God’s Being Sued!

Hot off the press (I kid you not)!

Omaha senator Ernie Chambers (a long time critic of Christianity) is bringing a lawsuit against one who has caused “untold death and horror” while “threatening to cause more still.” The defendent is God. The claim was filed in Douglas County, and since God exists everywhere, he can presumably be sued anywhere. (see the article here)

In his lawsuit Chambers claims that God has made terroristic threats against him and his constituents, inspired fear and caused “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants.” He also alleges that God has caused “fearsome floods … horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes.”

The news did not report how much Chambers is seeking in compensatory damages or whether he’s considering a class action suit that might involve all of humanity.

Now, it seems to me everything rides on which God takes the defense stand. If the omni-controlling God of classical Calvinism shows up, I suspect God’s defense attorney is going to have a rough time of things. He would have to concede that God in fact did all the things Chambers alleges, but that he had good reasons for doing so. His glory would have been displayed less brilliantly had each disaster alleged in the lawsuit not transpired.

The burden would then be on God’s defense attorney to explain why his glory requires such massive nightmarish suffering (intensified to an infinite degree if Chambers brings in the traditional view of hell as eternal, hopeless, conscious suffering). This could be very rough going for God.

But I suspect a very different God will take the defense stand. In fact, I suspect the defense attorney himself will take the stand as God.

This heavenly defense attorney will no doubt testify that God is not to blame for the horrors Chambers alleges, for he had to make humans and angels free if the world was going to be capable of genuine love. And free agents themselves, not God, are responsible for the way they use their freedom. Then, given this attorney’s New Testament track record, I suspect he may turn the case around on Chambers himself. “I gave my life to free the world from sin and suffering,” he may argue. “Are you doing everything you can to rid the world of sin and suffering Mr. Chambers? Why aren’t you joining my cause?”

It’s just possible Chambers will come to see that he’s actually the one on trial and just possible he’ll come to realize and confess his guilt.

This is where the defense attorney will really shine. For he’ll step down from his defense chair, put his arms around this confused senator, and remind him that he’s not really in the court to defend God: he’s in the court to defend Chambers (I Jn 2:2).

Think about it.

Greg