St. Anne Catholic Church

FROM THE DESK OF FATHER RON

The deadly earthquakes in Turkey and Syria with over 12,000 dead confronts us with the problem of evil—natural and moral. How can the God we claim to be benevolent and good allow such things? We are even tempted to question if God even exists.

This natural disaster has caused the evil of untold suffering. The suffering from the earthquakes is compounded by the moral evil of the ongoing civil war in Syria. Many of the people killed in Turkey were refugees from Syria. In addition, that conflict makes it more difficult for international organizations to enter Syria and get relief for those in need.

Monotheism has a difficulty in explaining the causes of evil. In polytheistic religion it is easily explained. There are gods who are good and gods of evil. But for Jews, Christians, and Muslims God is one and only. If God is the source of everything from where then does evil originate? If creation is truly good, why does it cause destruction and death? If a good God exists, why does not God prevent evil from entering creation? 

It may be that creation is not complete and is in process. It has not yet achieved the new life and perfection God is guiding it towards. The freedom for humanity to choose to do good or evil may limit God’s freedom to act for our benefit. But when it comes to evil there always will be a puzzle. What makes it so difficult to deal with is that it does not have satisfactory rational explanations. In fact, it is its irrationality that so frustrates us. We want reasons for something unreasonable.

No matter what answers we give to these questions about evil, we will always face evil both natural and moral. Evil is already present in the world even if its origin is elusive. I once read an article by a Rabbi who suggested when we ask “Why does God permit this to  happen,” we are asking the wrong question. The question he suggested that we should ask is, “What are we going to do about it?”  What we have to do is engage our freedom to fight against evil as best we can. And we turn to the future for our hopes. It is only the excess of good that can overcome the excess of evil. 

An excess of good is something to which we all can contribute each in our own way by showing solidarity to the victims. You can our donate through a link on our website, anne.church, or our Facebook page to the CNEWA (Catholic Near Eastern Welfare Association). This is a papal agency for humanitarian and pastoral support.

 

Millions of Syrians were shaken awake by disaster on 6 February, and found their lives, like the buildings around them, reduced to rubble.

In the aftermath of the devastating earthquake in Syria and Turkey, we are assisting on-the-ground partners to provide bedding, food, medicine, milk, nursing formula and diapers to more than 2,000 families seeking emergency shelter in stabilized convents, parish halls and schools. 

At this critical moment, your generous and prayerful support is more than necessary — it is vital to their survival.

Click on the picture to the right to DONATE NOW