Why Belief in God is not a Comfort after tragic Events like Rape

Yesterday I mentioned the Delhi gang-rape case of December in connection with religion. When the topic was hot in the news, there were discussions on rape all over the newspapers and all over the TV channels, too. Whenever there was a religious person present in such discussions, they at some point brought up the argument that religion is an anchor to victims in such situations and that people find consolation in their belief after such horrible events. In that time I saw a sentence written online which rang true to me. A victim says: God was not there when I was raped, I don’t need him now!

I believe this is a very normal and natural reaction of anybody who has experienced something as horrible as a rape. It is even a natural reaction to people who face a sudden death in their family. Who could know that better than my family? I have been told many times and always by religious people that the ceremonies and rituals would help you in such a situation. They say you find peace of mind because you know that there is someone bigger than you looking after you. I don’t think so!

For one, you have to ask what any ritual or ceremony could help? If your belief in God could turn back time, I could understand the sentiment. A rape victim would sit down to pray and time would turn back to before the incident. She would decide not to go home the way she did but take another route. She would take a friend along or take the taxi. She would be prepared to run or she would just not go to the place where it happened. If your belief in God could turn back time, yes, then it could help!

It cannot though and that’s why I think it is crazy to ask a rape victim or someone in a similar situation to have faith in God and that he would fix everything. Of course they would ask the obvious: if God can be there for me now, how come he was not there for me when this terrible crime happened? How come he did not soar down from heaven with a sword of fire and cut my rapists in two parts? Or send a heavenly storm that miraculously makes them blind but not me so that I can run away? Or simply put it in their mind not to rape anybody?

There are people who say that not even a leaf on a tree can move without God’s wish. So please ask your God not to have such bad wishes! Why are people starving on this earth, why is there war, why do people rape and murder others, why don’t we all live in peace together? Why are we not all healthy and why do people pollute nature and this planet? Why are there dictatorships and why is there still child labour? Why, why, why? If God is almighty and if everything happens because he wishes it to happen, why is he such a bad person?

I don’t take the argument that he has a bigger plan and we just cannot see it. You cannot tell this to a rape victim! So why should someone who has been through such a traumatic experience start believing in God or find comfort in religious belief?

No, I don’t see how this should work!