Select Page

Why do people criticize God?

by | Aug 5, 2014 | God, Questions

There will always be people who criticize God. Their complaints vary. Some object that God would be wrong to create people that he knows would go to hell. Others say it’s not fair for God to pick some for salvation and not others. Then there is the ubiquitous question of why does he let bad things happen to good people? I’ve even heard a complaint that people won’t have free will when they go to heaven because they won’t be able to sin. It seems that no matter what is offered about God, whether it be his omniscience, omnipresence, sovereignty, wisdom, what he does, or what he doesn’t do, people will find something to complain about. Why is that? Perhaps it is because they don’t want God to be God. Or maybe they think they know better and want to be the final judge of what is good and bad. Whatever the reason, one thing is for sure, they all have something in common. They all believe they know how things “ought” to be done, and that they are better judges of morality than God.

As is always the case, people’s opinions are subjective. If they think they know how things “ought to be done” then there should be a standard by which they can make such judgments. If it is an objective standard, one that exists outside of themselves, then how do they explain where it comes from? Does society tell us what is right and wrong? If so, then what do we do when one society contradicts another? Which one is correct? Or, what if it is an opinion that a person is offering as a judgment against God? In that case, what gives that person the right to judge God based merely on his own opinion? And, what gives anyone the right to judge God when he knows all things, and they don’t? Nevertheless, in the Bible, we have the first account of someone who thought he knew better than God and criticized him. Let’s take a look.

Genesis 3:1-6, “Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?”  2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.'” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate.”

As you can see, the devil claimed to know better than God and tried to convince Eve that he knew what was better for her than God did. In fact, Eve appealed to her senses and her own wisdom, which contradicted the word of God. In the end, she fell into sin. She did not know better than God.

Who are people to raise an accusation against God?

God knows all things and brought the universe into existence for a reason. People don’t have to like it that God created people knowing they would end up in hell, or suffer on earth, or be blessed for a while, or whatever it might be. But what right do they have to look into the infinite heavens, raise their fist, and bring a righteous charge against the infinite God of the universe? I find such impudence to be the epitome of foolishness. “…The thing molded will not say to the molder, ‘Why did you make me like this,’ will it? 21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use? 22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction? 23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,” (Rom. 9:20-23).

The Edenic Lie is alive and well on earth. People want to be like God. In fact, they want to take the place of God and even tell God how he should behave. They will find out in the end that their own wisdom is actually foolishness.

SUPPORT CARM

Thank you for your interest in supporting CARM. We greatly appreciate your consideration!

SCHOOLS USER LOGIN

If you have any issues, please call the office at 385-246-1048 or email us at [email protected].

MATT SLICK LIVE RADIO

Call in with your questions at:

877-207-2276

3-4 p.m. PST; 4-5 p.m. MST;
6-7 p.m. EST

You May Also Like…