sparked quite a debate on social
media about God and why He saved an American doctor and let 1,200
Africans die of the Ebola virus.
The writer, who said she gave up on God many years ago, wondered how
God works. Find the article below...
"Lucky Dr Kent Brantly, the American doctor who has recovered from
Ebola, having been given a dose of the experimental antibody serum
Zmapp, whizzed home to the US, and given another dose. He is now
thanking God for saving his life. Through the medical team and drugs,
he admits, but ultimately, it seems, God was in charge.
And he chose Brantly, not the other 1,200 mainly west African people
who have died horribly, which seems a bit picky." Continue...
It must be lovely for Brantly to be so sure of things. I tried, aged
10, to work out whether God was around or not, but couldn't. "What was
his actual shape?" I wondered. And how could he be everywhere, all at
once? How big, for example, was his toenail? Did it cover Ruislip,
where I lived? I imagined him constantly on the go, distant enough for
an effective overview and able to home in on catastrophes and act. But
it was very hit and miss. Would he be on the spot when you needed him,
like Brantly did? On and on I went for years, trying to believe in
him. I even went camping with a tremendously religious youth
organisation, but despite the prayers and observances, even the devout
did some frightfully rude things in their tents.
And there was no divine retribution. I gave up on God, for ever.
Millions didn't. They seem to be obeying his instructions to the
letter, which isn't doing the world any favours. But at last, a bit of
good news. The Jehovah's Witnesses are mellowing. They have a new
tactic. Instead of just knocking on doors, they're also allowed to
stand beside their literature, smiling, near shops and stations,
letting us approach voluntarily. Marvelous. It's a shame they didn't
do this years ago, when my old friend was a Jehovah's Witness.
She was terrified sick of being sent to knock on our door.
Luckily it never happened.
If only all religions would take this hands-off approach and let us
all believe whatever we like. No pressure. I hope that one day, that
will happen. I would say "Please, God," but I can't.
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