The atheist problem of disease: Who's to blame?
A cancer diagnosis is often accompanied by many questions with Why me?' prominent among them. This question is asked by Job in the midst of his suffering, but ultimately he has an answer: God is in some way behind it. Although not a simple explanation, this does offer a degree of comfort and h...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Sage
[2018]
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| In: |
Theology
Year: 2018, Volume: 121, Issue: 2, Pages: 92-95 |
| RelBib Classification: | AB Philosophy of religion; criticism of religion; atheism HB Old Testament NBC Doctrine of God NBE Anthropology NCH Medical ethics |
| Further subjects: | B
Occupation
B genetic luck B Compassion B Empathy B Blame B Hope B Cancer |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (Verlag) |
| Summary: | A cancer diagnosis is often accompanied by many questions with Why me?' prominent among them. This question is asked by Job in the midst of his suffering, but ultimately he has an answer: God is in some way behind it. Although not a simple explanation, this does offer a degree of comfort and hope. The atheist or agnostic though cannot appeal to the certainty of a personal God. A superficial scientific explanation blames' genetic mutation on cancer, but while this gives some answers, it fails to offer a comfort or hope similar to that which Job experienced. Indeed, modern medics could be accused of lacking empathy and compassion when reliant on purely scientific explanations for the origin of an illness. The book of Job is a reminder that such superficial explanations of illness are rarely helpful when used alone and outside of a supportive and empathic relationship. |
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| ISSN: | 2044-2696 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Theology
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1177/0040571X17740524 |