Maybe God Is Testing Your Faith


I have an acquaintance who is  a member of one of Sarasota's largest Fundamentalist/ Evangelical churches.

 This man is a gentle, decent and sweet man.  There is nothing not to like about him.

 He and his wife have a son who last year was admitted to one of the most prestigious engineering/aeronautical Colleges in Florida. Kudos to this young man.

 Two days ago I asked my acquaintance how his son was progressing in his academic studies.  Dad told me that his good son was struggling in some areas of study -  especially calculus, and had texted his father for help.

 The father, my acquaintance, told me that he had texted his son back to say (in so many words)  "Pray and trust God. God opened the door for you to be at that school, and he (God) must have his reasons for you to be there. As for your difficulties with calculus, maybe God is testing your faith".

 "Bloody hell"  as we might say in England.  This is exactly the theology which drove me away from the evangelical theology  of my youth and early adulthood. 

 It raises these questions:

 1)  re:  "God opened the door for you to be at that school,"  

 does this mean that God also closed the door for the scores and hundreds of equally well qualified applicants? 

 Is God the super-dooper celestial admissions officer?

 2) re:   "As for your difficulties with calculus, maybe God is testing your faith".  


 does this mean that a struggle with calculus is God's will?

 Is God in charge of the tests and exams in American (and other Colleges) ?

 Fie on such a micro managing God.



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