A common belief in most theistic religions is that a god intervenes in the affairs of humans: helping some people, hurting others, and generally changing the course of events so that they better match whatever divine plan for humanity exists. Questions about the nature of this divine intervention have led many to question theism itself.

Enil Edam writes:

I personally, refuse to accept the fact that there is any sort of intervention from any supernatural being. To me, this intervention would cause a contortion of free will. ... [I]f you’re the type of theist who believes that by praying to God, God takes an active role in your life and the lives of every human being, answer this: When God solves your problem, or grants you wish, is God somehow denying the right of free will to another person?

If you think about it, if every religion considers themselves the “chosen people,” we’re all on an equal plane. Since the pure contradiction of having all religiously affiliated peoples be “chosen” is obvious. If we’re all equal, than how can God play a neutral role in the lives of people. People hate, kill and hurt each other, that’s what they do. So at some point, God takes sides.

This is an interesting question and has been raised before, for example when it comes to the way sports teams pray before games or the way they thank God for victory afterwards. Why suppose that God took sides in a game? If God took sides on behalf of one team, this necessarily means that God took sides against the other team. Isn’t it blasphemous to say that God wanted a particular team to lose? How does the win/loss record of the Philadelphia Eagles fit in with God’s master plan for humanity?

The idea of God intervening in human affairs like this trivializes God, but it’s inevitable. Keeping God free from such things means keeping God so remote that people will only end up focusing more and more on figures like saints who are thought to be close enough to intervene without being trivialized. People want supernatural help in their lives and they will seek it out somewhere.

 

Read More:

• Religion 101
• Theism 101
• Does God Exist?