What God Might Say to Atheist Stephen Fry- Dr. Michael L. Brown

From the article:

"Outspoken British atheist Stephen Fry was recently asked what he would say to God if such a being really existed and he encountered him/her/it after death. His reply was passionate, eloquent, defiant and irreverent. I wonder what God might say to him.

How would the Creator respond to being characterized by a mere mortal as "utterly evil ... capricious, mean-minded, stupid" and "monstrous," among other choice descriptions?

The first error made by Fry was assuming he would be able to speak at all in God's presence, having no idea that he would suddenly encounter perfect purity, unimaginable love, absolute goodness, untainted justice, blazing truth and unadulterated light.

In a moment, he would be overwhelmed by his own sinfulness””not so much as an atheist but as a human being””his selfishness, his arrogance, his carnality and his hypocrisy.

Rather than rebuking God, he would be reproaching himself, wailing aloud, "I am so very, very sorry for who I am and what I have done. Could you possibly have mercy on a wretch like me?"

But what of the substance of his remarks? What if he could have his say with God? How would the Lord respond?

Fry was outraged that an allegedly loving and compassionate God could allow such terrible suffering among His creation, stating that he would say to the Deity, "bone cancer in children, what's that about? How dare you. How dare you create a world where there is such misery that's not our fault? It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil."

God might say to him, "I applaud you for your moral indignation. In fact, you got it straight from Me. If you were simply the result of a freak, unguided evolutionary accident and your brain waves were just the result of neurons firing, you would have no more moral indignation than a zebra being eaten alive by lions or a fly being devoured by a spider.

"The very fact that you care and that you know that such suffering is not right is a reflection of my image in you. But in reality, you don't know the half of it. I am in constant pain because of the suffering of my creation. The cries and agony are in my ears day and night."

The rest of the article is here:

http://www.charismanews.com/opinion/in-the-line-of-fire/48173-what-god-might-say-to-atheist-stephen-fry

Quote from article: "Fry was outraged that an allegedly loving and compassionate God could allow such terrible suffering among His creation, stating that he would say to the Deity, "bone cancer in children, what's that about? How dare you. How dare you create a world where there is such misery that's not our fault? It's not right. It's utterly, utterly evil."

Can anyone here understand this objection raised by Fry, or perhaps even sympathize with it?

I can understand the objection, and while I don't agree with his conclusion, I do understand the objection. And it does not seem to me there is a truly satisfactory response, at least not a satisfactory human response.

When I first heard that Stephen Fry had made these comments about the creator God, coming very closely on the back of his very public 'marriage' to his gay partner (whom he perversely calls his 'husband'. Does that mean he calls himself the 'wife'?), it was obvious that he was just trying to justify his sinful lifestyle by denying the moral authority of God. This is a normal response from those who want to live in deliberate rebellion to their God given conscience.

The bible is clear that all men know deep down the truth that there is a God and that they are in sin, but they choose to deny the truth and sear their conscience, the result being that God hands them over to their uncleanness.

As to the question should Dr Brown comment publically on a pubic diatribe of the creator, yes he should. If Christians cannot speak the truth about God and the fate of those who oppose God, then who can? Is it self promoting of prideful to declare the truth of scripture and the words of Jesus? I think not. If it were Dr Brown's own philosophy and ideas then you could level this criticism, but not if he is declaring the truth of God as revealed in scripture.

How does one decrease and Christ increase? How does one magnify God? Surely when we speak His words and declare who He is and what He says we are magnifying the Lord! Jesus glorified His Father, how? He only spoke and did what His Father said and did.

In these days that we live we need strong voices again who will declare the righteousness of God, that men may come to repentance and be saved from their sins. If we say nothing, then sin will increase,darkness will continue to envelop all people and men's consciences will remain in the dungeons of ignorance.

The conclusion of Brown's article:

"The good news is that Stephen Fry is yet living and breathing, and where there's life, there's hope.

Let's lift up a prayer on his behalf."

I like this, don't you? It portrays a person who has not given up on Fry. Yet I wonder if God didn't - read Romans 1, but that is his prerogative, not mine to determine.

LMH, Maybe your frustration is that a lot of us cannot agree with your selective view of God and Christ. Why would you be offended at Dr Brown or anyone else for saying what he said. He was not being personally offensive for the sake of it. He was just telling it as it is. You're mistaken, in that this was a public opinion of God from Fry and therefore a public response is appropriate. I'm sure if Dr Brown was talking to Fry face to face he would speak in a different way.

Your position seems to be that the only thing we should say to unbelievers is 'God Loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life'! The fact they don't know who this God is or what his righteousness demands seems of no consequence to you.

Dr Brown we know, but we don't know LMH, name, male or female or if you live in America or in the Amazon jungle. Seems strange that you want to be heard, but want be anonomous at the same time.

Ray Comfort also responded to Mr. Fry's comments and I think Ray's response was along similar lines as Michael Brown's. Here's Ray's response:

"When Homosexual actor and author, Stephen Fry was recently asked what he would say to God if he faces Him after death, his answer was, "I’d say, bone cancer in children? What’s that about? How dare you? How dare you create a world to which there is such misery that is not our fault. It’s not right, it’s utterly, utterly evil."

Let's help this atheist bolster his case against God, by broadening his argument a little. It's not only bone cancer that kills children. They also get brain, blood, and lung cancer, suffocate from asthma, die from Ebola and of heart problems. Millions of children have also died of pneumonia, diarrhea, hepatitis, tuberculosis, and a thousand and one other diseases.

Then there are the hundreds of thousands of children who have been killed in earthquakes, floods, famines, tornadoes, tsunamis, and hurricanes.

God has also let children become sex slaves and be used in pornography, have bombs strapped to them by terrorists, and allowed millions to be murdered in Nazi Germany and in hundreds of other wars.

Then there are those children who have died through Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, and the millions who are slaughtered each year through legalized abortion.

Mr. Atheist, if you really want an explanation as to why there is so much disease, endless suffering, injustice, and death, read your Bible. It will tell you that God did not create the world as it is, and it is us who are guilty of sin.

But, you're an atheist, so you don't believe God's Word or heed His sober warning of Hell. So you are stuck with what the Bible calls a willful ignorance.

One other thing. The Scriptures will also show you that there's no greater delusion of grandeur nor any greater arrogance, than for sinful man to stand in moral judgment over Almighty God. But if you remain as you are, you will find that out when you face Him."

LMH, For someone who said " Defending God is a sign of an insecure faith", you seem to be exerting a lot of energy defending your view of God!

I'm wondering LMH, are you someone we know by another name who left, but had another account name that has now become active? I could be wrong, but something seems a bit odd here, particularly when we see the sign up date and most of your posts being only recent. Added to that the anonymity. I may be wrong and if so appologise and it really dose not matter, just how it appears to me though.

I can understand the objection

Really? How so? The objection is based on the premise that unjustified evil exists. If God exists, and He is omnipotent, omniscient, and benevolent, can you prove that unjustified evil exists?

You see, the argument can work both ways.

LMH, So tell me I'm wrong about my thoughts of you. Be 'Frank' with me!

I'm frustrated when the people of God think it's okay to be a rude, insensitive, and *totally* out of place. The church isn't called to judge the world.

This excuse will not relieve us of our responsibility to speak the truth to a lost world.

For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father’s house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

"He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it."

May I encourage you to compare your own understanding of the need for public reproof of unbelievers to those of Paul.

makrothumia

Christ still spoke to the masses, whether they could comprehend it or not. All of us, at one time or another, were in darkness. Should God have left us alone in our darkness? No, Christ left his throne and came down to us! The Holy Spirit opened our hearts to the truth of His word and thank God people were and are still sharing his Word! Faith comes by hearing and hearing from the Word of God. How will the lost hear?

I think pretty much everyone here agrees that it is right to respond to a public denegegration of God in such a way as Dr Brown did. If it's in Charisma magazine then I doubt Stephen Fry will read anyway, but it willl serve to help those young Christians who may be stumbled by such things. So.......let's move on!

Getting back to TMK's original point, where he stated that he 'understood the objection' made by Fry and 'Did not think there was a satisfactory human answer'. Well God has an answer. Read Job ch. 38 to 42 and you will see how God answered Job on this issue. Dr Brown gave quite a good summary of what God says there.