The Bible advises that on occasion one should: “Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own eyes” (Pr. 26:5). Therefore, this article is in response to the person who calls himself FARMBOY, who has a website brimming with arrogance, which is reflected in what he calls “A Letter to God (with no hope for an answer).” It would have been more nearly accurate for him to have said that he had no desire for an answer, or, simply, that he has no hope, period. In his introduction to the letter he boasts:
I am an atheist. I do not believe there is even the remotest possibility that a “god” exists. With that understood, I write this letter to the god that billions worship, knowing with full confidence that I will never get an answer.
Those who have prayed for him he insults by calling “mental types.” Those who have attempted to answer him have only succeeded in furnishing him with “a half chuckle.” He adds at the conclusion of his letter he warns believers: “If god wants me to know the answers, he will tell me. He shouldn’t need you to help him.”
Well, FARMBOY, since you spurn kindness, let me tell you in a straightforward manner why you have not heard from God. It is not that He does not exist or has problems communicating (just ask Pharaoh). In all your own self-esteem, you have probably not asked yourself this one simple question; so I will ask it for you: “Why should God bother to talk to a fool?” “The fool has said in his heart, ‘There is no God'” (Ps. 14:1). Since you do not believe “there is even the remotest possibility that a ‘god’ exists,” you have classified yourself as a fool.
By the way, you might explain to the rest of us how it is that you reached your firm conclusion of God’s nonexistence. Were you just born with that knowledge? Did logic force you to such a conclusion? Or was it the result of some experience? Don’t you owe it to the rest of us to share your wisdom in this matter? After all, if we are serving a nonexistent being, we are wasting our time. With your knowledge we could become enlightened. Without your explanation we will be forced to think that you are the foolish one.
You may not have considered this point, either: As God gave up on the Gentiles who suppressed the truth in unrighteousness, He may also have given up on you (Rom. 1:18-32). If you do not wish to retain Him in your knowledge, He can handle it. Do you honestly think He will follow you around, begging you to believe in Him? Now that picture really is funny.
God is not accountable to us; we are accountable to Him (Acts 17:30-31; Rom. 14:11-12; 2 Cor. 5:10). He did not even explain to Job the reason for his suffering, though Job fervently desired to know the reason for it. If God would not inform a devoted servant, what makes you think He would answer an egotistical infidel?
Besides, the day of judgment will prove you wrong beyond any doubt. I can wait until then to let God’s presence show up your foolishness, but it’s a price that you cannot afford. You will have all eternity to reassess your position. Unfortunately, it will not matter if you change your mind then. You might give some thought now, however, to reversing yourself.
Now, FARMBOY, you said you were not interested in a reply to your letter; so you can quit reading if you wish. This response will be to demonstrate to others that there is no validity to what you probably think are intriguing questions. So let’s look at what you wrote.
In Genesis, it says that you created everything in “seven days and nights”. Bible scholars insist that these days and nights are not to be meant as 24 hour periods. How they come to this conclusion varies, and none of them agree on much. So, in Genesis, was your “day and night” a 24 hour period, as we mortals understand the term?
FARMBOY, if I were God and disposed to chatting with fools, my answer would be: “You need to learn how to read more carefully. The earth was completed in six days, and I rested on the seventh day. Read what I wrote in Genesis 1:31-2:3. You might also notice what I wrote in Exodus 31:17 concerning the basis for the continual observance of the Sabbath day for my people: ‘It is a sign between Me and the children of Israel forever; for in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, and on the seventh day He rested and was refreshed.’ When you were reading through Genesis 1, did you fail to observe the expression, the evening and the morning? I only threw it in there six times (1:5, 8, 13, 19, 23, 31). What other kind of day would you expect besides a 24-hour one? As for the ‘scholars’ you mentioned, you will need to write a letter to them if you want to understand their thinking. They do not have any more respect for me than you do. Many people have been confused by what ‘they’ say. Just stick with what I wrote, and you will not have so many questions.”
“Why did Eve have to come from a rib, when Adam came from dust?” Many have observed that Eve’s coming from Adam’s side shows their equality of worth. Paul says it demonstrates that both are interdependent: “For as the woman was from the man, even so man is through the woman” (1 Cor. 10:11-12).
“You gave this lovely couple complete freedom of choice, yet, you forbade them from eating the fruit of one tree. Why?” Isn’t it obvious? Without a restriction, how can free will be tested? Without a command, how can one be either obedient or disobedient?
“…did you not know before you created anything…that Eve would, indeed, eat of the fruit of this tree and entice Adam to also do so?” The answer is yes: God knew that sin would enter the world He created. He had already purposed that the sacrifice for sins would be paid; therefore, Jesus is referred to as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world” (Rev. 13:8).
“If you knew this, why did you proceed with tempting them? Was it a game?” FARMBOY, you show your ignorance of the Book: “…God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13).
Satan is the one that did the tempting (John 8:44). No, it is not a game. Games involve an element of chance. God’s choices are clear-cut: Choose to love and serve Him, and you are rewarded with eternal life; choose to be rebellious, selfish, and foolish, and the end result is eternal condemnation. There is no element of chance involved. Life is not a game of chance; it is making the right decision.
In Genesis, after Adam and Eve ate of the fruit, you did all sorts of things to them. They discovered they were naked and that suddenly became a bad thing. Instead of creating more humans, you condemned Eve to bear them the hard way. Why did you not just create more? Why is eating one apple so much of a horrid thing that you then condemn billions of humans to pay for the “sin” of your own first creation? Did you not create them perfectly? Where [sic] they not made in “your image?”
It would be difficult to imagine more erroneous assumptions and misinformation in one paragraph. First of all, let’s consider the technical mistakes. The question mark should be outside the quotation marks: you’re asking a question; “your image” is not a question. This letter has been on the Internet since September of 1997? You should have proofread it at least once since then. If you had, you would have noticed you have where for were in the last sentence of the above paragraph (this error gives me half a chuckle).
Your careless use of language reflects your careless ability to read the Scriptures: nowhere does the Bible say the fruit was an “apple.” You are relying more on the pop culture for your information than you are the Bible. If you are going to be so foolish as to attack the Divine revelation of Deity, you might at least try to get your facts correct.
Nakedness did not suddenly become a bad thing (although it would be defined as such later in certain contexts). Prior to eating the fruit (now notice this description) of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, Adam and Eve were in a state of innocence, as children are. The fruit provided them knowledge instantaneously. Nowadays we all attain it through growth and maturity. After they ate the fruit, they came to know what nakedness means. They covered themselves out of a sense of embarrassment.
Your question about just creating more people is as impertinent as it is irrelevant. Why not ask why God did not make the sky green and grass red? When you create your universe, FARMBOY, you can do it the way you want. You have no creative power; you can only criticize and destroy. Besides, if God decided to create more humans every time one sinned, there would be no such thing as the birth process, babies, nurturing, or parenthood! We would just have innocent, naked adults popping into existence all over the place without a clue as to what is going on.
Billions of humans are not paying for the “sin” of Adam and Eve (which you assign to God). We need only be concerned about our own sins (Eze. 18:20). God did not “sin” in creating the world. The world was pure, and mankind was pure. Human beings, however, cannot be human beings without free will. Adam and Eve only represented all mankind; they did what we all do when we choose to disobey God. Have you ever chosen to do something wrong when you knew it was wrong, FARMBOY? Then you have no basis to accuse God or Adam and Eve.
Yes, the first pair entered the world in perfect condition; they were made in God’s image, and so were you. You came with the ability to think critically, analyze, evaluate, and make decisions. You are able to reason and think rationally, but as your “letter” demonstrates, you can choose to be irrational, also. You can be like God, or you can be as stubborn as Satan. The gift of free will is what gives you these choices. If you did not have it, you would have no freedom to flaunt your misconceptions of God.
Your question about the land of Nod and mates for the offspring of Adam and Eve are typical. Atheists have shown more curiosity about the land of Nod than practically any other subject. If they spent nearly that much effort in an honest evaluation of how mankind came into existence, they would be far better off. The name Nod means “place of wandering,” as nearly any commentary will state. It probably came to be named such after Cain made that region his home, just as we might talk about the Indians who dwelt in Oklahoma, though there was no such state at the time they settled there. Adam and Eve had an unspecified number of sons and daughters (Gen. 5:4). Even today, some people have as many as 10 to 20 children, from whom could be formed 5 to 10 new couples.
“If we are all descendants of Adam and Eve, why did the first few generations not have the same health problems that modern day offspring of siblings have?” The answer is really quite simple: God is smarter than you are, FARMBOY. He knew about DNA, genetics, and diseases when He created mankind–long before mankind ever got around to figuring it out. He arranged it so that the resulting combinations from Adam and Eve would not create such conflicts.
Most of what you write in the next few paragraphs is not in the form of a question; so there is little to answer. You do not find God’s method of redeeming mankind intelligible, but your insistence upon remaining ignorant is not God’s fault. In answer to the time of Jesus’ incarnation, it was “the fullness of time” (Gal. 4:4). You do not have the knowledge or the capability to make such a decision. What arrogance you possess. You don’t believe in God, but if He does exist, He did things all wrong because He lacked your insight.
Because the people of the times are rather stupid, you fill the new testament with parables that only they can understand. Did you not realize that thousands of years later, the meaning of these would be lost in translation?
Stupid people were given parables that we (presumably, more intelligent people) cannot understand? That’s not even good nonsense. Jesus did not speak in parables because people were stupid, but to hide certain points from those who would not accept them anyway. Their problem was centered in the heart, not the brain. They were not unlike you, FARMBOY (Matt. 13:13-16). Little (if any) meaning is lost in translation; certainly nothing crucial to salvation has been lost.
“If we believe, we can be healed of disease and pain…” What Scripture did you read that in? You have been listening to too many televangelists (which is peculiar for an atheist).
You affirm that Adam and Eve had no choice and that we do not, either. If that is so, then how do you explain that many of us have chosen to obey God, and you haven’t? If there were no choice, we would all think the same thing and make the same decisions.
You ask how you can know that Jesus did not already return a second time. That’s easy: the world is still standing. When Jesus returns for His own, the world will be burned up (2 Peter 3).
Why should you spend eternity in hell just because you don’t believe in God or Jesus? You suffer eternal torment because of your sins. It is as though you have fallen into the well of sin. God and Jesus are your hope of getting out. Don’t be surprised if you eventually drown because you have refused assistance. Jesus came to save, not condemn; you are already condemned because of your sins (John 3:16-21).
Why are you expected to follow a long set of rules and regulations? Which ones don’t you like? Which ones are not in your best interests? One who loves (John 14:15) does not mind pleasing another.
Why is God permitted to execute justice but you are not? God knows what He is doing, and you don’t.
“Why did you give us organs, biblically meant only for procreation, that also function so well as tools of pleasure?” Where in the Bible does it say that such organs are only for procreation? Read 1 Corinthians 7:2-5.
“Why do we have to die?” Death came with sin.
“If you want to talk to me…” FARMBOY, why would God wish to talk to you? Your letter reveals time and again that you haven’t listened to what He has already said. You have paid attention to erroneous ideas rather than going to the source Himself. Try reading His book first; you’ll be better prepared to talk to Him.