Trey Smith
One of the phrases I have grown to detest is "God's mysterious ways." This phrase tends to be invoked when you stump a Christian. It's not uncommon for them to become flummoxed and in desperation they blurt out that time-honored phrase.
Though few will ever admit it, what they are really saying is Shit Happens. In a backhanded way, they are admitting that things occur randomly. Of course, the REASON they can't admit the obvious is that it undermines their belief in an almighty, all knowing AND loving deity. If their God makes decisions based on whims, why worship him?
It brings us back to the gnawing question: Why does God supposedly answer some prayers, but not others? Why does he direct you to wear a certain outfit, but not warn you that you will be in a train accident later in the day? Why does he save a drunk who caused a ten car pile up, but not the young mother in car 3? Why does he supposedly protect some people during a tornado or hurricane, but not others? These questions are particularly pertinent when each of the survivors and victims were praying to be saved from harm's way.
Whether a person explains these results as "God's mysterious ways," karma, shit happens or blind luck, it all amounts to the same thing. People live and die and we often don't have a clue as to why.
I think what it means is that God works on a higher plain. Mortals like humans are never able to comprehend God because God is impassable and incomprehensible. God is a much higher being than man and works in divine ways that mortals can never understand from our point of view.
ReplyDeleteThats what I think people mean when they say he works in "mysterious ways". Its only mysterious to us, because we are human mortals.
certainly the "prayer answered" for good homework results and the "prayer missed" for saving children's lives in a massacre is quite mysterious.
ReplyDeleteperhaps how the abusive hubby placates his beaten wife: "I'm just being mysterious!"
this mysterious nature is how we define anti-theism over a-theism, that is; "even if there were a god - I'd still want nothing to do with him/her/it!"