When God Didn't Cause It: Rethinking Tragedy, Birth Defects, and Scripture's Poetic Claims (Q&A Series #2)

How do we reconcile a loving God with the pain of birth defects, child loss, and perceived divine silence? This honest and moving Q&A episode tackles some of the most deeply personal and theologically challenging listener questions about suffering, scripture, and how God's will interacts with real-world tragedy. Mike and Andy explore whether Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1 teach that God literally forms every child in the womb, and what that means for children born with trisomy 18 or Down syndrome. Offering empathy, biblical insight, and honest wrestling, they aim to create space for faith that allows for heartfelt mourning and hope beyond trauma. They also respond to questions about the accessibility of Scripture for those without formal education, examine the role of biblical scholarship versus everyday spiritual understanding, and talk through how to sit beside fellow believers—whether LGBTQ+ or ideologically different—with humility, grace, and hospitality. From divine sovereignty to stigmatization in the church, this episode doesn't hold back. Key Takeaways: • God Did Not Cause It – Unpacking a non-Calvinist theology of suffering that affirms God's goodness in a broken world without attributing tragedy to God's active will. • Poetry, Not Prescription – Psalm 139 and Jeremiah 1 offer deeply personal metaphors about God's knowledge of us, not literal step-by-step accounts of fetal development or divine intention of abnormalities. • Grieving Without Platitudes – A compassionate challenge to Christian clichés and a call to be honest with God, especially amid heartbreaking loss. • Scripture Is for Everyone – Encouragement that the Bible's message of grace is accessible to all, while recognizing the added richness that deeper study and scholarship can provide. • Sitting Beside Difference – Wrestling with how to love people we disagree with, whether they are white supremacists or LGBTQ+ Christians, and how the church's historic inconsistencies have contributed to present stigmas. Resources Mentioned: • Previous Voxology episodes on suffering, evil, and God's will – VoxologyPodcast.com • Peter Enns – Works on interpreting difficult scripture and biblical complexity • "Misreading Scripture with Western Eyes" by E. Randolph Richards and Brandon J. O'Brien • The story of the man born blind – John 9 • Matthew 20 – Parable of the Day Laborers Help us create space for raw, compassionate, Christ-rooted dialogue by joining the Voxology community. Subscribe, leave a review, and follow us on social media to stay connected and continue the conversation. We love hearing from you. Send your questions to [email protected] and engage with us on Facebook and Instagram. Watch on VOXOLOGY TV via YouTube Shop Voxology merch on Etsy Support the podcast on Patreon Subscribe via Apple Podcasts or Spotify Follow Mike on Twitter: @MikeErre Music by Timothy John Stafford | Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy As always, we encourage and would love discussion as we pursue. Feel free to email in questions to [email protected], and to engage the conversation on Facebook and Instagram. We're on YouTube (if you're into that kinda thing): VOXOLOGY TV. Our Merch Store! ETSY Learn more about the Voxology Podcast Subscribe on iTunes or Spotify Support the Voxology Podcast on Patreon The Voxology Spotify channel can be found here: Voxology Radio Follow us on Instagram: @voxologypodcast and "like" us on Facebook Follow Mike on Twitter: www.twitter.com/mikeerre Music in this episode by Timothy John Stafford Instagram & Twitter: @GoneTimothy