Posted on 01/01/2005 4:22:44 PM PST by Pikamax
Archbishop of Canterbury admits: This makes me doubt the existence of God By Chris Hastings, Patrick Hennessy and Sean Rayment (Filed: 02/01/2005)
The Asian tsunami disaster should make all Christians question the existence of God, Dr Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, writes in The Telegraph today.
In a deeply personal and candid article, he says "it would be wrong" if faith were not "upset" by the catastrophe which has already claimed more than 150,000 lives.
Dr Rowan Williams: Prayer provides no 'magical solutions' Prayer, he admits, provides no "magical solutions" and most of the stock Christian answers to human suffering do not "go very far in helping us, one week on, with the intolerable grief and devastation in front of us".
Dr Williams, who, as head of the Church of England, represents 70 million Anglicans around the world, writes: "Every single random, accidental death is something that should upset a faith bound up in comfort and ready answers. Faced with the paralysing magnitude of a disaster like this, we naturally feel more deeply outraged - and also more deeply helpless."
He adds: "The question, 'How can you believe in a God who permits suffering on this scale?' is therefore very much around at the moment, and it would be surprising if it weren't - indeed it would be wrong if it weren't."
Dr Williams concludes that, faced with such a terrible challenge to their faith, Christians must focus on "passionate engagement with the lives that are left".
His comments came as Tony Blair finally broke his silence on the tragedy, branding it a "global catastrophe" that would take the world "years" to deal with. The Prime Minister, who has faced criticism for not cutting short a family holiday in the Egyptian resort of Sharm El Sheikh, also insisted that the United Nations should lead the international aid effort. He praised the "extraordinary generosity" of the British people, whose donations topped £60 million last night. The Government has thus far pledged £50 million.
Interviewed by Channel 4 News, Mr Blair said: "At first it seemed a terrible disaster. But I think as the days have gone on people have recognised it as a global catastrophe.
"It is not simply the absolute horror of what has happened and how many people's lives have been touched in different ways, it is also the fact that the consequences are not just short-term and immediate but long-term and will require a great deal of work by the international community for months, if not years, to come.
"We've got millions of people displaced, we've got the potential of disease coming from this and we've got whole areas of that region that will have to be rebuilt."
He shrugged off claims that he should have come home to take charge of Britain's aid effort, adding that he had been in touch "practically hourly" with Downing Street.
Mr Blair said that one of his key tasks during Britain's year-long presidency of the G8 group of leading industrial nations, which started yesterday, was to liaise with other leaders. His faith in the UN seemed undimmed despite the international rows in the months prior to the war in Iraq and he dismissed as a "misunderstanding" claims that President George W. Bush had tried to snub the organisation by setting up a four-country task force with Australia, India and Japan.
"When I spoke to President Bush a short time ago he made it very clear that he wanted the UN to be in the lead and that he sees the work that the US is doing as very much supportive of that," he said.
Mr Blair's intervention was made as it was disclosed that Gordon Brown, the Chancellor, would lead Britain's international anti-poverty drive by going on a three-nation trip to east and southern Africa later this month.
Meanwhile, a 10-man British military reconnaissance team arrived in Sri Lanka to assess how British Armed Forces could best assist the stricken country which, with Thailand, Indonesia and southern India, has borne the brunt of the disaster.
The team will report back to the Permanent Joint Headquarters in Northwood, Middlesex, in the next 72 hours. The main focus of Britain's effort is likely to be directed towards Sri Lanka and the Maldives.
Two Royal Navy ships, the frigate Chatham, currently on patrol in the Gulf, and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessel Diligence, already in the Indian Ocean, are heading for Sri Lanka. A C-17 Globe Master transport aircraft, which can carry 100,000lbs of cargo, has also been allocated to supply aid.
The Pope in his New Year message yesterday led prayers for victims at St Peter's Basilica in Rome, and a prayer vigil for victims, survivors and families was being held at Central Hall, Westminster, last night.
On Wednesday, a nationwide three-minute silence will be observed across Britain.
Williams is no longer qualified for his spiritual office, and should be tried for heresy and summarily dismissed.
While I doubt that the Anglican communion has the courage to hold this man accountable, I am sure he will stand before the judgment seat of Christ and give an account for his tenure as AoC.
I wouldn't care to be in his shoes when Jesus asks him to explain:
(1) His recent participation in Druidic pagan rituals, or...
(2) His tacit approval to permit/encourage/tolerate the ordination of homosexuals or pro-homosex ministers to serve the holy Body of Christ, or...
(3)THIS... wavering statement of doubt instead of the witness of faith that God is in control.
Memo to AoC: Please take the time to read, interpret, and apply the principles of Biblical theology and practice to your personal life.
Have a nice day....
I A to Archbishop.......SHADDUP!!!!
To those of us teetering on the edge of leaving the Episcopal Church USA, this is just another nudge.
Unfortunately this looney is nominal head of the worldwide Anglican communion. The vast majority of Anglicans today are from Africa, and the quite-conservative African Anglican bishops may not put up with this quackery this time.
I believe it's a sign of the End Times, simply because I can't remember so many disasters (natural and man-made) in my lifetime.
How long this will last I don't know, but I think what was written in Revelation is occurring now.
JMHO.
Amen
During the late 20s/early 30s there was a string of natural disasters that dwarfed those we've seen recently. And I'm sure you're familiar with man-made disasters in the late 30s/early 40s. ......where tens of millions perished.
There are 3 24 hour cable TV news networks now. Stuff gets covered more extensively.
Back during the Tangshan earthquake in the 70s that killed 200,000+ I bet it might have gotten 10 minutes total coverage on the 30 minute evening news (mostly due to the secretive nature of the Communist Chinese.)
Exactly!
So many either haven't learned or have forgotton that fact.
I don't believe that it's a fact that is widely taught because so many don't understand. Most peoples first reaction is to blame God then ask why he didn't stop it.
Well, the Archbishop of Canterbury is closer to God than the stupid tools lying about increases in earthquakes, etc. to further their apocalyptikook religious agenda, or those fabricating the idea that Christians were miraculously saved in this disaster, which was especially designed to kill Muslims by God.
Just consider the man to really be a Druid priest and it all makes sense ...
I left the Episcopal church many years ago because of its
leftist leanings ie: The National Council of Churches.
Its prayer book is the most Christian writing second only to the Bible itself, but many of the leaders do not truly follow its teachings.
Actually, the tsunami is very scriptural, along with earthquakes, other weather abnormalities, pestilence wars and rumors of wars, hatred, etc., etc., etc.. I've had
Catholic priests ask me, incredulantly, if I really believe in the resurection of Jesus Christ.
I guess Diviniity School isn't what it used to be.
Ping for Anglican/Episcopal list if you haven't seen this yet?
Real slow.
Maybe two or three times.
The man's in the wrong job.
It's going to get a LOT worse before it gets permanently better.
If he only likes / loves / trusts / believes in God when things are going his way, he doesn't truly know God, Scripture, or the state of the world. He obviously doesn't have a clue how to be a spiritual leader.
God already has angels that do his bidding, they are not subject to living with the earthly battle (...the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak). Their's is a perfect world of immortality. We humans are literally in a proving ground.
Don't know God, you say? If you earnestly want salvation for your soul, then obey the Gospel. Jesus Christ trained the original leaders of the church, and he didn't mess up.
Jesus told Peter, "When thou art converted strengthen the brethern". Peter received this power, along with many others, in Acts chapter 2. He in turn told those that wanted to be saved, "Repent and be baptised, everyone of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost."(Acts 2:38). This is a supernatural experience. I used to make fun of people that "spoke in tongues" until it happened to me.
"Considering how and why the Anglican church started, it's little wonder the Anglican church struggles with matters of faith."
Seems like you and the good ol' Archbishop of Canterbury might be cut from the same cloth. You and he could both stand to read up a bit.....
The remarks of the Archbishop strike me as coming from one
who not only has a very weak theological understanding of
the nature of human suffering and evil but as one who is
extremely naive. Hasn't he ANY knowledge of human history?
Or does he think this is the world's first natural disaster? If we look at mankind's additional contribution
to evil and suffering how about the 50 million deaths in
two world wars? Terrible as the loss is in Indonesia it
is a pittance if we look back just to the 20th century.
No wonder religion in Britain is virtually defunct!
All publicity is good publicity, eh Arch?
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