Welcome to the Daily Article podcast. Today is Thursday, November 9th, 2023. I am Chris Elkins,

narrating today's article written by Denison Forum co-founder and CEO, Dr. Jim Denison.

Antisemitism around the world has risen to constitute an existential threat in the 34 days since Hamas

slaughtered 1,300 Israeli civilians and wounded more than 3,300.

Anti-Semitism in the U.S. had already escalated last year to the highest recorded level.

Now CNN reports that a new wave of anti-Semitism threatens to rock an

already unstable worlds. At the same time, we must not forget the Palestinian civilians who

are suffering in Gaza. At this writing, the Hamas-controlled health ministry reports more than

10,569 Palestinians have been killed since the invasion, including 4,324 children.

The New York Times reports this morning that tens of thousands are fleeing the northern Gaza Strip,

and we must remember the more than 242 soldiers and civilians who are being held hostage.

I've been responding nearly every day since October the 7th to this unfolding tragedy

and consider it one of the hinge points of recent history.

Today, I want to take a step back and ask a hard question,

Why does God allow such innocent suffering? This is how I've reasoned my way through

this dilemma over the years. One, as we learn in Matthew 22 verses 37 through 39, God created

us to love our Lord and our neighbor. However, love requires a choice. No one can force us to love

someone. Two, thus God gave us freedom of will. We know from Revelation 138 and John 316 that he knew

we would misuse this freedom before he gave it, but he considered our freedom to love

him and each other worth the death of his son. 3. When we misuse our free will, the consequences are not God's fault, but ours.

When I was a seminary philosophy professor, my students sometimes complained that my tests were too difficult.

However, those who studied diligently made an A on the tests and in my class.

...