Dr. Bart Ehrman is a renowned American biblical scholar and the author of many books related to the historicity of Christianity and textual criticism of the New Testament. He is also very well known for his scholarly debates on topics related to his field of expertise. I’ve personally watched many of his debates and YouTube videos, and it is fair to say that Dr. Erhman is very articulate.
However, his view on God and religion is very disappointing, especially given his scholarly background and his intellectual integrity. He is a declared atheist or agnostic.
Dr. Bart Ehrman says that he used to be a Christian. The reason why he abandoned religion, more precisely, the faith in the existence of God, as he explains, is his problem with evil and suffering. He is not the first one to say this. The American science communicator and astrophysicist, Neil deGrasse Tyson justifies his atheistic views by not being able to reconcile between the idea that God is good, on one hand, and all the suffering that exists in the world, on the other hand.
Although this is very a foolish and silly argument, in my view, Dr. Bart Ehrman and Neil deGrasse Tyson are not stupid, at least intellectually, while according to the Qur’an, “who would reject the religion of Abraham except a fool!” [2:130]
Dr. Ehrman argues that there cannot be a God because there is much starvation, suffering – many small children dying every day, and injustice. To him, this does not make any sense. In fact, he goes even further that if there is such a God, he would refuse to accept Him exactly because His wisdom cannot be comprehended by Bart Ehrman.
Well, I totally agree with Bart Ehrman and Mr. Tyson that there is suffering, corruption, injustice and starvation. Young children die everyday, especially in Yemen, Iraq, Sudan, Syria, Libya, Afghanistan, Somalia etc. If there is a God, doesn’t He have the power to change the condition of those people?!
As a scholar, Bart Ehrman knows very well that human beings have free will. God has given them a special quality: free will. God has put humans in charge here on Earth as a test.
So, the starvation, injustice and corruption are caused by humans, not God. It’s not God responsible for the injustice, but us. I am shocked that Dr. Bart Ehrman fails to point the finger at the US Government and other criminal Western organizations for all the theft of natural resources and oil, wars and the murder of children in Iraq, dropping of bombs, rape and oppression, destruction of families and spread of corruption, but he finds it very convenient to blame God.
No, Dr. Bart, it is not God responsible for the massive starvation, but your corrupt and immoral government. So, blame the US Government, not God, Who has given us power and reason to test us how we act. Your government has chosen to kill and murder, to steal and destroy.
You’re very smart, Dr. Bart, but politically dishonest.
Sabri Lushi
