A Look at Suffering - Part Four - The Blueprint

"...directly or indirectly everything in world history follows a meticulous divine blueprint...The ultimate reason why anything happens is that God decided it was better to have it happen than not...At the very least it can be said that each event in world history happens because God willed not to prevent it."

The above is how Boyd describes the The Blueprint Worldview.

While he may have named it, the belief is far from new.

In fact, Boyd points out this worldview goes back to the days of Augustine (the 5th century) and is still quite popular in the church even today.

I can attest to hearing some sermons that have preached this view.

The pastor, or whomever, will use words like "providence" and "immutability" and "will" etc.

Augustine even believed that those who found themselves victims of "evil" by the hands of others to find consolation that there must have been a greater good, as God would not have allowed it to happen.

Calvin called it God's "secret plan."

A plan so secret, there isn't even a hint of it in the Bible - outside of God will eventually win.  But what's the point of winning if the game is rigged and you created it?

How does worldview fit into real life?

Boyd gives an example.  A woman Boyd knew had lost her child to a drunk driver.  To console her, she had been told by fellow Christians that "God had his reasons" and "God is still in control."

As Boyd puts it, "...(it's) as though the drunk driver was actually carrying out the will of God!"

Just another part of God's "secret plan."

This is where the Blueprint Worldview has an issue.  There is no REAL answer to evil and tragedy, except to say there MUST have been greater purpose for it.

A greater purpose that we may never understand or know of.  We are just to trust that God has his "secret plan" and it's working out HIS way...

Of course, "For some people the assumption that God allows tragic events for a specific divine reason has understandably produced rage."


But this begs the questions - why does it HAVE to be this way?

Why couldn't God, if he is so powerful and everything happens because of Him, make His will, His divine plan come about in a different way?

How come God can't bring about His plan without any of us suffering?

If it is all for the greater good, why - at the very least - can't he explain to us how it contributes to the greater good...or at least give us a hint?

The questions keep on coming...no doubt you have some of your own (feel free to same them in the comments).

Boyd also points out: how can God punish someone for doing evil if He is the one that ordained the person to commit the evil - or at the very least allowed it?  To say nothing of "ordaining" or "allowing" Adam and Eve to eat of the forbidden fruit - which "condemned" us all.

"And it's difficult to accept that people in hell somehow contribute to the overall good of creation."

Personally, I must say that is hard for me to accept that God ordains and allows evil to not only exist, but seemingly run rampant in this world.

Yet Boyd asks, "Does denying a specific divine reason for every specific event mean that God is not all-powerful?" and "What are we to make of Bible passages that depict God as orchestrating suffering and evil?"

Very good questions.