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I am amazed at the polarizing effect VRIN is having on readers. Christians are unanimously rating it 5 stars, and non Christians are rating it 3. The reason for the 3 stars seems to be that the book is riveting and well written, but the references to God having a plan for our lives is a theme so hated, it leaves non Christian readers feeling cheated, or lied to.
Near as I can tell, there is an overwhelming belief that God is not in control of what happens to us here on this Earth. And any reference to the contrary is bitterly rejected. It seems to me that people can't reconcile the existence of evil in the world. If God allows evil to happen he is either a) not in control, or b) Evil himself. The truth is, these are both wrong. Consider this true story:
An Australian man-- bitter at his wife for her continued success in their divorce hearings-- takes his young daughter and throws her off a bridge and kills her, right in front of her brother.
Was God in control? Did God sanction the death of that little girl? If we believe that God's hands were somehow tied, we can forgive him for allowing such a horrible thing to happen. We believe that God is altogether like us, and that he can only contemplate this one terrible moment. But the truth is, he sees from an eternal perspective. He knows who that little girl will grow up to be, and who she will influence, because remember, she is genetically her father's daughter. God knows what that moment will do to her little brother, and whether he will be able to bounce back from this trauma. He understands abstract things like: that little girls entire family will be drawn together because of this tragedy, and that age old bitterness between family members will be healed by this one act of evil. He knows that that little girl will come straight from this horrible moment of violence, directly into His arms and be with him for Eternity. I could go on and on, but I hope you see the point. God did not stop this atrocity from happening, but that doesn't make Him evil. And it doesn't mean he is not in control. His viewpoint just happens to be different. He is not constrained by space and time-- or an Earthly perspective.
If your understanding of God is that he is either Absent, or Evil, you will not like VRIN: ten mortal gods. If, however, you believe God loves you and has a plan for you, this book will be a satisfying adventure into a world unlike anything you've ever imagined.
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