http://apologeticspress.org/APContent.aspx?category=11&article=1102
Do Natural Disasters Negate Divine Benevolence?
Q.
The Earth is plagued with all kinds of natural disasters (tornadoes,
hurricanes, floods, etc.). How can these tragedies be reconciled with a
supposedly good, benevolent God?
A.
September 21, 1989—Hurricane Hugo strikes the southeastern coast of the
United States. Over 25 people are killed, and over $10 billion worth of
damage results. One month later—October 17, 1989—an earthquake
registering 7.1 on the Richter scale strikes the San Francisco Bay area
in California. At least 62 people are killed, and damage estimates are
placed at well over $1 billion. August 24, 1992—Hurricane Andrew hits
three counties in southern Florida. More than a dozen people lose their
lives, and damage estimates are set at over $20 billion. A year later,
on September 11, 1992, Hurricane Iniki devastates the Hawaiian islands.
At least four people die, and damage is set at over $1 billion. In June
1993, huge portions of numerous states along the Mississippi River and
its tributaries experienced the worst flooding in their history. Entire
cities were covered with water measured not in inches, but in feet. At
least 47 people died, and more than 25,000 were evacuated from their
homes.
Do these types of natural disasters represent merely isolated,
infrequent events? Hardly. Throughout history, man has recorded many
such tragedies. In 526, an earthquake hit the country now known as
Turkey and left 250,000 dead. A similar earthquake in China in 1556
killed over 830,000 people. Another quake in India in 1737 annihilated
300,000, and quakes in Central China in 1920, 1927, and 1932 killed
200,000, 200,000, and 70,000 people respectively. In 1889, the famous
“Johnstown Flood” occurred in Pennsylvania. The dam of the South Fork
Reservoir, twelve miles east of the city, burst during heavy rains. Over
2,000 people were killed, and property damage was estimated to be over
$10 million. In 1969, Hurricane Camille killed more than 250 people in
seven states from Louisiana to Virginia, leaving behind over $1.5
billion in damage. In 1983, Hurricane Alicia struck near Galveston,
killing 21 and causing over $2 billion in damage.
It is rare indeed, it seems, for a single generation in a given locale
to be spared at least some kind of natural disaster. Without warning,
tornadoes sweep down from the afternoon sky and destroy in a moment’s
fury what took decades or centuries to build. Floods cover “old home
places,” and remove forever any vestige of what were once storehouses of
hallowed memories. In a matter of seconds, earthquakes irreparably
alter once-familiar landscapes. Hurricanes come from the sea, demolish
practically everything in their paths, and then dissipate as if they
never had existed. Each time humanity suffers. And each time there are
those who ask
“Why?”
THE “WHY?” QUESTION
In the face of disasters such as those described above, there is hardly
any question likely to be asked more routinely than “why?” But the
question is not always asked in the same way, or with the same intent.
Some stand on the charred remains of what was once their home and ask,
“why me?”—and mean exactly that. Why
them and why
now? All
they want is to understand the physical events that have changed their
lives, and to learn what they can do to correct the situation and avoid a
repeat of it. They are not looking to assign blame; they merely want an
explanation of the prevailing circumstances.
Others view the destruction around them and ask “why?,” but their
inquiry is brief and their response immediate. They correctly view the
Earth as a once-perfect-but-now-flawed home for mankind. Rather than
their faith in God being diminished by the ravages of ongoing natural
phenomena, it is strengthened because they: (a) know that there are
rational biblical and scientific explanations for such events; (b)
understand that after all is said and done, “the Judge of all the Earth
will do that which is right” (Genesis 18:25); and (c) put their faith
into action as they work to help themselves, or those around them whose
lives have been affected by a disaster.
Still others view natural disasters and ask “why?,” when what they
really mean is: “If a benevolent God exists, why did He allow these
things to happen?” The implication of their statement is clear. Since
these things
did happen, God must not exist.
THE BIBLICAL RESPONSE TO THE “WHY” QUESTION
It is not my purpose here to address the “why me, why now?” question that seeks a
physical
explanation as to what kind of swirling wind current spawns a tornado,
or what kind of geological phenomena may be responsible for an
earthquake. Much has been written on these topics that can provide
adequate answers for those willing to research the problem. Instead, I
would like to answer the more pressing
philosophical questions of
why the Earth experiences natural disasters in the first place, and why
such disasters are not incompatible with a benevolent God.
Our Once-Perfect-But-Now-Flawed Planet
At the end of His six days of creation (Genesis 1:31), God surveyed all
that He had made, and proclaimed it “very good”—Hebrew terminology
representing that which was both complete and perfect. Rivers were
running, fish were swimming, and birds were flying. Pestilence, disease,
and human death were unknown. Man existed in an idyllic paradise of
happiness and beauty where he shared such an intimate and blissful
covenant relationship with his Maker that God came to the garden “in the
cool of the day” to commune with its human inhabitants (Genesis 3:8).
Additionally, Genesis 3:22 records that man had continual access to the
tree of life that stood in the garden, the fruit of which would allow
him to live forever.
The peacefulness and tranquillity of the first days of humanity were
not to prevail, however. In Genesis 3—in fewer words than an average
sportswriter would use to discuss a Friday night high school football
game—Moses, through inspiration, discussed the breaking of the covenant
relationship between man and God, the entrance of sin into the world,
and the curse(s) that resulted therefrom. When our original parents
revolted against their Creator, evil entered the world. Moses informs us
that as a direct consequence of human sin, the Earth was “cursed”
(Genesis 3:17). Paul, in Romans 8:19-20, declared that the entire
creation was subjected to “vanity” and the “bondage of corruption” as a
result of the sinful events that took place in Eden on that occasion.
Things apparently deteriorated rapidly. Just three chapters later, Moses
wrote:
And Jehovah saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and
that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil
continually. And it repented Jehovah that he had made man on the earth,
and it grieved him at his heart. And Jehovah said, I will destroy man
whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man and beast, and
creeping things, and birds of the heavens (Genesis 6:5-7).
Genesis 6-8 records the global destruction resulting from the Great
Flood sent by God as His instrument of judgment. The text indicates that
the waters which caused the Flood derived from two sources: (a) “the
fountains of the great deep”; and (b) “the windows of heaven” (Genesis
7:11). Water fell for forty days and nights (Genesis 7:12,17), and
eventually covered “all the high mountains that were under the whole
heaven” (Genesis 7:19). We may only surmise the changes that the Flood
wrought upon the Earth. Local floods can cause tremendous damage in very
brief periods. Imagine, then, the damage that water covering every
mountain fifteen cubits (Genesis 7:20; approximately 22½ feet) must have
caused. As one writer has suggested:
The destructive power of flood-waters is evident from what flood waters
in recent years have done. They moved blocks of granite weighing 350
tons more than a hundred yards. Boulders weighing 75 to 210 tons have
been moved by flood waters only 15 to 20 feet deep.... What vast
devastation must have been created when all those forces of the earth
worked together; rain gushing down from the canopy above the firmament,
earthquakes shaking the earth, many volcanoes erupting and exploding at
one time, continents shifting, mountains lifting up, tornados,
hurricanes and wild windstorms raging, gigantic tidal waves with
crosscurrents and whirlpools raising havoc.... Truly, the Flood was the
greatest and most violent catastrophe in the history of the world, with
total destruction of all forms of life and of the entire surface of the
earth (Sippert, 1989, pp. 78-79).
What were conditions like on the Earth prior to the Great Flood?
Numerous biblical scholars have suggested that conditions were radically
different than those we see today, and that the Earth was devoid of the
many natural disasters that it presently experiences (see Rehwinkel,
1951; Whitcomb and Morris, 1961; Dillow, 1981). Whitcomb and Morris have
stated, for example:
This is inferred from the fact that the “breaking-up of the fountains
of the great deep” (Genesis 7:11), which implies this sort of activity,
was one of the immediate causes of the Deluge; therefore it must have
been restrained previously.... Thus the Biblical record implies that the
age between the fall of man and the resultant Deluge was one of
comparative quiescence geologically. The waters both above and below the
firmament were in large measure restrained, temperatures were equably
warm, there were no heavy rains nor winds and probably no earthquakes
nor volcanic emissions (1961, pp. 242,243).
It is not unreasonable to suggest, knowing the changes caused by local
floods, that the global Flood of Genesis 6-8 not only radically altered
the face of the Earth, but simultaneously produced circumstances that
are responsible for many natural disasters experienced since that time.
New, higher mountains and lower valleys were produced by God after the
Flood (Psalm 104:6-10). Approximately 71.9% of the Earth’s surface
remained covered with water. Temperature changes occurred, producing
seasonal variations unlike any before. No doubt other factors were
involved as well.
What causes natural disasters on the Earth today? One cause is the
vastly different geological and meteorological phenomena now present.
Tall mountains and deep valleys may be conducive to localized extremes
in weather. The drastically changed components of the Earth’s crust
(e.g., fault lines, etc.) give rise to earthquakes. Vast bodies of
water, and large global climatic variations, spawn hurricanes and
tropical storms.
Taken at face value, then, the wickedness of mankind in Noah’s day (which precipitated the Flood) is responsible
ultimately for the changes that now produce various natural disasters. As Brad Bromling has observed:
While we may never know with precision what conditions prevailed
between the Edenic period and the Flood, it seems that the weather
systems with which we are familiar were largely absent at that time. The
fossil record bespeaks a period when the entire Earth enjoyed a
temperate climate. This storm-free era most certainly predates the
Flood. Since that event, man has been imperiled by tornadoes, blizzards,
monsoons, and hurricanes.... Upon whom should we heap blame for the
suffering resultant from such weather? Is it fair to accuse God, when He
created man’s home free from such things (Genesis 1:31)? In all
honesty, the answer is no. Sin robbed us of our original garden
paradise, and sin was responsible for the global deluge (Genesis 3:24;
6:7) [1992, p. 17].
One writer concluded: “[T]he cause of all that is wrong with the earth is
not godliness but rather
ungodliness”
(Porter, 1974, p. 467, emp. in orig.). The matter of man’s personal
volition has much to do with this. The Scriptures speak to the fact that
since God is love, and since love allows freedom of choice, God allows
freedom of choice (cf. Joshua 24:15; John 5:39-40). God did not create
mankind as robots without any free moral agency. Mankind now reaps the
consequences of the misuse of freedom of choice (i.e., the sin) of
previous generations. Surely one of the lessons here is that it does not
pay to disobey the Creator. In his second epistle, Peter made a clear
reference to “the world that then was,” and its destruction by the Flood
(3:6). That world no longer exists. Today we inhabit a
once-perfect-but-now-flawed Earth. Man—not God—bears the blame.
Natural Disasters and a Benevolent God
The Bible teaches that God is both all-powerful and loving; thus He is
benevolent, as love demands. How, then, can He allow natural disasters
to occur? Do not natural disasters negate the benevolence of God, and
strike at His very existence? In addition to the reasons listed in the
section above, I would like to suggest the following reasons why they do
not.
First, God created a world ruled by natural laws established at the
Creation. If a man steps off the roof of a five-story building, gravity
will pull him to the pavement beneath. If a boy steps in front of a
moving freight train, since two objects cannot occupy the same space at
the same time, the train will strike the child and likely kill him. The
same laws that govern gravity, matter in motion, or similar phenomena
also govern weather patterns, water movement, and other
geological/meteorological conditions. All of nature is regulated by
these laws, not just the parts that we find convenient.
Second, some disasters may be the by-product of something that itself
is good. In addressing this point, Norman Geisler has noted:
In a physical world where there is water for boating and swimming, some
will drown. If there are mountains to climb, there must also be valleys
into which one may fall. If there are cars to drive, collisions can
also occur. It may be said that tornadoes, lightning, hurricanes, and
other natural disasters are likewise by-products of a good physical
world. For instance, the purpose of rain is not to flood or
drown, but the result of rain may include these disasters. Likewise, hot
and cold air are an essential and purposeful part of the physical
world, but under certain conditions they may combine to form tornadoes
(1978, p. 72, emp. in orig.).
The natural laws that God created allow man to produce fire. But the
same laws that enable him to cook his food also allow him to destroy
entire forests. Laws that make it possible to have things
constructive to human life also introduce the possibility that things
destructive
to human life may occur. How can it be otherwise? A car is matter in
motion, and takes us where we wish to go. But if someone steps in front
of that car, the same natural laws that operate to our benefit will
operate in a similar fashion to our detriment.
Third, natural laws are both inviolate and non-selective. Everyone must
obey them or suffer the consequences. In Luke 13:2-5, Jesus told the
story of eighteen men who perished when the tower of Siloam collapsed.
Had these men perished because of their sin? No, they were no worse
sinners than their peers. They died because a natural law was in force.
Fortunately, natural laws work continually so that we can understand and
benefit from them. We are not left to sort out some kind of haphazard
system that works one day, but not the next.
Those who rail against God because of natural disasters often are
overheard to ask, “But why can’t God ‘selectively intervene’ to prevent
disasters?” Bruce Reichenbach has addressed this question:
Thus, in a world which operates according to divine miraculous
intervention, there would be no necessary relation between phenomena,
and in particular between cause and effect. In some instances one event
would follow from a certain set of conditions, another time a different
event, and so on, such that ultimately an uncountable variety of events
would follow a given set of conditions. There would be no regularity of
consequence, no natural production of effects.... Hence, we could not
know or even suppose what course of action to take to accomplish a
certain rationally conceived goal. Thus, we could neither propose action
nor act ourselves (1976, p. 187).
If God suspended natural laws every time His creatures were in a
dangerous situation, chaos would corrupt the cosmos, arguing more for a
world of
atheism than a world of
theism! Further, as Geisler has remarked:
First, evil men do not really want God to intercept every evil
act or thought. No one wants to get a headache every time he thinks
against God. One does not want God to fill his mouth with cotton when he
speaks evil of God, nor does he really desire God to explode his pen as
he writes against God or destroy his books before they come off the
press. At best, people really want God to intercept some evil
actions.... Second, continual interference would disrupt the regularity
of natural law and make life impossible. Everyday living depends on
physical laws such as inertia or gravity. Regular interruption of these
would make everyday life impossible and a human being extremely edgy!
Third, it is probable that chaos would result from continued miraculous
intervention. Imagine children throwing knives at parents because they
know they will be turned to rubber, and parents driving through stop
signs, knowing God will create crash-protection air shields to avert any
ensuing collisions. The necessary intervention would finally grow in
proportions that would effectively remove human freedom and
responsibility (1978, p. 75, emp. in orig.).
How, then, exactly, would the unbeliever suggest that an
understandable, dependable world be created, and operated, other than
the way ours presently is? How could natural disasters be prevented,
while maintaining natural laws and human freedom?
CONCLUSION
Those who suggest that the existence of a benevolent God is impossible
as a result of “natural evil” often call for a better world than this
one. But they cannot describe the details necessary for its creation and
maintenance. When—in an attempt to “improve” it—they begin to “tinker”
with the actual world around them, they invariably find themselves worse
off.
Instead of blaming God when tragedies such as natural disasters strike,
we need to turn to Him for strength, and let tragedies, of whatever
nature, remind us that this world was never intended to be a final home
(Hebrews 11:13-16). Our time here is temporary (James 4:14), and with
God’s help we are able to overcome whatever comes our way (Romans
8:35-39; Psalm 46:1-3). In the end, the most important question is not,
“Why did this happen to me?,” but instead, “How can I understand what
has happened, and how am I going to react to it?” With Peter, the
faithful Christian can echo the sentiment that God, “ who called you
unto his eternal glory in Christ, after that ye have suffered a little
while, shall himself perfect, establish, strengthen you. To him be the
dominion for ever and ever” (1 Peter 5:10).
REFERENCES
Bromling, Brad T. (1992), “Who Sent the Hurricane?,”
Reasoning from Revelation, 4:17, Semptember.
Dillow, Joseph C. (1982),
The Waters Above (Chicago, IL: Moody).
Geisler, Norman L. (1978),
The Roots of Evil (Grand Rapids MI: Zondervan).
Porter, Walter L. (1974), “Why Do the Innocent Suffer?,”
Firm Foundation, 91[30]: 467,475, July 23.
Rehwinkel, A.M. (1951),
The Flood (St. Louis, MO: Concordia).
Reichenbach, Bruce (1976), “Natural Evils and Natural Laws,”
International Philosophical Quarterly, Vol. 16.
Sippert, Albert (1989),
From Eternity to Eternity (North Mankato, MN: Sippert Publishing).
Whitcomb, John C. and Henry M. Morris (1961),
The Genesis Flood (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker).
