At a private Christian discussion group recently, I was told that humans are God’s ultimate masterpieces of creation.

It’s also an unarguable Christian trope, that God is kind and benevolent, and that both He and Jesus love us without question.

As I left the group after two sessions, I thought it was worth adding some of my questions and doubts here.

In the discussion, I suggested that God could have tweaked his design of humans. Let’s face it, he’s God, and he can design things exactly as he wishes.

I also suggested that as we are clearly imperfect beings, God could have easily made a few minor improvements to his initial design of our mental outlook, to make us all jog along a little more agreeably.

However, as we humans are supposedly made in his image, could it be possible that God is also imperfect, and that we are merely a reflection of his own deficiencies?

So I find myself asking the question, how did the likes of Pol Pot, Chairman Mao, Stalin and Hitler find their way into the human community of planet Earth? Could it be possible these characters are among gods masterpieces? Was it part of God’s plan to parachute these truly dreadful examples into our midst?

Had God – I argued – made us a little kinder and a little more thoughtful, perhaps we could have avoided wars, and all the unpleasantness we encounter on a daily basis.

There was some pushback against my questioning. A member of the group suggested that if God had reprogrammed our brains, we would all be like Stepford Wives or robots.

I wasn’t suggesting becoming dullards was the preferred alternative. I was more reasonably thinking that while God was planning his original concept of creating humans, he might have considered making us a little more intelligent, and considerably less argumentative, and with an inbuilt capacity to help our fellow beings.

Instead of lying beaten and helpless at the roadside, waiting for a good Samaritan to appear out of the throng of passers-by, anyone would do, as we would all be good Samaritans. Surely, God could have arranged that virtue in us all.

But apparently, God decided not to do that. In designing his masterpiece, he thought it would be a good idea to create us riddled with doubts and insecurities. He postulated it would be far better to let us fight amongst ourselves for supremacy, for understanding, for good health, and in some cases for food and water, and the bear necessities of life on Earth.

While we have God’s intentions under the microscope… why do small children die of cancer, birth defects and other terminal afflictions?

Go to Ormond Street hospital any day of the week and tour the wards. See for yourself how God’s great plan includes small children suffering a slow and miserable death, for the benefit of no one and the indescribable grief of their parents.

For those pressures young things, their opportunities for growing up, expanding their knowledge, enjoying adult relationships, producing their own offspring, and leading meaningful lives, are all pointlessly swept away. Empty beds are soon refilled with more suffering and more young lives ended before they have a chance to jump for joy.

Maybe I’m missing the point, but I’m struggling to see where God’s loving kindness and benevolence kicks in for these tender young lives.

At the other end of life, God has apparently designed us so our bodies and quality-of-life slowly crumble away thanks to hip and knee replacements, osteoporosis, angina, heart attacks, strokes, incontinence, a smorgasbord of cancers and a wide variety of respiratory problems.

The selection of ghastly health failures that diminish our quality-of-life in old age, is a vast and unending list. It’s little wonder that some would like to end their lives before the allotted time, rather than shudder to a halt in pain as functionality slowly collapses.

The one that is particularly cruel, is dementia.

You might wonder why your creator believes it’s a good idea to have you wandering off down the street in your underpants, while having no clue who you are or where you live.

I don’t think I’m ready to drop to my knees and give heartfelt thanks for the guidance, the loving care, and the abundance of joy I’ve been granted. I might chew over these carefully designed negative gifts before joining the worshipping crowd…

It’s strange how devout believers often turn a blind eye towards anything that reflects badly on their beliefs. But perhaps the ability to turn a blind eye is another one of God’s creations.

Simon Bailey

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