I know that many of you believe that the programming on network television is all crap. For the most part, I agree with you. However, there are a few network programs that try to deal with some meaty and topical subjects. Last night's episode, "Hell" on Law & Order: SVU fits the bill in my book.
In a roundabout manner, the premise of the episode dealt with child soldiers in Uganda. It told of young boys being ripped away from their families -- sometimes their parents are murdered in front of their eyes -- to be forced at young ages to become soldiers. By the time many enter their adolescent years, they are bona fide murderers and rapists. Like pit bulls, they are bred to be ruthless killers!
These children become simultaneously victims and perpetrators. They are victims in that they are children brutalized by their captors. They are perpetrators because they grow into adulthood as war crimes criminals.
While the story itself was only skimmed over -- the nature of TV dramas -- it is real. This kind of horrendous stuff does go on in Africa and other places here in the 21st century.
This brings me to a question I ask on this blog again and again: If there is a God, how can he allow this to happen? I don't want to hear the weak argument of free will because these children aren't afforded any free will. A seven year old with a gun pointed at the back of his skull doesn't have a free choice in the matter.
I can certainly understand the argument that this God allows adults to reap the consequences for their actions. You know, you made your bed, now lie in it. But, when children are brutalized, subjugated and wantonly abused, that argument doesn't cut it for me.
Where is this holy being when a nine year old girl is being raped by her father? Why does the supreme one turn a blind eye when parents sell their young daughters into slavery and prostitution? Why is the creator unmoved when innocent young children cry out in dire hunger for a bare morsel to eat?
The ready answer to these troubling questions is often, "We may not always understand, but God has a purpose for this child (or these children)". Well, if this God has a divine purpose in allowing an innocent babe to suffer severely through NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, then it sounds to me like he is one brutish and self-absorbed SOB.
Yes, that is blasphemous to write, but, since I don't believe he exists, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
In a roundabout manner, the premise of the episode dealt with child soldiers in Uganda. It told of young boys being ripped away from their families -- sometimes their parents are murdered in front of their eyes -- to be forced at young ages to become soldiers. By the time many enter their adolescent years, they are bona fide murderers and rapists. Like pit bulls, they are bred to be ruthless killers!
These children become simultaneously victims and perpetrators. They are victims in that they are children brutalized by their captors. They are perpetrators because they grow into adulthood as war crimes criminals.
While the story itself was only skimmed over -- the nature of TV dramas -- it is real. This kind of horrendous stuff does go on in Africa and other places here in the 21st century.
This brings me to a question I ask on this blog again and again: If there is a God, how can he allow this to happen? I don't want to hear the weak argument of free will because these children aren't afforded any free will. A seven year old with a gun pointed at the back of his skull doesn't have a free choice in the matter.
I can certainly understand the argument that this God allows adults to reap the consequences for their actions. You know, you made your bed, now lie in it. But, when children are brutalized, subjugated and wantonly abused, that argument doesn't cut it for me.
Where is this holy being when a nine year old girl is being raped by her father? Why does the supreme one turn a blind eye when parents sell their young daughters into slavery and prostitution? Why is the creator unmoved when innocent young children cry out in dire hunger for a bare morsel to eat?
The ready answer to these troubling questions is often, "We may not always understand, but God has a purpose for this child (or these children)". Well, if this God has a divine purpose in allowing an innocent babe to suffer severely through NO FAULT OF THEIR OWN, then it sounds to me like he is one brutish and self-absorbed SOB.
Yes, that is blasphemous to write, but, since I don't believe he exists, I'm not going to lose any sleep over it.
When bad things happen, it does not disprove God exists. It is more an indication of the state of the world we live in, which has a considerable amount of suffering and delusion -- this suffering and delusional thinking leads to all kinds of crimes and misery. What is worse, is when we can make a difference in our community, or in places within reach...make things better for others, but we choose not to act, when we can alleviate suffering. We do not have to start big, and only do big things, actions that seems to be a very small action can lead to amazing results. For me, it boils down to motivation, positive motivation, not getting discouraged, and having hope while engaging and actually doing something. God doesn't have to come into it, if God exists, or not, is not important. I believe we're all responsible to help suffering, in ourselves, and in others. For a long time, life to me was a horror show. I felt marooned in this lifetime, without a purpose. But when I comprehended that help is needed, and you can start out small, and help is wanted, and I can help in my way, and I did help, and it did make a difference, then I felt better. All said, I still despair at the horrible things that happen all around me. But I know that have made a difference, and I can keep making a difference...and I suppose that is what matters -- not giving up, and not losing hope. Being with people who feel the same way I do, and they are doing what I do, has been a source of inspiration and great comfort.
ReplyDeleteHere's another thought. You start out in life not knowing much, and you're lost. You don't have a very nice life, and you hurt people. Then you realized at a certain point God existed, and based on this, you start doing good things. But God then knows that the only reason why you do good things, now, is because you believe he exists. If you didn't believe in God, you wouldn't bother to do good things.
ReplyDeleteHow would God feel about that?
CM,
ReplyDeleteI'm not arguing that my supposition PROVES anything. I just got to the point in which I refused to accept the notion that an all powerful being, who supposedly loves each and every person, would idly stand aside while innocents were being brutalized and thrown away. How can we love someone and yet not care enough to try to intercede when they are being abused?
It would be like watching ruffians rape your wife and torture your children; though you had the means to stop these acts, you stood aside stating from the sidelines, "Honey, kids, I love you guys!"
As to your second point, I've made the same one on this blog several times. If we do good things because we want to go to heaven or avoid bad things because we don't wish to wind up in hell, then our motives are selfish and "God" would know that.
I grew up believing in God. I felt I has a special relationship with God, one that did not make the crucifixion of Jesus Christ necessary for my own salvation. Maybe Jesus did his suffering for other people, but I had a direct link with God, and we were friends & God understood me and we could talk. I had this feeling of connection for a long time, until my mid-twenties. But I came to a point when I was praying, and I suddenly wasn't sure if I was praying and talking to God, or just praying and talking to myself. So I gave up praying and talking to God at that point, didn't invalidate God, but realized I didn't know. But I realized also, that if a God exists, and if God is omnipotent, then things are the way they are because God wants them to be that way, and I will do whatever I can do to help others and alleviate suffering. Over the years I learned about other religions, other faiths, other ways, and got some new tools to help me do the job...so if God exists, I'm sure God is perfectly happy with my progress and my results. If it was just me, all along, and there is no God, then I found my purpose and aim in life and have done well, so far, in the practice of it.
ReplyDelete