It’s painful to bear what happens to innocent Lauren, and fearful to know that one among us is doing this. Our safety hinges on figuring ways to prevent these through vigilance, enforcement and education. God has given us guidance and free will and it’s up to us to figure out a societal balance for our own good. - Mike Ghouse

TEXAS FAITH: Where was God in the ordeal that young Lauren Kavanaugh faced? By Bill McKenzie / Editorial Columnist wmckenzie@dallasnews.com 4:03 pm on October 29, 2013 | Permalink

Over the last week, the Dallas Morning News has run a series on the story of 20-year old Lauren Kavanaugh. In “The Girl in the Closet”, you will read a devastating, demoralizing account of depravity. (To access these stories, go to the chapters portion on the toolbar.)

The report tells the story of how young Lauren was locked in a closet, deprived of food and sexually abused by her mother and stepfather over several years. It will tell you how she rose above that horror to later be sexually abused again in her teen-age years. Throughout the story, you will learn of the rise and fall and rise of this young girl. You also will hear many an expert say this was as bad a case of victimization as they have seen.

Here, then, is my question: Where was God in the ordeal young Lauren faced?
Of course, this is an age-old question, but I would like to hear your views.

MIKE GHOUSE, President, Foundation for Pluralism and speaker, interfaith affairs, Dallas


Lauren Atkinson’s story brought tears to my eyes. The helplessness she faced was difficult to bear, her whole being was violated. When there is so much pain, does one lose hope? What becomes of living? Where was God in the ordeal young Lauren faced?

The word “helplessness” conjures up images of men, women and children during the Holocaust and Genocides. The looks on their faces showed the betrayal they felt when their friends and the people around them turned their faces away. With no choices available to them, they endured that humility with dignity and most of them gave up on life.

Where was God for them? Did God betray them too?

Trust is the most critical value for humans to survive amidst the perceived barbarism and law of jungle. Trust gives us comfort to get out of the house and drive knowing that others will follow the traffic rules as well. And trust allows us to drop off our children at school and pick them up later.

Rules are made for the safety of all. Survival mode kicks in when they are not followed, which is how we can live without apprehension and fear.

Of course, we can lose faith in the system. At that point, we either we violate the trust of others or become a recluse. It is in those critical moments we doubt the existence of God, the just and merciful God. Where the hell was he when he was needed most?

It took me years to understand the idea of God, a G_d that is not a thing or a being, a G-d that is formless and simply an indefinable, imaginary but real energy that caused life and sustains it, as we witness it.

Whatever or whoever created the matter, tuned it to be in balance. The planets and stars are programmed precisely to do exactly what they do. However, humans were not designed to be in self-balance. Instead, they were equipped with a device called “mind,” which works on creating the balance needed for its own survival.

For convenience, call it a spiritual or a God-balance that societies seek to preserve through laws. However, like traffic violations, we also violate the rules and pay a price for it.

It’s painful to bear what happens to innocent Lauren, and fearful to know that one among us is doing this. Our safety hinges on figuring ways to prevent these through vigilance, enforcement and education. God has given us guidance and free will and it’s up to us to figure out a societal balance for our own good.

To see the other panelists take, please visit Dallas Morning News at: http://dallasmorningviewsblog.dallasnews.com/2013/10/texas-faith-where-was-god-in-the-ordeal-that-young-lauren-kavanaugh-faced.html/#more-30919

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Mike Ghouse is a speaker, thinker and a writer on pluralism, politics, peace, Islam, Israel, India, interfaith, and cohesion at work place. He is committed to building a Cohesive America and offers pluralistic solutions on issues of the day at www.TheGhousediary.com. He believes in Standing up for others and has done that throughout his life as an activist. Mike has a presence on national and local TV, Radio and Print Media. He is a frequent guest on Sean Hannity show on Fox TV, and a commentator on national radio networks, he contributes weekly to the Texas Faith Column at Dallas Morning News; fortnightly at Huffington post; and several other periodicals across the world. His personal site www.MikeGhouse.net indexes all his work through many links.
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