Ok, so how many people think that God makes us with our inherited problems from birth? Does He make us with asthma/AIDs/diabetes/allergies/cerebral palsy/barrenness/birth defects/etc? Or are they a natural result of living in a sinful world?
And I am sorry to say, but I think we need to add another category as well!
First, yes, God is sovereign and NOTHING happens without God causing it, or allowing it to happen.
Secondly, I do believe that Genetically, we are worse off than those who lived in ancient times.
I think the life span of people who lived before the flood is strong evidence of that.
And I agree that somethings are just because we live in a fallen world, for instance you can get sick and die just being around some bad things, like mold, or livestock that pass disease to you, etc.
But I think we need to add another category, because of recent discovery concerning genetics.
Scientists are now saying that the way a person lives their life, changes their genetics, and they can IMMEDIATELY PASS THIS OFF TO THEIR OFFSPRING.
You decide to become a serious drunk?
Your children who are born later, could then be PREDISPOSED to becoming addicted to alcohol.
What is it the Bible says, " I will visit the sins of the father upon the third and forth generations..." or something like that?
That IS a tough one, Mark... I pretty much agree w/ James. There are several factors to consider here:
1. God IS sovereign and does not delight in illness, disorders, etc.
2. God has given Satan domain over the earth. As we know from things such as Job, God allows Satan to make big messes in people's lives. And we could go on and on and on about the various reasons for that and purposes those things serve in our lives, but that's probably another topic really.
3. Satan is not our creator, so I think that the building blocks of all the nasty germs we have today were part of the initial creation.
4. I do think that Satan, generational sin, and individual sin all play a part in the genetic mutations and abnormalities that cause us to be less than healthy.
Example: I have a genetic disorder (from my dad) that causes my body to store excess iron v. eliminating it. And this excess iron typically stores itself in organs, which then causes organ damage, and can potentially can cause the organs to shut down altogether. In a pregnant woman, this excess iron sometimes goes straight for the fetus and poisons it. And there's a 50% chance that my babies will have the same disorder... which means that even if I'm not having a flare-up while pregnant and the baby is getting a normal amount of iron from me, that the baby's body could still hold onto too much iron and become poisoned.
This genetic disorder is a result of a gene mutation. Now, I believe that God created the original gene but that the mutation is direct result of Satan/sin. It can be difficult to track down the specific origin of a mutation, so in some cases it's impossible to know whether Satan was just allowed to directly do something bad, or if the mutation was the direct result of individual sin (there are things that we do that can cause genetic damage). But I am certain that God did not make the mutation.
So, I don't blame God for having this disorder, and if I become pregnant someday and my baby dies from it, I will not blame God.
As believers, we have the assurance that God is sovereign, that He sees everything that goes in our lives, that He cares about us more than we can fathom, and that all things work together for good when we submit them to Him. There is no situation that is beyond redemption.
While we don't have a say over things that we're born with, we do have a choice with how to live out our lives and we can and should choose to glorify God.
I know that God knows what's going on my body and I can rest in the fact that nothing can/will happen w/out his "oversight." Because I know He is a good God, I trust the outcome of any future pregnancies to Him and I trust Him to carry me through whatever happens.
There's no question in my mind that it is not God's will. God has used plagues to punish people...but I'm talking about things people are born with. Even the verse that says "I will visit the iniquity of the fathers upon the children" doesn't mean God goes out of His way to punish people with sickness. It's just a natural result of sin or disobeying His natural laws. Those laws are there to protect us from the horrible consequences that sin brings. Anyway...I think the life of Christ shows us God's stance toward disease and affliction. Jesus's main evangelism tool was healing the sick and afflicted. Did He make them to be born sick so He could heal them later? I don't think that's the way God works. I guess I just think God's will is a little bit more like "planning" than "forcing". He knows someone will be paralyzed and He plans for it, but I don't think He actively forces it to happen.
Divine Plan: "Because of my plan to bring salvation into the world, the many conditions and circumstances involved will cause this baby to be born paralyzed...so I will do this, this, and this...it is my will"
Divine Force: "I could make this a perfectly healthy baby, but I will cause it to be born paralyzed...it is my will"
Which sounds more like God/Jesus to you? Anyway, it's probably a lot more complicated than that, but I think you can get what I'm trying to say.
If we believe God created all things then we must believe He created all that is evil including sin. Evil had to have existed before Lucifer rebelled or he would not have rebelled and would not have become an evil being himself. I believe it is impossible for us to understand all of the absolutes of sin and evil. When Adam and Eve fell we are told that sin "entered the world". It is as if it had an existence outside of the created earth until the opportunity presented itself for it to enter. Once Adam and Eve chose to believe Satan rather than God they made the way for sin to come onto the earth. As a result all that makes our lives a struggle here on the Earth was made and became known as "the Curse".
Birth defects are strange things and I think Mark's question is a very good one. I have a grand daughter that has a genetic birth defect as well as a condition called Cystinosis. Her birth defect is called 18Q minus. The lower part of the DNA that makes up the 18th cromosone disappeared while she was developing in the womb. The Cystinosis is a condition that involves the metabolism of Cystine which is a protein. It manifests in children when both parents are carriers. It turned out that my daughter and her husband have a common ancestor about ten generations back that had the disease. I do not know how the doctors were able to determine this.
I believe that sickness and disease are a result of the fall. It is a part of the curse of sin. If we have faith in God our maladies can be used by Him for His glory. I think we should seek out the purpose for the conditions we find ourselves in rather than try to discern if there is a spiritual cause that is rooted in something evil. Don't give Satan any more credit than he is really due.
I don't think it's too complicated though. God created good, He created perfection, He created happiness...and the opposites just came into existence by default. I don't think God "created" sin. It's just the polar opposite of "Him". Like...light and shadow or something. I do believe He tests us and molds us with our current environment to get our attention or teach us something, but I don't think it's malicious though, and I don't think He wants us to be that way or suffer at all. Not any more than a loving father enjoys punishing his children.
1. God did not create evil, sin is the absence of God's glory (Rom: 3:23). Therefore it is not doing what is supposed that sin enter the world. Therefore it is not a creation.
2. Why man got sick? Because of our sin.
3. Why good man got sick? There is no good person in this world.
4. Why some have serious sickness, some don't? This is the authority of God as He said: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion."