Abuse and Belief

If you have been (or are) the victim of abuse -- physical, sexual, etc. -- check out this posting on Scot McKnight's Jesus Creed weblog: "How can that woman believe?" The posting elicited numerous comments, which are worth reading and pondering. One thing in particular struck me, from the comments of more than one person: for some (perhaps many) God is a convenient whipping boy. "If God exists and is all-powerful and all-loving, why is there evil in the world?" There are numerous issues tucked into that question, and I don't deny the potential difficulty in wrestling with them. But you know, it sure is handy to be able to deflect onto God and avoid our own responsibility.