Haiti and the problem of evil

Image by United Nations Development Programme via Flickr

The Los Angeles Times has a heartbreaking snapshot of Haitians turning to God in the midst of the destruction.

In front of the broken churches, which in some cases still harbored bodies, worshipers looked to powers beyond their grasp for help. “Don’t pray for the dead,” boomed Joel St. Amour, preaching outside the Evangelical Baptist Church. “Pray for the living.”

The rest of the article is mostly a summary of the state of the country just days after the earthquake, which has left thousands dead and affected millions of residents. But toward the end, the piece does turn to religion once again and in particular, the problem of evil: If God is benevolent, all powerful, and omnipotent, why does he let bad things like this happen to good people?

One doctor treating children in Haiti tries to offer a response by clinging to hope…

“Just because this happens doesn’t mean God doesn’t love you,” said Mary Marthe Joseph, combing the hair of a 4-year-old girl she didn’t know. “He will help us go on. I have no idea if the foreigners will help. I haven’t seen anything here yet.”

Here, God isn’t blamed for the tragedy but offered as a means to move on. Of course, there are also those — like Pat Robertson and Wiley Drake — who try to get around the problem of evil by blaming the Haitians themselves and their alleged pact with Satan. A theory, as outlandish as it is, that is inappropriate to espouse at this time of pain and tragedy.