Because we heard from many who were asking some of life's toughest questions, we asked a friend, Pastor Hugh Quinn, to provide us with his thoughts in regard to the terrible attack on America.

Life's Big Questions

In these uncertain times the cry for certainty is greater than ever. Many have asked,in the aftermath of the recent attacks, the provocative question: "Why would a good God permit such events to occur?" Many try to avoid such questions, yet the question itself leaves a clue to the answer. What is the origin of this sense of outrage which grips our hearts in attempting to mentally process the recent events in our nation? What in the human consciousness motivates so many with such a sense of compassion, bravery and heroism in the face of such evil? From whence comes this sense of justice and our recognition of its violation?

Why a need for Justice!

The ancient Greek philosopher Plato postulated the concept that the ideas of justice, goodness, beauty and balance exist in our consciousness as perfect standards, from which all of us fall helplessly short. It follows then that we must inquire, where does the standard come from? Even little children playing together will utter the famous cry, "Not Fair"! If someone cuts ahead of us in line or fails to heed a stop sign we are enraged. Yet our anger stems, not so much from the fact that the other person got ahead of us, as much as is the sense that an injustice has occurred. Indeed a young child who has been sexually abused knows instinctively that something cruel and heinous has been committed upon their person, even though they may have no knowledge of human sexuality. So this inborn sense of justice has propelled philosophers to seek and religions to attempt to provide answers. C.S. Lewis theorized that the human sense of right and wrong was a clue to meaning in the universe. The idea that God has placed this awareness in our consciousness.

The Search for Answers

Many religions of the world address this issue similarly. Many people conclude from this that one religion is as good as another. What is interesting about this reaction is that in so many other human endeavors, such as medicine, science or mathematics, one desires to find definite answers and attain certainty. Indeed religion is the only area where being vague is considered progressive. Yet the religions themselves all claim a certainty. This being the case it would seem prudent to investigate and see if truth can be found.

Is There Truth?

In mathematics there is only one right answer for each problem, but it can also be acknowledged that some answers are closer than others. So in religion one can recognize that there is some good in all religions yet at the same time pursue the notion that some are closer to truth than others. The Ten Commandments in the Hebrew bible ( Exodus 20:1-17) hold forth a standard that many readily accept. We all tend to believe that to refrain from lying, stealing and murder are universal principles. However when we come to the part about covetousness, we realize that we fall hopelessly short of the standard. Something inside of us knows it's not really a "best out of ten" deal! Indeed all religions seem to present a set of rules; an impending judgment and also a sense of mercy and hope to escape punishment. Thus the human heart struggles between living up to an impossible standard and yet hoping for mercy.

A Possible Answer!

In the New Testament, a strange variation from the norm is proclaimed. For it frankly acknowledges that we have all sinned and fallen short of the standard. It proclaims a rescue mission initiated by God. It declares that God is not someone up there somewhere, but that God entered into human history in the person of Jesus Christ. That God in fact became a Man, lived life here; suffered all our trials and temptations; and died on the cross to satisfy all the claims of justice on our behalf. It declares that he rose again victorious and now extends infinite love and forgiveness to all who sincerely call upon him in faith. In the simplest of terms, Christianity proclaims a Person not a doctrine or philosophy, a Relationship rather than a religion, God coming to Man instead of man trying to reach God. Whosoever will call upon the Name of the Lord shall be saved (Romans 10:13).