Injustice : A case for Atheism or a crown of Theism.

The prevalence of injustice is a painful reality experienced by humans in every corner of the world. It is a timeless truth that has defined the human past and continues to be one which seemingly cannot be evaded even in our current ‘progressive‘ era. Although human history is marked with success, glory, triumph and progress, it is also checkered with harrowing accounts of injustice countless humans have lived and died through. Massacres like the Holocaust and the Armenian genocide by the Ottoman empire, strike a nerve in many of us and unearth the deep seated reality of injustice along with the unimaginable ability of man to inflict suffering on fellow men. For some people and in some places, the pain of injustice and the pervading evil in our world is so great that their reality does not permit a belief in God.

However, does injustice truly make a case for disbelief in God, or is it a stepping stone towards understanding that God in fact exists?

Certain notions saturate the human mind when pain and injustice they face becomes relentless. They think that either the world we live in is an inherently accursed realm, devoid of any good and moral higher power otherwise called God. Or, God, if he exists, is aloof to human affairs and the evil which runs rampant under the heavens.

Although the grim reality of our world may tempt one to take on this worldview, people often forget that the very ability in them to call something ‘bad‘ or ‘evil‘ points to the existence of something ‘good‘. How can I call something ‘bad‘, if I don’t have a standard of ‘good‘ to compare it too. As CS Lewis said, “A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line“.

The prevalence of evil in the world doesn’t point to absence of God, but rather crowns Him as the ultimate standard for goodness and righteousness. Another reason why evil pervades in the world is because man is creature endowed with Freewill. Bible, in the book of Genesis records the creation of man with the ability and free will to make his own decisions. And therefore, hurt, brokenness, pain, and injustice exist in our world because of our own actions committed under our freewill. Think about the million of Jewish lives that just disappeared into the void. All because of the hatred of one man.

God does not condone evil, but has created us with freewill and although evil persists in the present because of our corrupted hearts and minds, God has ultimate authority over it and will destroy it once for all.

Some people ask, “Why wait?”, “Why not destroy evil now once and for all?“, but little do they realize that if God did that, He will have to destroy all of humanity, which include you and me as well. Because sin and wickedness through which evil actions come forth, resides in us too. We get angry, we have fits of rage, we harbor jealousy, we are greedy and lustful and we hate other human beings. We are prideful, jealous and disrespectful, all of which is evil in God’s book. And all though we may not realize, these are what give birth to full blown evils we see in our society.

The reality of evil is so glaring in our world, that even God endured it when He walked this Earth. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, born into the world to bring God’s revelation and truth to us, was betrayed, falsely accused and agonizingly executed by crucifixion, all for a crime he did not commit. God in human flesh, who came to reconcile man to God endured the evil of the heart of man. Yet three day later, He rose from the dead demonstrating His power over death and as the only one having the cure for the heart of man – A new birth.

Even though we are sinful and the holiness of God demands a just punishment for us. God has reached out to us in the person of Jesus Christ and made a way for us to be saved. Jesus Christ was crucified on the cross for the sins of humanity – for you and for me. And God raised Him up on the third day. God offers us salvation – forgiveness of sins a new life, a new heart and an eternity with Him in heaven if we choose to place our trust in Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross and in His resurrection. Jesus Christ who died and rose up on the third day for us alone can give us a new heart and a new life by His power when we come to Him in faith. This is a good news in the sight of evil and injustice that pervades the planet. That although we all have sinned, God loves us enough to sent his Only Begotten Son to die in our place and raised Him up on the third day defeating death forever. There is a way for you to know God and to be made right with Him, and to dwell with Him in eternity.

So even though God has the ultimate power and authority to do away with evil and with all of us once for all, He has shown us love instead of judgement that we rightfully deserve. Jesus Christ on the cross bore our sins and their punishment, taking our place, so that we can be forgiven and be made righteous through His sacrifice.

In essence, evil does not reflect the absence of God but the wickedness of man which God has graciously put up with. It reveals that human beings are free agents through which evil runs rampant today. But there is a higher standard for ultimate goodness, one which we long for in this world and which is found in God and his love shown to us in Jesus Christ’s sacrifice through his crucifixion and His resurrection. This stands as the ultimate testament of goodness in the face of excruciating evil.

We should understand that Evil doesn’t negate God, it reveals Him as the ultimate standard for good. Evil for evil can never lead to victory, but God has overcome evil with His goodness toward us. And ultimately His justice will prevail against every evil committed under the sun, when He comes to judge the world.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. – John 3:16