'm doing it on my own. If the above is helpful to you and you wish to read a little more of Randy's thoughts yet you don't want or can't plunk down money for a full book or you would like a Reader's Digest version, check this out: If God Is Good: Why Do We Hurt...