-  Straight to Catholics - Why I believe in What I believe  - 

                                                 By His Grace Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, S.J.  

                                              -  Why is there evil? - -  A Christian response  - 

God created us through Love and for Love. To love, then, is the nature of being human. But love is free. I cannot force you to love me. You must freely respond to my invitation of love before there is love between you and I. If you refuse to love me, even if I go down on my knees or lock you up in my house, I will not be able to force you to love me. Love and freedom are two sides of the same coin. Love that is forced is not love. Because I can love, I have freedom; or rather because I have freedom, I can love. Ironically, though, precisely because I am free, I can go against love. When I go against love, I go against myself and against the nature of human relationships, and therefore bring evil upon myself and others. This for us, Christian, is sin because evil or sin is the refusal to love for which we have been made. Evil destroys. Love creates. Hence the whole history of salvation hinges on God's call to us to love as He loves us. "This is my Commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you," says Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God.

                                                    -  The Buddhist-Hindu response  -

The Buddhists and the Hindus have one common root in their different traditions. They believe in karma and in reincarnation: They believe that the cause of all sufferings or evil is in human desire and craving. They do not make a distinction between evil or suffering.

                                                    -  Buddhism  -

Human beings are born into a world of suffering (dukkha) because of the illusory nature of things in this world. The cause of 'suffering' is 'craving' or sometimes translated as 'desire' (Tanha). Hence it is the craving after the unreal or illusory nature of things in this world that brings about dukkha, "suffering". The path to end suffering is to "dig up the very roots of Tanha." - (Dhammapada verse 337 found in the Significance of the Four Noble Truths, by V.C. Gunaratne, the Wheel Publication, No. 123; Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka 1973 p. 21) To be able to dig up the root of Tanha, craving in Man, he must be enlightened that all is transitory or illusion. "It is by reason of this reproductive power of thought, that the will to love makes man re-live or as Dalhke puts it, "We live eternally through our lust to live". - op.cit,. p. 26-27 - The Way to this enlightenment is the famous eightfold Path: through right Understanding, right Thought, right Speech, right Action, Livelihood, Effort, Mindfulness and Concentration. It is a programme of purification of thought, word and deed leading to cessation of craving. the total "extinction" of craving is the bliss of Nibbana or Nirvana.

                                                    -  Hinduism  -

Hindus also believe that the world of which one is aware is illusory (maya) in the sense that it is like a veil concealing the Absolute Reality (Brahman) or God who is One with everything, so much so that there is no longer and distinction between God and the whole of nature. Man, therefore, in his depth, his soul, Atman is Braham. The unenlightened Man craves for life in its illusory form as he is aware of it, not realizing that beyond the :illusion", God is all and all is God. The root of existence, then, is craving or desire which is suffering. Hence, to be released or liberated from the fatal chain of reincarnation into life, all desires must be extinguished. To achieve this, different paths are proposed, some better than others - the path of action with strict observance of rites, pilgrimages and prayers, the path of asceticism, etc. Yoga are practical methods of this spiritual training. living the spiritual experience revealed by the Veda can help one reach enlightenment where he, in ecstatic state, experiences the Oneness of Atman (his soul) and Brahman.

                                                     -  My personal view  - 

As can be seen, there is a common parenthood in Buddhism and Hinduism. All suffering or evil comes from craving or desire. The path of salvation lies in the extinction of all human cravings for this earthly life. The differences lie in their dissimilar concepts of the "Ultimate Reality" its relation to Man and the paths to achieve Salvation.

Although I believe that there are beautiful truths in both Buddhism and Hinduism, I cannot accept certain ideas. To me, existence is not all suffering. There are joys as well as sufferings. There is good and bad. God, who is all Good, all Wise, all beautiful, etc. cannot create evil. Creation as it is, is not evil It is good, although imperfect. Evil come from Man himself or from the Evil Force. - I will not go into a discussion of what this Evil Force is - If we say that life is all suffering or evil, and that the only happiness is the release from this earthly life, we are saying that God has created an evil world. That which is all Good cannot create evil. It is a contradiction. I personally  think that the only sensible and coherent answer is what I have said earlier: to distinguish between evil and suffering, to distinguish suffering that is a consequence of an evil deed and suffering that is the result of the limitedness or finiteness of creatures, and to see that suffering in itself is not evil; it is our reaction to suffering that brings evil or good. I do not believe either that all desires or cravings are evil. I do not see how my desire or even craving for bad things that is evil.

                                                     -  The Islamic response  -

The official orthodox view of Muslims is that everything even good and evil comes from God. "A Muslim should believe in his heart and confess with his tongue that the most exalted God hath decreed all things; so that nothing can happen in the world, whether it respects the conditions and operations of things, or good or evil, or obedience or disobedience, or sickness or health, or riches or poverty, of life or death which is not contained in the written tablet of the decrees of God." - Caesar E. Farah, Islam, Barron's Educational Series, Inc., United States, 1970, p. 120 -

There are many Quranic verses which support this. To give a few: (1) "Naught befalleth us save that which Allah hath decreed for us." (S.5:9, v. 51)- (2) "All things have been created after a fixed decree." (S.5:54, v. 49) - (3) "He whom Allah leadeth, he indeed is led aright while they whom Allah sendeth astray, they indeed are losers." (S.7, v. 178).

Since everything, even one's final destiny either in heaven or in hell, is ordained by God, one can only say in everything "if God wills," or In Sha Allah.

On the other hand, Prophet Muhammad also insisted that one should do good. "lo! Allah enjoins justice and good deeds and that ye be kind to kinfolk as He condemns indecency, illicit deeds and all wrongs?" (S.16, v. 90)

Hence the ensuing debate followed after Muhammad's death: the Jabrite theologians taught that Man had no freedom of choice while the Qadrites taught that evil is the result of Man's own free choice. The Ash'arites tried to harmonize the contradiction by saying that although God decreed what a man should do, He also gives Man the choice to do it. Although some educated Muslims today tend to place more emphasis on Man's responsibility for his actions, the general tendency is still to stress God's inflexible decree. Thus Caesar E. Farah says: "Man is not cognizant of what he was predestined to do until the act is committed by his own choice and free will, of which he is quite conscious. It is then and only then that he realizes that the act committed was preordained. By such an argument, faith in divine predestination can neither require denial of human consciousness or freedom of will, nor eliminate the factor of individual responsibility from human conduct.' - Caesar E. Farah, op. cit. p. 121 -

                                                      -  My personal views  - 

Whether or not Man is conscious or not of his action as free, he is still ultimately determined by God. The contradiction still exists. In the final analysis, suffering and evil for the Muslims come from God. This is also why Muslims must submit totally to God in good or evil, in suffering or in joy. And this is the meaning of Islam or Total Submission.

My above argument for a clear distinction between evil and suffering, and a distinction to be made between the different causes of suffering, also holds for this section.

                                               -  Christian view on freedom and predestination  -

I would like to go a step further to show why I hold my viewpoint by giving the Christian viewpoint on freedom and predestination. 

We distinguish between God's passive and active will. His passive will would be the existing Universe with its natural laws which He holds in existence. His passive will allow Nature to function according to its laws. Since man's nature is to be free to choose love or not to choose, God's passive will allow Man to act according to his nature. Hence Man responsible for his own action be it good or bad, without God's preordained decree. God does not force Man to do this or that. God's active will is when He intervenes and goes against the laws of Nature which He has created, for example in a true miracle. He seldom does this because it would put in question His creation. Why then did He create such a laws if He were to break it all the time? But, no one can limit God case, who is to say that He should not? An analogy may help to clarify the passive and active will of God. I build a two storey house with a staircase. The laws that govern going up and down the staircase are there. By this, I do not intend or will that my son will fall down the steps. The passive will of God is similar to allowing my son to climb up and down the stairs that has certain laws which govern the climbing up and down. One day my son, defying these laws, jumps from the top of the stairs. To prevent my son from falling, I say, "Stop in the air". Let us suppose I have miraculous powers. Thus, my son stops falling and hovers in the air. This willing of mine goes against the laws that govern climbing up and down the steps. God's active will is similar to this. I know that all analogies limp. So does this one.

This does not take away God's omniscience or All Knowing. To know and to will are two different acts. I can know something, yet I need not will to act upon it. I can know what you will do in a certain circumstance, that is, if I have a good knowledge of you, without making you do it. Suppose I know you well enough and that you have a craze for coca cola drink. When all the different kinds of drinks are there for you, I know that you will opt for coca cola. My knowledge of you does not force you. You choose coca cola yourself. God Knows from eternity all that I will do (Knowledge) without forcing me to do it (Will).

Why then does God not prevent me from doing evil since He knows it? I have already implicitly given the answer above. God created through Love and for Love which by its very nature entails freedom. To take away my freedom is to take away Love. This means that I would not have been created. It contradicts the essence of the creation of Man.

A last word on this subject. God's Knowledge is not like ours at all. Our knowledge is limited by time - past, present and future. God, the Eternal has no time. His Knowledge has no past, present and future. When we post the question of why God does not prevent our evil deeds, we have placed God's Knowledge into time. He knows what we will do tomorrow (future) so now (present) He should prevent us from doing it. If we do this, God's Knowledge becomes no longer God's Knowledge but the projection of our human knowledge into God's. It would be then, a figment of our imagination.

In a brief comparison, this is the difference between the Islamic and the Christian concepts of evil. The general orthodox Islamic belief is that God has decreed eternally everything, even Man's actions. Therefore, good and evil come from God. Allah has decreed from eternity whether a man will go to Paradise or Hell (S. 7, vv. 178-179). Christians believe that God's passive will holds all the laws of His creation in existence without His active interference (active will). Hence, Man is free to choose good or bad (love or sin) Although God Knows eternally what each man will do (Psalms 139; Isaiah 46; Hebrews 4:13). Evil comes from Man or the Evil Force. Good comes from God. And God says that He does not want any man to perish but that all should repent and be saved ( 2 Peter 3:9; 1 Timothy 2:4).

In summary, my tremendous respect and love for Muslims as well as for the Hindus and Buddhists, and my acknowledgement of the good in their beliefs, does not prevent me from believing that the Christian explanation of suffering and evil is more coherent to me personally.

                                              -  Christian Meaning to Suffering -

In the light of what has been said, perhaps we Christians should ask ourselves about our attitude towards suffering. Do we consider suffering as evil? If so, we would try either to escape from suffering or to submit to it as the inevitable that comes from God.

We hear some Christians say..............   

- WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 - 

- THE CITY OF GOD -  THE  OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  CREATOR -  BY SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO - 

- Whether it is just that the punishments of sins last longer than the sins themselves lasted -  Page  Three  -

Some, however, of those against whom we are defending the city of God think it unjust that any man/woman be doomed to an eternal punishment for sins which no matter how great they were, were perpetrated in a brief space of time; as if any law ever regulated the duration of the punishment by the duration of the offence punished! Cicero tells us that the laws recognise eight kinds of penalty - damages, imprisonment, scourging, reparation - "Talio," that is, the rendering of like for like, the punishment being exactly similar to the injury sustained. - disgrace, exile, death, slavery. Is there anyone of these which may be compressed into a brevity proportioned to the rapid commission of the offence, so that no longer time may be spent in its punishment than in its perpetration, unless, perhaps, reparation? For this requires the offender suffer what he did, as that clause of the law says, "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth." - Exodus 21:24 - For certainly it is possible for an offender to lose his eye by the severity of legal retaliation in as brief a time as he deprived another of his eye by the cruelty of his own lawlessness. But if scourging be a reasonable penalty for kissing another man's wife, is not the fault of an instant visited with long hours of atonement and the momentary delight punished with lasting pain? What shall we say of imprisonment? Must the criminal be confined only for so long a time as he spent on the offence for which he is committed? or is not a penalty of many years' confinement imposed on the slave who has provoked his master with a word, or struck him a blow that is quickly over? And as to damages, disgrace, exile, slavery, which are commonly inflicted so as to admit of no relaxation or pardon, do not these resemble eternal punishments in so far as this short life allows a resemblance? For they are not eternal only because the life in which they are endured is not eternal; and yet the crimes which are punished with these most protracted sufferings are perpetrated in a very brief space of time. Nor is there anyone who would suppose that the pains of punishment should occupy as short a time as the offence; or that murder, adultery, sacrilege or any other crime, should be measured not by the enormity of the injury or wickedness, but by the length of time spent in its perpetration. Then as to the award of death for any great crime, do the laws reckon the punishment to consist in the brief moment in which death is inflicted or in this, that the offender is eternally banished from the society of the living? And just as the punishment of the first death cuts men off from this present mortal city, so does the punishment of the second death cut men off from that future immortal city. For as the laws of this present city do not provide for the executed criminal's return to it, so neither is he who is condemned to the second death recalled again to life everlasting. But if temporal sin is visited with eternal punishment, how, then, they say, is that true which your Christ says, "With the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you again?" - Luke 6:38 - and they do not observe that "the same measure" refers, not to an equal space of time, but to the retribution of evil, or in other words, to the law by which he who has done evil suffers evil. Besides, these words could be appropriately understood as referring to the matter of which our Lord was speaking when He used them, viz. judgements and condemnation. Thus, if he who unjustly judges and condemns is himself justly judged and condemned, he receives "with the same measure" though not the same thing as he gave. For judgement he gave and judgement he receives, though the judgement he gave was unjust, the judgement he receives just.

 - Of the greatness of the first transgression, on account of which eternal punishment is due to all who are not within the pale of the Saviour's grace - 

But eternal punishment seem hard and and unjust to human perceptions because in the weakness of our mortal condition there is wanting that highest and purest wisdom which it can be perceived how great a wickedness was committed in that first transgression. the more enjoyment man found in God, the greater was his wickedness in abandoning Him; and he who destroyed in himself a good which might have been eternal because worthy of eternal evil. Hence the whole mass of the human race is condemned; for he who at first gave entrance to sin has been punished with all his posterity who were in him as in a root, so that no one is exempt from this just and due punishment, unless delivered by mercy and undeserved grace; and the human race is so apportioned that in some is displayed the efficacy of merciful grace, in the rest the efficacy of just retribution. For both could not be displayed in all; for if all had remained - Remanerent. But Augustine constantly uses the imp. for the pulp, subjunctive. - under the punishment of just condemnation, there would have been seen in no one the mercy of redeeming grace. And on the other hand, if all had been transferred from darkness to light, the severity of retribution would have been manifested in none. But many more are left under punishment than are delivered from it, in order that it may thus be shown what was due to all. And had it been inflicted on all, no one could justly have found fault with the justice of Him who taketh vengeance; whereas, in the deliverance of so many from that just award, there is cause to render the most cordial thanks to the gratuitous bounty of Him who delivers.

 - Against the opinions of those who think that the punishments of the wicked after death are purgatorial - 

The Platonists, indeed, while they maintain that no sins are unpunished, suppose that all punishment is administered for remedial purposes, - Plato's own theory was that punishment had a two fold purpose, to reform and to deter. No one punishes an offender on account of the past offence, and simply because he has done wrong, but for the sake of the future, that the offence may not be again committed, either by the same person or by anyone who has seen him punished." See the Protagoras, 324, b, and Grote's Plato, ii 41. - be it inflicted by human or divine law, in this life or after death; for a man may be scathless here, or, though punished, may yet not amend. hence that passage of Virgil, where, when he had said of our earthly bodies and mortal members, that our souls derive - 

"Hence wild desires and grovelling fears, And human laughter, human tears; Immured in dungeon-seeming night, They took abroad, yet see no light," goes on to say: "Nay, when at last the life has fled, And left the body cold and dead, Even then there passes not away, The painful heritage of clay; Full many a long-contracted stain, Perforce must linger deep in grain. So penal sufferings they endure, For ancient crime, to make them pure; Some hang aloft in open view, For winds to pierce them through and through, While others purge their guilt deep-dyed. In burning fire or whelming tide." - AEneid, vi. 733 - 

They who are of this opinion would have all punishments after death to be purgatorial; and as the elements of air, fire, and water are superior to earth, one or other of these may be the instrument of expiating and purging away the stain contracted by the contagion of earth. So Virgil hints at the air in the words, "Some hang aloft for winds to pierce;" at the water in "whelming tide;" and the fire in the expression "in burning fire." For our part, we recognise that even in this life some punishments are purgatorial - not, indeed, to those whose life is none the better, but rather the worse for them, but to those who are constrained by them to amend their life. All the punishments, whether temporal or eternal, inflicted as they are on everyone by divine providence, are sent either on account of past sins, or of sins presently allowed in the life, or to exercise and reveal a man's graces. They may be inflicted by the instrumentality of bad men and angels as well as of the good. For even if anyone suffers some hurt through another's wickedness or mistake, the man indeed sins whose ignorance or injustice does the harm; but God, why by His just though hidden judgement permits it to be done, sins not. But temporary punishments are suffered by some in this life only, by others after death, by others both now and then; but all of them before that last and strictest judgment. But of those who suffer temporary punishments after death, all are not doomed to those everlasting pains which are to follow that judgment; for to some, as we have already said, what is not remitted in this world is remitted in the next, that is, they are not punished with the eternal punishment of the world to come.

       - Of the temporary punishment of this life to which the human condition is subject -  

Quite exceptional are those who are not punished in this life, but only afterwards. Yet that there have been some who have reached the decrepitude of age without experiencing even the slightest sickness and who have had uninterrupted enjoyment of life, I know both from report and from my own observation. However, the very life we mortals lead is itself all punishment, for it is all temptation, as the Sacred Scripture declares, where it is written, "Is not the life of man upon earth a temptation?" - Job 7:1 - For ignorance is itself no slight punishment, or want of culture which it is with justice thought so necessary to escape, that boys are compelled under pain of severe punishment, to learn trades or letters; and the learning to which they are driven by punishment is itself so much of a punishment to them, that they sometimes prefer the pain that drives them to the pain to which they are driven by it. And so would not shrink from the alternative and elect to die, if it were proposed to him either to suffer death or to be again an infant? Our infancy, indeed, introducing us to this life not with laughter but with tears, seems unconsciously to predict the ills we are to encounter. - Compare Goldsmith's saying, "We begin life in tears and everyday tells us why." Zoroaster alone is said to have laughed when he was born and that unnatural omen portended no good to him. For he is said to have been the inventor of magical arts, though indeed they were unable to secure to him even the poor felicity of this present life against the assaults of his enemies. For, himself king of the Bactrians, he was conquered by Ninus king of the Assyrians. In short, the words of Scripture, "An heavy yoke is upon the sons of Adam, from the day they go out of their mother's womb till the day that they return to the mother of all things," - Ecclesiastes 11:1 - these words till the day that they return to the mother of all things," - 2 Timothy 2:19 - these words so inffallibly find fulfilment that even the little ones, who by the laver of regeneration have been freed from the bond of original sin in which alone they were held, yet suffer many ills and in some instances are even exposed to the assaults of evil spirits. But let us not for a moment suppose that this suffering is prejudicial to their future happiness, even though it has so increased as to sever soul from body, and to terminate their life in that early age.

 - That everything which the grace of God does in the way of rescuing us from the inveterate evils in which we are sunk, pertains to the future world, in which all things are made new - 

Nevertheless, in the "heavy yoke that is laid upon the sons of Adam, from the day that they go out of their mother's womb to the day that they return to the mother of all things" there is found an admirable though painful monitor teaching us to be sober-minded, and convincing us that this life has become penal in consequence of that outrageous wickedness which was perpetrated in Paradise,.............

   - WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -

Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -                               

                                      -  Straight to Catholics - Why I believe in What I believe  - 

                                                 By His Grace Bishop Paul Tan Chee Ing, S.J. 

                                                             SEARCH  FOR  MEANING 

Since the dawn of consciousness, human beings have been plagued with two questions: (1) Why is there suffering; and related to this is why is there evil? (2) Why am I here? Or what is the meaning of Creation? It was really to these basic questions of life that human beings developed religions, perhaps in the beginning intuitively and later in a more rational way.

                                                             Why Creation?

Some so-called scientists say that it was fear that made Man concoct the notion of God: fear of thunder, lightning, floods, earthquakes, etc... Fear may be one of the factors that stirred in Man a questioning of his own fragile existence. And why not? Everything in the Universe, in fact, prods Man to ask questions. I believe human awareness is much richer than just fear. As man/woman sat and watched the splendour of sunset, for example, he/she was filled with an awe which in turn posed to him/her a question of his/her own smallness. Watchers of monkeys, especially of a higher species, tell us that some monkeys sit for hours watching the sunset, as if mystified by its glory. How much more are human beings endowed with consciousness? It was not only fear but everything in Life itself that set Man's mind into operation. Life still moves us to wonder. Who am I? What is this thing call life - the trees, birds, animals, sky, water, stars, etc. And I am only one among so many of my own kind. In the midst of all creation, I am only a drop which disappears practically into nothingness. It is natural when one comes to grips with the reality of one's smallest to think of "Something greater", the Cause of this changing finite existence. Some call this infinitely greater "Something" God; other the Absolute, etc. Call "It" whatever it might be, the Reality is there. Aristotle, through his reasoning on the principle of course and effect came to his belief in the "Absolute-Uncaused-Cause." The process to this Ultimate Reality between Aristotle and the primitive Man is the same. The difference lies in the degree of intellection: the former through a very sophisticated logical reasoning, the latter through a more intuitive grasp. But why must this "Absolute-Infinite Reality" create a finite Universe? I am not asking the question: why am I created. Rather, why is there creation at all?

                                                             Christian perspective

It seems to me that only Christianity answers the question satisfactorily. All other religions seem to accept creation as a fact. Perhaps I do not know other religions well enough. Up to the present, as far as my knowledge goes, there are creation stories in all religions. However, creation stories answer the question of how, not why. Only Christianity answers to my satisfaction the "why". And it is not found in the creation story in Genesis. It is found in the Life and teaching of Christ. Saint Paul sums up beautifully Jesus Christ's life in his letter to the Philippians, chapter 2, verses 6-8.

              "though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be

               grasped, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness 

               of men. And being found in human form he humbled himself and became obedient unto 

               death, even death on a cross."

This captures neatly Christ's life of love. Love is the ability to get out of my own world ( just as Christ got out of his divine world ) to enter into the world of the other ( just as Christ entered our human world ) and to come to serve the real - (Real need: I use the word "real" because we often think "what I think is good for the other is really good for him," which in fact may not be the real good for other.) need of the other (just as Christ came to save us from sin), to the extent of laying down my life for the other. - John 15:13 - 

When someone is in love, he/she wants to share first what he/she possesses with his/her beloved. Hence he/she gives to his/her beloved a gift or gifts - a sharing of what he/she has. If the love goes deeper, then he desires to share himself with her. And so, they get married and lived together, sharing what they have and what they are. God who is Love - John 4:8, 16 - cannot but share what He is. This sharing of Himself is creation. It is Love that creates.

                                                             Why Suffering?  

A Christian response

If the Source of creation is Love, whence comes evil and suffering in creation? before I tackle evil in the world, I would like to make a distinction between: suffering as the effect of evil and suffering that is not the effect of evil. For me, evil means, "the harm brought upon Man through malicious intent" which always entails suffering. All evils bring suffering but not all sufferings are the consequences of evil.

Three categories of suffering

It is here that we must be clear on the different types of suffering. There are three main categories of suffering. The first, I have already mentioned: suffering as an effect of an evil deed. If I maliciously and falsely accuse you of being corrupt to destroy your reputation, you suffer because of my evil words. In anger, I hit you over the head with a chair. You suffer because of my evil deed. Wars are waged because of man's evil intentions - greed, envy, desire for power and glory, etc. In wars, many innocent lives are taken but it is a consequence of man's evil deeds. Often we conveniently blame God saying, "Why can't God stop the wars since He is all powerful?" If God were to stop all the evils that we human beings do, we would be robots, not human beings with free wills. As mentioned, free will is an essential part of being human.

The second is suffering that comes from the nature of creation itself; that is, earthquakes, floods, diseases, etc. The third, is a mixture of the first and the second. I lead an immoral life, say I womanize, and contract a sexual disease. This can affect the child that I will produce. My child, born defective or with any hereditary disease, is suffering because of my sins (evil) and because of the laws of nature in procreation the child inherits the parent's genes. It is easy to understand suffering as coming from Man's evil deeds directly or indirectly. It is difficult to understand innocent people suffering because of natural disasters. The question that one is forced to ask ultimately if one pursues this problem tenaciously is: Why must there be natural disasters which bring about suffering in human beings? Nature has its laws. If it rains very heavily and continuously for a long period, and if the water cannot be channelled fast enough into the sea, low lying areas will be flooded (the law of gravity). If a virus attacks my body and I am not healthy enough to resist that type of virus, I will fall sick. In spite of the fact that the laws of Nature keep the universe in order or in harmony, they do sometimes cause suffering to human beings independent of Man's will. This is what we call finiteness or limitedness or imperfection in Nature itself.

Why cannot God create a perfect Universe where there is no natural disaster, you might ask? What is perfect in the absolute sense is infinite, without limitation and only God is perfect. What is without limit or infinite cannot reproduce itself. Two infinites would be a contradiction. "Without limit" cannot have "something" outside itself because, if it were so, it would be limited; it would not be "without limit". A fortiori "Without limit" or Perfection cannot reproduce itself. God cannot create Himself or create Perfection because he is Perfection. Hence, God's creation, by its very nature, must be limited or imperfect. This is as far as our imperfect intellect can go. However, I must admit that ultimately I do not know why God created the universe as He did. How can I, a small drop that disappears practically into nothingness in the immensity of the universe, understand the Creator of this universe? How can the finite mind grasp totally the Infinite. The distance between the finite and the infinite is infinite! By this argument, I am not trying to escape grappling with the problem. All I am saying is that I must admit this reality; but at the same time, I must also try with my very limited intellect to understand it.

The right question to pose in the reality of the infiniteness of nature is: What is the meaning of my existence in the suffering caused by natural phenomenon? It seems to me that suffering in itself is neither good or bad. It is how I react to it that causes good or bad. If there is a flood and many are made homeless, our response or non-response to this causes good or bad. When, moved by the disaster, I go to help the poor people, my action is good. A suffering situation has elicited good out of me and I become a better and a greater person. However, if I turn my back on the suffering of these poor people, my action is bad because it has degraded me and nothing constructive has been done to help the situation. In the same way, if I am one of the victims of the flood, I can react in either a positive or a negative way. I can curse and swear, and do nothing about my situation. Then I would have allowed the natural catastrophe to crush me as a human person. This is bad. Or I can be challenged by it to help others and myself. Let us say, I use my sampan/boat to go and pick up stranded people, forgetful of my own safety. My heroic action will make me a greater person. This, ultimately, what is important , isn't it? It is no use crying over a disaster. It would not improve the situation. But it is important that I take up the challenge to my humanity to help others and the situation of suffering.

There is another dimension to the meaning of being in a finite world. God has given us an intellect. We can make use of this intellect to do a scientific research into the laws of nature so as to find solutions to prevent disasters. The building of dams and dikes is a great human achievement. Scientist in observatories who can predict earthquakes and typhoons, can help to eliminate or at least, diminish human sufferings. God have given us an intellect and a will and placed us in a limited world of nature, tame it and channel it for the building up of a true human society where there is concern and care for one another; in short, where there is love. This, as I have said as above, is the purpose of God's creation: Love.

Again, this principle of love can even be applied to suffering brought about by evil intentions of human beings. If, I maliciously and falsely accuse you of being corrupt to destroy your reputation, you can react to this in different ways. You feel the hurt (suffering) and you nurse the hurt till bitterness and hatred take root in you. Who does it destroy, if not you? You have no peace of mind because of this bitterness. Often this bitterness expresses itself in retaliation: You speak badly about me, and I am hurt. And this could go on till we tear at each other. Evil has brought on more evil and therefore, more suffering. This is the principle of "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth" which our Lord Jesus condemns. It will only bring destruction and more suffering.

Happily, there is another way that you can react to the situation: the way of Love. Although feeling hurt, you can say to yourself, "I am not corrupt, so does it really matter? I am what I am. People will find out the truth. Well, he does this to me because he is jealous of my success. Jealousy is a spirited sickness. One should not hurt a sick person. Understanding this, I should not feel hurt. Rather, I should feel sympathy for him." This sympathy will overcome the hurt in me. It is forgiveness that the Sacred Scripture/Holy Bible speaks of. You will, then, not retaliate. And because you can see concerned for me. You care that I grow out of it and learn to accept myself. You will praise my good performance and good points. This affirmation of me will produce good results in me - a sense of my own worth. If it does not take away all my sense of insecurity, it will at least diminish it. The general reaction in me and in all human beings when we are praised, is that I react positively. So, I begin to like you and speak good about you. So evil is overcome by good. This is what Saint Paul says, "overcome evil with good. It is a concrete application of Jesus' command - "Love your enemies". If we analyse the above case, we will see that it is true love because you are able to get out of your own "hurt feelings", enter into my world to understand my insecurity and come to my aid.

From the above examples, it can be seen that true love not only overcomes situations of suffering caused by natural disaster but it also heals wounds brought about by evil intentions in human beings. In summary, for Christians, suffering is neither good nor evil. It is Man's/Human beings reaction to suffering that is good or evil. 

                                           -  Why is there evil?  A Christian response  - 

God created us through Love and for Love. To love, then, is the nature of being human. But love is free.......                                            

 - WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 - 

- THE CITY OF GOD -  THE  OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  CREATOR -  BY SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO - 

                             - Of hell, and the nature of eternal punishment -  Page  Two  -

So then what God by His prophet has said of the everlasting punishment of the damned shall come to pass - shall without fail come to pass - "their worm shall not die, neither shall their fire be quenched." - Romans 8:13 - In order to impress this upon us most forcibly, the Lord Jesus Himself, when ordering us to cut off our members of his body, says, "It is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm die not and their fire is not quenched." Similarly of the foot: "It is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched; where their worm die not, and the fire is not quenched." So, too, of the eye: "it is better for thee to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire; where their worm die not, and the fire is not quenched." - Mark 9:43-48 - He did not shrink from using the same words three times over in one passage. And who is not terrified by this repetition and by the threat of that punishment uttered so vehemently by the lips of the Lord Himself?

Now they who would refer both the fire and the worm to the spirit, and not to the body, affirm that the wicked, who are separated from the kingdom of God, shall be burned, as it were, by the anguish of a spirit repenting too late and fruitlessly; and they contend that fire is therefore not inappropriately used to express this burning torment, as when the apostle exclaims, "Who is offended and I burn not?" - 2 Corinthians 11:9 - The worm, too, they think, is to be similarly understood. For it is written, they say, "As the moth consumes the garment and the worm and wood, so does grief consume the heart of a man." - Isaiah 2:8 - 

But they who make no doubt that in the future punishment both the body and soul shall suffer, affirm that the body shall be burned with fire, while the soul shall be, as it were, gnawed by a worm of anguish. Though this view is more reasonable - for it is absurd to suppose that either body or soul will escape pain in the future punishment - yet, for my own part, I find it easier to understand both as referring to the body than to suppose that neither does; and I think that Sacred Scripture is silent regarding the spiritual pain of the damned because, though not expressed, it is necessarily understood that in a body thus tormented the soul also is tortured with a fruitless repentance. For we read in the ancient Scriptures: "The vengeance of the flesh of the ungodly is fire and worms." - Ecclesiastes 7:17-19 - It might have been more briefly said, "The vengeance of the ungodly." Why, then, was it said, "The flesh of the ungodly," unless because both the fire and the worm are to be the punishment of the flesh? Or if the object of the writer in saying, "The vengeance of the flesh" was to indicate that this shall be the punishment of those who live after the flesh (for this leads to the second death, as the apostle intimated when he said: "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die") - Romans 8:13 - let each one make his/her own choice, either assigning the fire to the body and the worm to the soul - the one figuratively, the other really - or assigning both really to the body. For I have already sufficiently made out that animals can live in the fire, in burning without being consumed, in pain without dying, by a miracle of the most omnipotent Creator, to whom no one can deny that this is possible, if he/she be not ignorant by whom has been made all that is wonderful in all nature. For it is God Himself who has wrought all these miracles, great and small, in this world which I have mentioned and incomparably more which I have omitted, and who has enclosed these marvels in this world, itself the greatest miracle of all. Let each man/woman, then choose which he/she will, whether he/she thinks that the worms is real and pertains to the body, or that spiritual things are meant by bodily representations and that it belongs to the soul. But which of these is true will be more readily discovered by the facts themselves, when there shall be in the saints such knowledge as shall not require that their experience teach them the nature of these punishments, but as shall, by its own fullness and perfection, suffice to instruct them in this matter. For "now we know in part, until that which is perfect is come" - 1 Corinthians 13:9-10 - this we believe about those future bodies that they shall be such as shall certainly be painted by the fire. 

- Whether the fire of hell, if it be material fire, can burn the wicked spirits, that is to say, devils, who are immortal - 

Here arises the question: If the fire is not to be immaterial, analogous to the pain of the soul, by material, burning by contact, so that bodies may be tormented in it, how can evil spirits be punished in it? For it is undoubtedly the same fire which is to serve for the punishment of men and of devils, according to the words of Christ Jesus: "Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels." - Matthew 25:41-46 - unless, perhaps, as learned men/women have thought, the devils have a kind of body made of that dense and humid air which we feel strikes us when the wind is blowing. And if this kind of substance could not be affected by fire, it could not burn when heated in the baths. For in order to burn, it is first burned and affects other things as itself is affected. But if any one maintains that the devils have no bodies, this is not a matter either to be laboriously investigated or to be debated with keenness. For why we're not assert that even immaterial spirits may, in some extraordinary way, yet really be pained by the punishment of material fire, if the spirits of men which also are certainly immaterial are both now contained in material members of the body and in the world to come shall be indissolubly united to their own bodies? Therefore, though the devils have no bodies, yet their spirits, that is, the devils themselves shall be brought into thorough contact with the material fires, to be tormented by them; not that the fires themselves with which they are brought into contact shall be animated by their connection with these spirit and become animals composed of body and spirit but as I said, this junction will be effected in a wonderful and ineffable way, so that they shall receive pain from the fires, but give no life to them. In truth, this other mode of union, by which bodies and spirits are bound together and become animals, is thoroughly marvellous and beyond the comprehension of man/human being, though this is which is man.

I would indeed say that these spirits will burn without anybody of their own, as that rich man was burning in hell when he exclaimed, "I am tormented in the flame" - Luke 16:24 - were I not aware that it is aptly said in reply, that the flame was of the same nature as the eyes raised and fixed on Lazarus, as the tongue on which he entreated that a little cooling water might be dropped or as the finger of Lazarus, with which he asked this might be done - all of which took place where souls exist without bodies. Thus, both that flame in which he burned and that drop he begged were immaterial and resembled the visions of sleepers or persons in an ecstasy, to whom immaterial objects appear in a bodily form. For the man, himself who is in such a state, though it be in spirit only, not in body, yet sees himself so like to his own body that he cannot discern any difference whatever. But that hell, which also is called a lake of fire and brimstone, - Revelation 20:10 - will be material fire and will torment the bodies of the damned, whether men or devils - the solid bodies of the one, aerial bodies of the others; or if only men/human beings have bodies as well as souls, yet the evil spirits, though without bodies, shall be so connected with the bodily fires as to receive pain without imparting life. One fire certainly shall be the lot of both, for thus the truth has declared.

- Whether it is just that the punishments of sins last longer than the sins themselves lasted -  Page  Three  -

Some, however, of those against whom we are defending the city of God think it unjust that any man/woman be doomed to an eternal punishment for sins which no matter how great they were, were perpetrated in a brief space of time; as if any law ever regulated the duration.......  

   - WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 - 

- THE CITY OF GOD -  THE  OMNIPOTENCE  OF  THE  CREATOR -  BY SAINT AUGUSTINE OF HIPPO - 

        That the ultimate reason for believing miracles is the omnipotence of the Creator

Why, then, cannot God effect both that the bodies of the dead shall rise, and that the bodies of the damned shall be tormented in everlasting fire - God, who made the world full of countless miracles in sky, earth, air and waters, while itself is a miracle unquestionably greater and more admirable than all the marvels it is filled with? But those with whom or against whom we are arguing, who believe both that there is a God who made the world and that there are gods created by Him who administer the world's laws as His vicegerents - our adversaries, I say, who, so far from denying emphatically, assert that there are powers in the world which effect marvellous results (whether of their own accord, or because they are invoked by some rite or prayer, or in some magical way) when we lay before them the wonderful properties of other things which are neither rational animals nor rational spirits, but such material objects as those we have just cited, are in the habit of replying. This is their natural property, their nature; these are the powers naturally belonging to them. Thus the whole reason why Agrigentine salt dissolves in fire and crackles in water is that this is its nature. Yet this seems rather contrary to nature, which has given not to fire but to water the power of melting salt, and the power of scorching it not to water but to fire. But this, they say, is the natural property of this salt, to shows effects contrary to these. The same reason, therefore, is assigned to account for that Garamantian fountain, of which one and the same runlet is chill by day and boiling by night, so that in either extreme it cannot be touched. So also of that other fountain which though it is cold to the touch, and though it, like other fountains, extinguishes a lighted torch, yet, unlike other fountains and in a surprising manner, kindles an extinguished torch. So of the asbestos stone, which though it has no heat of its own, yet when kindled by fire applied to it, cannot be extinguished. And so of the rest, which I am weary of reciting and in which, though there seems to be an extraordinary property contrary to nature - a brief reason is given for them than this, that this is their nature - a brief reason truly and I own a satisfactory reply. But since God is the author of all natures, how is it that our adversaries, when they refuse to believe what we affirm, on the ground that it is impossible, are unwilling to accept from us a better explanation than their own, viz. that this is the will of Almighty God - for certainly He is called Almighty only because He is mighty to do all He will - He who was able to create so many marvels, not only unknown, but very well ascertained, as I have been showing, and which, were they not under our own observation, or reported by recent and credible witnesses, would certainly be pronounced impossible? For as for those marvels which have no other testimony that the writers in whose books we read them and who wrote without being divinely instructed and are therefore liable to human error, we cannot justly blame anyone who declines to believe them.

For my own part, I do not wish all the marvels I have cited to be rashly accepted, for I do not myself believe them implicitly, save those which have either come under my own observation or which anyone can readily - such as the lime which is heated by water and cooled by oil; the magnet which by its mysterious and insensible suction attracts the iron, but has no effect on a straw; the peacock's flesh which triumphs over the corruption from which not the flesh of Plato is exempt; the chaff so chilling that it prevents snow from melting, so heating that it forces apple to ripen; the glowing fire, which in accordance with its glowing appearance, whitens the stones it bakes, while, contrary to its glowing appearance, it begrimes most things it burns (just as dirty stains are made by oil, however pure it be, and as the lines drawn by white silver are black); the charcoal too, which by the action of fire is so completely changed from its original, that a finely market piece of wood becomes hideous, the tough becomes brittle, the decaying incorruptible. Some of these things I know in common with many other persons, some of them in common with all men; and there are many others which I have no room to insert in this book. But of those which I have cited, though I have not myself seen, but only read about them, I have been unable to find trustworthy witnesses from whom I could ascertain whether they are facts, except in the case of that fountain in which burning torches are extinguished and extinguished torches lit and of the apples of Sodom which are ripe to appearance, but are filled with dust. And indeed I have not met with any who said they had seen that fountain in Epirus, but with some who knew there was a similar fountain in Gaul not far from Grenoble. The fruit of the trees of Sodom, however, is not only spoken of in books worthy of credit, but so many persons say that they have seen it that I cannot doubt the fact. But the rest of prodigies I receive without definitely affirming or denying them; and I have cited them because I read them in the authors of our adversaries and that I might prove how many things among themselves believe, because there are written in the works of their own literary men, though no rational explanation of them is given, and yet they scorn to believe us when we assert that Almighty God will do what is beyond their experience and observation; and this they do even though we assign a reason for His work. For what better and stronger reason for such things can be given than to say that the Almighty is able to bring them to pass, and will bring them to pass, having predicted them in those books in which many other marvels which have already come to pass were predicted? Those things which are regarded as impossible will be accomplished according to the word, and by the power of that God who predicted and effected that the incredulous nations should believe incredible wonders.       

- That it is not contrary to nature that in an object whose nature is known, there should be discovered an alteration of the properties which have been known as its natural properties - 

But if they reply that their reason for not believing us when we say that human bodies will always burn and never die, is that the nature of human bodies is known to be quite otherwise constituted; if they said that this miracle we cannot give the reason which was valid in the case of those natural miracles, viz. that this is the natural property, the nature of the thing - for we know that this is not the nature of human flesh - we find our answer in the sacred writings, that even this human flesh was constituted in one fashion before there was sin - was constituted, in fact, so that it could not die - and in another fashion after sin, being made such as we see it in this miserable state of mortality, unable to retain enduring life. And so in the resurrection of the dead shall it be constituted differently from its present well-known condition. But as they do not believe these writings of ours, in which we read what nature man/woman had in paradise, and how remote he was from the necessity of death - and indeed, if they did believe them, we should of course have little trouble in debating with them the future punishment of the damned - we must produce from the writings of their own most learned authorities some instances to show that it is possible for a thing to become different from what it was formerly known characteristically to be. From the book of Marcus Varro, entitled, Of the Race of the Roman People, I cite word for word the following instance: "There occurred a remarkable celestial portent; for Castor records that is, in the brilliant star Venus, called Vesperugo by Plautus and the lovely Hesperus by Homer, there occurred so strange a prodigy, that it changed its colour, size, form, course, which never happened before nor since. Adrastus of Cyzicus and Dion of Naples, famous mathematicians, said that this occurred in the reign of Ogyges." So great an author as Varro would certainly not have called this a portent had it not seemed to be contrary to nature. For we say that all portents are contrary to nature; but they are not so. For how is that contrary to nature which happens by the will of God, since the will of so mighty a Creator is certainly the nature of each created thing? A portent, therefore, happens not contrary to nature, but contrary to what we know as nature. But who can number the multitude of portents recorded in profane histories? Let us then at present fix our attention on this one only which concerns the matter in hand. What is there so arranged by the Author of the nature of heaven and earth as the exactly ordered course of the stars? What is there established by laws so sure and inflexible? And yet, when it pleased Him who with sovereignty and supreme power regulates all He has created, a star conspicuous among the rest by its size and splendour changed its colour, size, form and most wonderful of all, the order and law of its course! Certainly that phenomenon disturbed the canons of the astronomers, if there were any then, by which they tabulate, as by unerring computation, the past and future movements of the stars, so as to take upon them to affirm that this which happened to the morning star (Venus) never happened before nor since. But we read in the divine books that even the sun itself stood still when a holy man, Joshua the son of Nun, had begged this from God until victory should finish the battle he had begun; and that it even went back, that the promise of fifteen years added to the life of king Hezekiah might be sealed by this additional prodigy. But these miracles, which were vouchsafed to the merits of holy men, even when our adversaries believe them, they attribute to magical arts; so Virgil, in the lines I quoted above, ascribes to magic the power to "Turn rivers backward to their source, And make the stars forget their course." 

For in our sacred books we read that this also happened, that a river "turned backward," was stayed above while the lower part flowed on, when the people passed over under the above-mentioned leader, Joshua the son of Nun; and also when Elias the prophet crossed; and afterwards, when his disciple Elisha passed through it: and we have just mentioned how, in the case of king Hezekiah, the greatest of the "stars forgot its course." But what happened to Venus, according to Varro, was not said by him to have happened in answer to any man's prayer.

Let not the sceptics then benight themselves in this knowledge of the nature of things, as if divine power cannot bring to pass in an object anything else than what their own experience has shown them to be in its nature. Even the very things which are most commonly known as natural would not be less wonderful nor less effectual to excite surprise in all who beheld them, if men were not accustomed to admire nothing but what is rare. For who that, thoughtfully observes the countless multitude of men, and their similarity of nature, can fail to remark with surprise and admiration the individuality of each man's appearance, suggesting to us, as it does, unless men were like one another, they would not be distinguished from the rest of the animals; while unless, on the other hand, they were unlike, they could not be distinguished from one another, so that those whom we declare to be like, we also find to be unlike? And the unlikeness is the more wonderful consideration of the two; for a common nature seems rather to require similarity. And yet, because the very rarity of things is that which makes them wonderful, we are filled with much greater wonder when we are introduced to two men so like, that we either always or frequently mistake in endeavouring to distinguish between them.

But possibly, though Varro is a heathen historian, and a very learned one, they may disbelieve that what I have cited from him truly occurred; or they may say the example is invalid, because the star did not for any length of time continue to follow its new course, but returned to its ordinary orbit. There is, then, another phenomenon at present open to their observation, and which, in my opinion, ought to be sufficient to convince them that, though they have observed and ascertained some natural law, they ought not on that account to prescribe to God, as if He could not change and turn it into something very different from what they have observed. The land of Sodom was not always as it now is: but once it had the appearance of the other lands, and enjoyed equal if not richer fertility; for, in the divine narrative, it was compared to the paradise of God. But after it was touched [by fire] from heaven, as even pagan history testifies, and as it now witnessed by those who visit the spot, it became unnaturally and horribly sooty in appearance; and its apples, under a deceitful appearance of ripeness, contain ashes within. here is a thing which was of one kind, and is of another. You see how it nature was converted by the wonderful transmutation wrought by the Creator of all natures into so very disgusting a diversity - an alteration which after so long a time took place, and after so long a time still continues. 

As therefore, it was not impossible to God to create such natures as He pleased, so it is not impossible to Him to change these natures of His own creation into whatever He pleases, and thus spread abroad multitude of those marvels which are called monsters, portents, prodigies, phenomena, - See the same collocation of words in Cic. Nat. deor. ii. 3 - and which if I were minded to cite and record, what end would there be to this work? They say that they are called "monsters," because they demonstrate or signify something; "portents," because they portend something; and so forth. - The etymologies given here by Augustine are, "monstra," a monstrando; "ostenta," ab ostendendo; "portenta," a portendendo, i.e. preostendendo; "proligia," quod porro dicant, i.e. futura predicant. - But let their diviners see how they are either deceived, or even when they do predict true things, it is because they are inspired by spirits, who are intent upon entangling the minds of men (worthy, indeed, of such a fate) in the meshes of a hurtful curiosity, or how they light now and then upon some truth, because they make so many predictions. yet, for our part, these things which happen contrary to nature, and are said to be contrary to nature (as the apostle, speaking after the manner of men, says, that to graff the wild olive into the good olive, and to partake of its fatness, is contrary to nature), and are called monsters, phenomena, portents, prodigies, ought to demonstrate, portend, predict that God will bring to pass what He has foretold regarding the bodies of men, no difficulty preventing Him, no law of nature prescribing to Him His limit. How He has foretold what He is to do, I think I have sufficiently shown in the preceding book, culling from the sacred Scriptures, both of the New and Old Testaments, not, indeed, all the passages that relate to this, but as many as I judged to suffice for this work.    -  Page  One  -

                         - Of hell, and the nature of eternal punishment - Page  Two -

 - WELCOME TO SACRED SCRIPTURE / WORD OF GOD / HOLY BIBLE READER'S COMMUNITY -Wishing you, 'Happy Reading', and may God, the Father, the Son of the living God, Jesus Christ, fills your heart, mind, thoughts, and grants you: The Holy Spirit, that is, Wisdom, Knowledge, Understanding, Counsel, Piety, Fortitude, Fear of the Lord, and also His fruits of the Holy Spirit, that is, Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Trustfulness, Gentleness and Self-Control. Amen! God blessing be upon you!

If we live by the truth and in love, we shall grow in all ways into Christ Jesus, who is the head by whom the whole body is fitted and joined together, every joint adding its own strength, for each separate part to work according to it function, so the body grows until it has built itself up, in love. - Ephesians 4:15-16 -

I STILL HAVE MANY THINGS TO SAY TO YOU BUT THEY WOULD BE TOO MUCH FOR YOU NOW. BUT WHEN THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH COMES, HE WILL LEAD YOU TO THE COMPLETE TRUTH, SINCE HE WILL NOT BE SPEAKING AS FROM HIMSELF, BUT WILL SAY ONLY WHAT HE HAS LEARNT; AND HE WILL TELL YOU OF THE THINGS TO COME.

HE WILL GLORIFY ME, SINCE ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. EVERYTHING THE FATHER HAS IS MINE; THAT IS WHY I SAID: ALL HE TELLS YOU WILL BE TAKEN FROM WHAT IS MINE. - JOHN 16:12-15 -