It would be funny if it weren’t so tragic and true. What was the first thing Adam and Eve did when confronted with their catastrophic rebellion against God? They blamed somebody else. Eve blamed the serpent, and Adam managed to blame both Eve and God. Satan was laughing as he slithered away. Since he blamed God for his fiery fall from heaven, it doubtless brought him sick pleasure to see God’s children turning against him too. It is now part of his permanent strategy for keeping people confused and spiritually sick.

People like to set up tests to prove the existence of God or to prove whether or not he loves them or has as much power as advertised. When things don’t turn out as desired in these “tests,” people feel justified in drawing conclusions about God’s power, love, competence, or all of the above. They may not have noticed that their dilemmas are largely of their own making: “A person’s own folly leads to their ruin, yet their heart rages against the Lord” (Proverbs 19:3).

Our “nonjudgmental” culture feeds that delusion. People who are prone to commit domestic violence or engage in drug abuse, sexual abuse, or alcoholism are classed as “victims” of “diseases,” and thus absolved of personal responsibility. People who have dropped out of school complain bitterly about the meager job opportunities available to them. 

When you have the right opportunity, speak the truth in love to your friends who talk like this. Or to yourself.