Three Reasons Why God is a Problem

Sitting at a coffee shop, I overheard a conversation between a man and a woman discussing the problem of suicide. The man suggested that God punishes those who commit suicide, and the woman completely disagreed. “Read the bible,” the man said. “God punishes people in the bible all the time.”

“I don’t care what the bible says,” the woman retorted. “God cares and loves us. He knows that we have struggles, and he is here to take care of us.”

The argument was shut down abruptly by another woman who was sitting with them. “We’re not here to argue about religious texts,” she said. “We’re here to keep it positive.”

This conversation reminded me that God is everywhere. Despite the atheist’s attempts to eradicate God, God remains one of the most pervasive beings in our society. Pastors, laypeople, and politicians appeal to him (because God is almost always a “he” in the world within which we live) for justification for the things they do. People ask God for things; people rely upon God when things get bad. Yes, God is almost everywhere in our society.

And God is a problem.