Great religious minds reflect on tragedies surrounding September 11, 2001. As America moves beyond raw emotion and religious sentiment, this show explores theological and spiritual reflection for the long haul. We examine provocative reflections across a broad spectrum of faith, woven together with evocative sound and music. Listen

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Read: Collection 1 | Collection 2 | Collection 3

The best of all worlds (October 31, 2001)
This is a question that invariably draws saccharine religious sentimentality on the one hand and shallow condemnations of God's moral character on the other. A moment's contemplation of the human condition is enough to reveal that this world, as bad as it is, is the best of all possible worlds, if one is not to rule out free will. If God, as most religions teach, created humans to be able to love and freely respond, then He had to give them free will. This, by necessity, requires that God creates the possibility, in fact the probability, of evil. The only other option is to create automotons.

Since the empirical evidence shows that the world is as it is, then we must conclude, whether you believe in God or not, that this is the best of all possibilities. The choice now, is for us to exercise our free will in a manner consistent with our natures. That is the only way it will get better. And, if there is a God, this is surely the point of the whole lesson. To question God when something bad happens is simply to seek to dodge the responsibility of being a human being.

George Favell
Minneapolis, MN

The space between us (October 29, 2001)
God is the space that connects us. Satan is the space that separates us. We choose to see God or Satan. The space in between us is 50 percent good and 50 percent bad. The space is neutral. We are all separated and connected by the space in between us. Evil people choose to use this space to murder, steal, and lie for personal gain. Good people use this space to benefit others.

There is no difference between Nazi evil, Israeli evil, American evil, Christian evil, Jewish evil, or an other group that murders, steals, and lies for personal individual gain. The tragedy is Jews, Nazis, Christians, Americans, all try to market themselves as good and their enemies as evil. In truth all people are 50 percent good and 50 percent evil. This is a dilemma for human beings. We should try to limit the power of governments because governments tend to murder, steal, and lie more efficiently than individuals. This is dangerous.

Where is God? God is always there but God is not good. God is horrific. God is not gentle. God gives and destroys. God and Satan, the space between us, battles with our lives. Humans act. God and Satan never act. We are just allowed to see ourselves as connected or separate from the Universe. See God, see that I and the other are one, and you can do no evil. See Satan, that I and the other are separate—I am a separate race, my God is superior to your God and I can kill you—and you get evil.

Humans are dangerous when they see themself and their race as sacred or superior or protected by a special, unique God giving them the right to rule others and murder, steal, and lie. Always try to have a small a government as necessary since governments tend to murder, steal, and lie to stay in power.

John Skolte
West Saint Paul, MN

Good is always present (October 27, 2001)
Most people's concept of God is based on a severe polarization of good and evil. When something "bad" happens, God was not there. When something good happens, it was His divine will. I would hope that people would have the faith in divine power to realize that there is good to be found in every event no matter how "bad" it may seem. This is represented in the outpouring of assistance from the American people from all over the world for those affected by the September 11 attacks.

It's a matter of faith. Take time for grief then contemplation. Know that good will come of this in some way. From the smoldering forests ravaged by forest fires comes new life. There are metaohors for this reality everywhere in nature, just pay attention.

Erik Bolen
Minneapolis, MN

This was God's will (October 19, 2001)
Unfortunately I didn't hear the program, but I didn't see this aspect addressed here. As to the question, "Where was God?"—He was in the same place He's been for the past 2,000 years. For one, yes He does have control over the happenings of Earth. I believe that this was His permissive will. As it says in the Good Book, His ways are not our ways. When questioning the motives and the "How Can This Have Happened?", we must realize that human nature is indeed wicked.

Regardless of the size and complications of the wickedness, in God's eyes it's all sin.

Of course it isn't His wish that we all continue in our wickedness. But He doesn't choose to "fix us up," if you will (thus keeping this sort of thing from occurring). He instead provided the solution when He sent His son to die for sin. When we believe that, we're saved and have the capacity to do His will, a new part of us. Those that don't have that capacity tend to act out their human nature, and when taken to extremes you find cases like we saw on September 11. When we see that that is His solution, we need not wonder where He was. He was doing what He's done since Christ came: letting the world do what it will, knowing His grace is sufficient to save those He called.

Brynden Rider
Fargo, ND

Not God's fault (October 16, 2001)
I know that God is always around, and it bothers that people would wonder where was God. It was not God's fault that this happened—it was the people that God made, and they turned against God. He allowed this because the end of the world is right around the corner. It is the war between good and evil—and the evil has just struck.

Justin Albert Cassin
Albuquerque, NM

Sacrificing a few to save many (October 15, 2001)
After thinking this through, and looking at the results of the attack on our United States; I think God was where He always is, watching, listening and helping those who try to help themselves. God plays a great game of chess. Looks like in order for our self-important, pompous (arrogant), complacent selves, to reach out to others, God allowed the "sacrifice of a few to save many." It was probably what was necessary for our eyes to be forced open. Approximately 5,000 have died that day here in our Great America. We all mourn for them daily and fear for ourselves. As a result, we may save possibly 5,000,000 or more in Afghanistan and around the world, in response.

God allowed this, so that we will not turn away from being helpful to the other suffering people of the world. That's were God was that day. Right here and right there. We were not delivered this "Sweet Land Of Liberty" just to sit on it and gloat, and say self-righteous things like "we're not into nation building" (President G.W. Bush). That's like me going into your house to fight a common enemy (Russia as it, apparently, were in this case), leaving my house intact, and virtually destroying yours—then leaving without assisting with the clean-up. Americans have an expression for the results of such inaction (sarn the irony)—"the chickens have home to roost."

Now God has allowed the Taliban (a word meaning religious students) to capture the attention of the United States. The smoke has cleared and it's beginning to look like God has blessed America to be the tool that teaches the "religious students" a lesson in humanity. Bittersweet, but this has allowed us to open our eyes and hearts to the suffering in other nations as a result of our mistakes. He did not allow 5,000 to die; he saved many more lives using the great United States of America. (If I played the game of chess I'd say something cool like "checkmate.")

If there is anything I've learned as a result of September 11, 2001, it's that God is great at playing chess; and that we have, among many other responsibilities, two tasks as the world's greatest nation.

1. Remain this "Sweet Land Of Liberty" for the sake of the oppressed.
2. Clean up after ourselves when we have to fight to remain this Sweet Land Of Liberty.

May history not have to repeat itself again to be heard.

Monika Shannon-Kigongo
Eden Prarie, MN

We welcome your reflections on the topics of this program.
Please share your thoughts.