The problem of the hidden God?

Question

According to the Bible, when the Israelites wandered in the desert for forty years, God fed them by making food fall regularly from the sky.

Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions. (Exodus 16:4)

During the 1980's, several thousands Ethiopians died slowly and painfully from starvation due to a prolonged drought.
Ethiopians are mostly Christians. (over 60%)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religion_in_Ethiopia

So, believers of God (Christians) died from starvation due to a prolonged drought in Ethiopia.

God had then the opportunity to make food fall from the sky for starving Ethiopians, as the Bible claims he did in the past, in order to prove his existence, his power and his love. But he did not rain down food from heaven for starving Ethiopians.

Non-Christians would say that God did not manifest his presence because he does not exist. Or at least he does not care his people.

Michael · Answer

I'm sorry, but this doesn't quite make sense:

P1--God fed the Israelites during the exodus by causing manna to fall from heaven

P2--God didn't feed the Ethiopians by causing manna to fall from heaven

C--  Therefor God doesn't exist.

I'm pretty sure that's not a valid argument.

--------------------------------------------------------------
substitute C-- therefor God doesn't/didn't care about the Ethiopians and it's still invalid because the term care isn't introduced until the conclusion. So we could change it:

God fed the Jews with manna solely because He cared about them

God didn't feed the Ethiopians

Therefor God doesn't care about the Ethiopians

While this is valid, how can you, I, or anyone else know that P1 is true?  I contend it isn't.  God fed them because He intended to settle them in Canaan and kept them alive to do so.  Beyond that, suffering cannot be a sign of divine indifference (at least from a Christian perspective) because God allowed Jesus to suffer and die.  I'm pretty sure God cared about Jesus.

Blind Didymus · Answer

Did not St Gregory the Illuminator prophesy that should the Ethiopian Church ever separate from the Coptic Church it would suffer great hardship? Is not this what happened? When Abune Basillios became Patriarch of the Ethiopians independently of the Coptic Church, within a few years the famine began, and the Derg came, and til this day there is a synod in exile whose patriarch was appointed at the behest of the Derg and never recognised by other Churches.

Y · Answer

This theme of suffering is the key reasons for atheists to deny the existence of God. 

Firstly, there could be many reasons for suffering

1. A test upon the individual
2. A test upon the community to see how they will respond
3. To expiate against sins committed (to purify them)
4. Due to the sins of the people and/or corruption in the land

Sky Is The Limit. · Answer

This world but test.

OSTCarmine · Answer

he was testing their faith... i guess they won?

Trending News

The problem of the hidden God?

5 Answers