Rick Warren and his god of pain

[Photo from here]

Pain is good, saith Rick Warren. Pain is useful, pontificates Rick Warren. Pain is god's hammer, preacheth Rick Warren.

Rick Warren of the notorious Saddleback Church in Lake Forest, California, mighty influential rightwing "evangelical" leader, and noted invocation-giver at President Obama's swearing-in, hath written a guest column for a right-wing christianist rag known as Christian Post.

The column is an attempt to explain the problem of pain from a christianist point of view. The question asked is simple: "Why does God allow pain?"


Mr. Warren claims that he's been asked that question many times, implying that he has studied on it and read up on it and reasoned about it and probably prayed about it, and he has four answers to it.


First of all, says Warren, God gave us "free will". Now, notice that is only tangentially related to the question as to why god allows pain. And ultimately, it means that god set us up.

But Warren claims that god wants his creation to love him "voluntarily," so he gave humans "free will," meaning we can choose to do his will or reject his will. And if we choose wrongly, e.g., experiment with drugs, we are going to feel pain. God doesn't want us to feel pain but, oh well, you get what you pay for!

Heh. Heh. What a great god, huh? Being omniscient, of course, god knew from all time that by giving us free will he/she/it would cause us a lot of pain, but that's no problem. Free will is important so we can love him voluntarily.

But, and this is the proverbial $64 thousand dollar question, why would the creator of the universe and all that exists, an omniscient, omnipotent, omnipresent and benevolent being "need" his creation to love him voluntarily? Was he/she/it lonely? Frustrated? Or, maybe just a bit sadistic?


Next, Warren says god "uses pain to get our attention." Yup. Pain, saith the rev, is "God's megaphone." So "Pain isn't your problem, it's a symptom." A symptom of what, you ask, as you struggle with cancer, paying your bills, raising your kids, crazy in-laws, etc.?

Aha! A symptom that you're not following the dictates of the benevolent god who created you out of love. Love? This is love? Using pain to get us to change our ways is love?

What kind of shit is that? What half-way decent parent would do that to his children. We've known for a long time that candy works better than a big stick. Even Warren's god should have heard about the benefits of positive reinforcement!


If that isn't enough, Warren the pastor, says "God uses pain to teach us to depend on him." Aw, that's so sweet. Why not try that at home? Your five-year old child has an independent streak and tends to do the opposite of what you tell her to do. Allow her some pain! Let her walk in front of a car. That will surely make her depend on you and your wisdom and guidance. Right?

Warren quotes that old rascal Paul: "We were crushed and overwhelmed and saw how powerless we were to help ourselves but that was good for then we put everything into the hands of God who could save us and he did help us."

None of this means anything without the context of course, but is another example of how christianists love to quote bible verses as if they are supposed to be relevant to our particular situation.


Finally, "God allows pain to give me a ministry to others." Jesus H. Christ! What kind of god does this clown believe in?

Here's how it works in the dithering mind of the rev: God allows you to have pain; he comforts you in your pain; that motivates you to go out and comfort others in their pain. What a great plan. Couldn't the creator of the universe and everything that exists figure out another, better way to motivate people to help other people?


It's all a crock! If the god of Rick Warren exists, he shouldn't. Why would anyone care about such a despicable, evil deity?

I'd say this god is a pain in the ass!