RT Article
T1 The atheist problem of disease: Who's to blame?
JF Theology
VO 121
IS 2
SP 92
OP 95
A1 Collins, Graham P.
LA English
PB Sage
YR 2018
UL https://www.ixtheo.de/Record/1576342603
AB 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.
K1 Job
K1 Blame
K1 Cancer
K1 Compassion
K1 Empathy
K1 genetic luck
K1 Hope
DO 10.1177/0040571X17740524