Christianity and other faiths teach believers that they can connect with God or their supreme being through prayer and worship.
However, wouldn’t it be nice to discuss life’s answers directly with God – in an actual conversation? If something like that was possible, what would you ask?
Recently famed talk show host Oprah Winfrey raised a similar question during an interview with actor and SoulPancake co-creator Rainn Wilson on her OWN Network.
The types of questions raised by respondents ranged from “Why do some people have more than others?” “Is there only one way to get to heaven?” and ‘Could he take me to visit my (deceased) son?’”
Religious and theological experts in Indianapolis say they often hear questions from students and scholarly peers about God’s actions and the fundamentals of life.
Christian Theological Seminary’s (CTS) Dr. Marti Steussy said she is often asked about human hardship and suffering.
“That is a type of question I get frequently from students,” said Steussy, the MacAllister-Petticrew professor of biblical interpretation at CTS. “If God is good and all powerful, why is there suffering?”
Steussy, who is also an ordained minister, has occasionally struggled with this question herself. She recalled witnessing two of her relatives struggle with painful, life-threatening medical challenges.
“I remember looking at that and thinking, ‘I hope there’s something on the other side after this life that will redeem all of this,’” Steussy said.
This week the Recorder conducted a special Facebook poll of readers to determine what they would like to ask a supreme being. The answers represented an interesting range of viewpoints.
Some respondents, like Emily Wasonga, would ask God for direct personal guidance.
“How can we make living simpler and less painful?” she asked. “Also, I would like to know how can we make the second version of Eden, since the first one was supposedly sinned out of our hands.”
Another group of respondents, including Tammyleigh Callagy Pitzer, would seek understanding about painful family tragedies.
“I would thank God for loving us no matter what we have done wrong,” she said. “Then I would ask him why he took my mom away 17 years ago, and why does he allow my 11-year-old daughter to suffer daily with seizures?”
A handful of respondents, such as Andrew Majors, expressed their dissatisfaction with the question itself.
“I would ask God to tell me why people ask absurd questions like this,” Majors said. “The reason being is that we will probably never talk to ‘God’ face to face. I sincerely believe we need to be much more practical and reality-based.”
Sean Rodriguez agreed to a certain extent, saying that it can’t be assumed that the world’s supreme being is a male.
“We can’t take anything for granted. So the correct question is, ‘What would I ask him or her,’” Rodriquez.
Some respondents noted that they would give God a break from answering requests, and instead use their time with God to try to offer him something.
“People don’t always think of God’s needs, but what he needs from us is our appreciation, love, praise and obedience,” Marva Polk said. “So I would just thank him for everything he has done.”
Monica Dean would ask God how he is holding up with all the pressures of running the universe.
She said, “I would ask ‘How are you?’ God listens to us all day, and he would probably like someone to just listen to him for a change.”
Stuessy teaches a course on the life of Job, who is recorded with having unshakable loyalty to God despite significant suffering, as well as the book of Psalms, which often mentions the topic of mercy through tough times.
She believes there is a reason why the topic of suffering is mentioned more often than anything else when it comes to questioning God.
“When we ask God about that, we are actually asking him to take notice and put a stop to it,” Stuessy said. “If we can’t get it to end, then we at least like to know why the hardship is occurring. We can hold up under a lot of pain if we feel like there’s a purpose and a reason behind it.”
