God on trial

God on Trial is a 2008 television play written by Frank Cottrell-Boyce. The play takes place in Auschwitz during World War II. The Jewish prisoners put God on trial in absentia for abandoning the Jewish people. The question is whether God has broken his covenant with the Jewish people by allowing the Germans to commit genocide. I like to present this as evidence why we as believers still believe. What to do with God in hell on earth? Do we find him lacking? Yes, but the real question is what to do next. Acceptance that it's not a one way relationship and turn to prayer. "So what do we do?" says one prisoner. "We pray," says the other, and they all rise, face one way and begin to pray. The scene fades to the present day, with visitors to Auschwitz standing stunned in the same space; the ghostly figures of the prisoners are seen among them, praying.

[media=https://youtu.be/0W9uRPuo7hc]

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basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

If the Abrahamic God exists, he is either not all good or not omniscient.

val70 · 51-55

@basilfawlty89 Nicholas Wolterstorff states the seemingly obvious: “Given that all human actions are temporal,” he reasons, “those actions of God which are ‘response’ are temporal as well.”

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@val70 that's handwaving. If God was all good, there would be no Holocaust. If he was all knowing he would be able to know the Holocaust would happen, if he was omnipotent, he could've stopped the Holocaust from happening.

And I can repeat this for the Armenian Genocide, the Rwandan Genocide, etc.

val70 · 51-55

@basilfawlty89 No, not handwaving. A fact. Either one believes or one doesn't. There's plenty of liturature on the subject matter. Someone like Moltmann proposed a crucified God who is both a suffering and protesting God. But the debate doesn't end there. Even in Elie Wiesel's novel Town Beyond the Wall the ending sees the hope of renewed mystical reconciliation with God

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@val70 but it still doesn't answer the question of why the Abrahamic God allows evil when he's omnipotent. He could, by scripture, flood the world, reduced Sodom and Gomorrah, command the slaughter of the Amalekites...but couldn't intervene to save his chosen people?

How does that make sense?

val70 · 51-55

@basilfawlty89 Look, I once heard a rabbi say that faith is what keeps us alive. His name was Joseph Messinger I seem to remember. Well, he told a whole lot of facts, numbers and stats about the Shoah, but ended it by quoting a passage from Rabbi Ernest Friedman: “Faith is not like a pill. It is not easy. You gather it. And you have to make up in your own mind. Ask yourself, how did I get here. Who is giving you the ability to have life, to breathe?”

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@val70 well, I believe I got here by my mother and father copulating nine months before my birth. As to the ability to breathe, I believe that's my lungs, brain and central nervous system.

val70 · 51-55

@basilfawlty89 You have the right to say that to a Holocaust survivor

basilfawlty89 · 36-40, M

@val70 as opposed to others below who justify it or handwave it away?

Pray tell, what be said to me?
When my father's ancestors were wiped out by Catholic conquistadors?
Or my mother's ancestors starved to death by Protestants?

val70 · 51-55

@basilfawlty89 It's like Voltaire said: the right of free speech is more important than the content of the speech. And also: the institution of religion exists only to keep mankind in order, and to make men merit the goodness of God by their virtue. Everything in a religion which does not tend towards this goal must be considered foreign or dangerous

Axeroberts · 56-60, M

@basilfawlty89 or you do not understand Him 🤔