Why Did God Allow 9/11?

Why did God allow 9/11? This page tries to get to grips with that question?

Some say "If God is God [i.e. all-powerful] he is not good; if God is good [i.e. all-loving] he is not God." Those people have an easy exit from this conundrum. But many of us believe God is both God and good; we don't have such an easy exit, and must struggle with the issue. This page tries to do that. Most of the page is theology, but theology should not stop at intellectual reflection: it should lead us to a response. That's what this page tries to do.

We try to go beyond the simple answers. We try to help those of us who are not satisfied with simple answers to get to grips with what happened in the light of the God who Is and who has revealed himself even though we can never fully know him this side of eternity.

This is the short summary of a Biblical view of the attacks on the USA; the full version sets out the theological argument step by step. This summary has links into the full version.

1. In the destruction of the symbols of world trade and US military might, God is giving a warning to the USA and the Western people that aspire to American ways.

2. The warning is:

3. There are three levels of responsibility, not one. Those with greater power or priviledge or special roles have greater responsibility:

• All peoples are called upon to exhibit humility, mercy and justice (Micah 6:8) rather than attitudes of "arrogance, overfed and unconcern" (Ezekiel 16:49.

• Those with power, those in leadership, have an added responsibility: to shepherd those led for their own sake, rather than merely manage them for our own convenience or interests; see God's condemnation of Israel's leaders (not people) in Ezekiel 34.

• A very special responsibility rests on those who represent the Living God, in any way, to the rest of the world. Not only to execute God's justice and uphold God's moral standards, but more deeply to show forth the character of God - the whole character of God, including his love for the poor and powerless and his humility. Superpower status is a gift from God, not from human effort alone, not a status to maintain at any cost, and it can be removed by God.

4. The USA has failed in all three (the third is relevant because it is known as the foremost Christian nation on earth). It is "arrogant, overfed and unconcerned", it uses its power for its own ends, and it is showing the world a totally distorted view of the Living God. In the words of Billy Graham, "If God does not judge America, he must apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah." (The sin of Sodom was "affluence, arrogance and unconcern" [Ezek. 16:49].)

5. God is active in the affairs of the world. He loves his Creation and does not forever overlook injustice. He sets up powers - and then removes them if they are wicked.

6. But first God gives warnings, giving us a chance to repent and turn from our ways of pride and injustice, and rely instead on him. If we do not heed his prophets, then he sends disasters. Finally, if we refuse to repent, he removes the nation from its power, maybe by violent means.

7. If we merely try to butch it out, relying on our own strength or wisdom or knowledge, we will find our plans go awry - we will find God is working against us. Yes, he even uses people more wicked than those he is punishing.

8. See Steps in Unrepentance - why things are going wrong.

See 9/11 - Ten Years On for the legacy. Instead of repenting, the USA decided to 'tough it out'. Has it not left the world in a much worse state than at 9/11?

... Especially in the light of the sudden emergence in 2014 of The Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Well-funded, well-armed, it is taking over towns, cities and areas and driving Christians and others out, with genocide.

To send comments, queries, suggestions please send an email to:

       
- an email address made up as follows:

• After the 'at' sign is the domain, which is "kgsvr . net" without the spaces

• Before the 'at' sign is "xn" - just those two letters, which is my abbreviation for "Christian".

(I apologise that I have to make it a little complicated; it is because I don't want automated spamming systems to find the email and send junk that will swamp your genuine messages. Thank you for your understanding - as well as for your comments.

About This Page

Copyright (c) Andrew Basden at all the dates below. But you may use this material subject to certain conditions.

Written on the Amiga with Protext in the style of classic HTML.

Created: 2001. Last updated: 7 October 2001. 23 June 2002 corrected for new version. 8 September 2002 new version. 1 August 2004 unrepentance, .nav. 7 May 2011 link to america.html; new .end,.nav. 8 May 2011 new .end,.nav. 5 September 2011 link usa.10y, Ezek 16:49. 2 September 2012 superpower status. 10 August 2014 name=usa.smy; ISIL. 10 September 2014 9-11-response, new .nav. 7 July 2015 new .end. 20 February 2017 request dashes. 5 September 2021 new .end, .nav; 9-11-20y.