When you are trying to tell someone about God and Jesus, how do you handle this answer?

Question

If there is a God, why does he let so much suffering go on?

I am not asking because I want to preach, perhaps I am asking just to stimulate discourse and help others who may want to talk about Jesus to another person because of what Jesus has done for them.

Answer 1

That is an often-asked question, and a fair one. The distinction that needs to be made is that God is not somehow uncaring about suffering.

Suffering comes from the original sin. Sort of a snowball effect. It began with the fall of man in the garden of Eden, and has gathered speed throughout thousands of years. Illness, sorrow, death; all sin, are fallout from sin entering the world.

There will come a time when these things will be no more; when Jesus comes to rule and reign on earth. Until He does, as He told us "you will have tribulation on this earth"..meaning, we will suffer.

God cares about us and our hurts, that is why, first and foremost He sent His son to redeem us...and it is also why we have God's spirit to comfort us, in all circumstances.

Answer 2

Well...logically, the question cannot sustain examination. They are in essence saying, if God exists it would be unfair of Him to allow this suffering; ie, it would be morally wrong. They are then appealing to a standardized moral code. If there is a standard moral law, there has to be a standard, universal moral lawgiver. If there is a moral lawgiver, it must be God. If God is the moral lawgiver, and there is good and evil, we would expect, even demand, that God be intrinsically good. There can be no universal morality without a universally good lawgiver. If this is true, then we cannot deny that there is evil in this world, and we cannot deny that God is good. If there is no universal morality, then they have nothing with which to indict God. After all, if there is no standard of morality, then who are they to tell God He is doing something wrong? There is no morals, so who cares what He does? See, either way the question cannot support itself.

The easier, emotional answer is that God doesn't force people to do good and to love Him. There are evil people and evil forces in this world, and there is sin. It's sad, but it happens.

Answer 3

We are always trying to figure out God. He is a wonderful God and the devil, who is on this earth is the thief who steals , kills and destroys people and there hearts.. Jesus came to give life abundantly. We must get our focus who is the enemy and reason for the suffering and who is our Father and the lover of our life..........Plus, rememeber this is only a temorary life. We will live in a heaven where there will be no more suffering........

Answer 4

God does not just let suffering go on. We all have free will. We can either do right or we can do wrong. Sometimes things rain on the just as well as the unjust. Sometimes it is to try to get us to be in the place where He needs us to be. God is all powerfull and all knowing. So what ever happens we do it to each other. Like I said before, there is free will.

Answer 5

Your question is known as theodicy or the problem of evil. It has been debated since people began to believe in a benevolent and omnipotent god. The supposed paradox is that if evil exists, either god is not benevolent or is not omnipotent. Dissertations have been written on the subject, and logic will not prevail. As with most contradictions in Christianity, faith is the only possible argument to persuade someone concerned with evil.

Answer 6

Let them know how you feel about God if they dont believe dont punish them for it but politely suggest that they do some investigating for themselves. Ask them what if you're wrong...in a no big deal kinda attitude...then tell them it would be no big deal to just prove to themselves that they are wrong...and show a positive Godly attitude no matter what they might say or throw at you...and answering your 2nd question.....satan is very real to...he's the one who makes the suffering happen...we are living in the end time everythings not going to be roses...but we cant blame God for bad things...blame ppl....best of luck ...God bless

Answer 7

God is not allowed to interfere with free agency and physical natural disasters because He is bound by the laws of the universe. He is allowed to temper their effects when people pray for help, and He is allowed to send answers to how these events can be avoided in the future, or in the case of trauma, He is allowed to help us through the Atonement of His Son, Jesus Christ. The Atonement of Jesus Christ makes it possible for us to have faith that this life on earth is temporary. Jesus Christ paid the price of our sins and also took on Himself our weaknesses and pain, suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and passing through the Crucifixion on the Cross at Calvary. Later He became the first person to pass through the process of the Resurrection, and someday there will be a Resurrection of all of God's children. We all agreed to come to this earth to learn more about how spiritual and physical laws work. Most of this learning is by experience and learning what the contrast is to immortality and eternal life (life with God). Some suffering is caused by free agency and natural disasters, as indicated early. Some suffering is caused by Satan and his followers doing everything they can in their power to slow down the work of God. They are trying to cause despair and turn people away from God so they can have power over people and slow down the time that is approaching before the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. All of the suffering we go through is making us more mature spiritually and emotionally, although at the time we are going through it, we would naturally prefer to be somewhere else entirely. I do believe that it is important to help those around us as we are able to, since some suffering seems to be caused more by greed and mismanagement of resources, which we should be able to overcome by working together. Now maybe someone you know is feeling bad because their family members died at a young age, or in a terrible way. It is my opinion - and it is just an opinion - that when the Resurrection begins to be organized, that those individuals who are resurrected first will stand as witnesses to the power and authority of Jesus Christ. Many people in the world will still not be Christian at the time of His Second Coming, but when they see resurrected individuals before their eyes, there will be no room for doubt anymore. Hope this helps.

Answer 8

As my pastor put it. "It's God who cries with us and hold us during suffering"

Yes I believe God can take control of this world and change everything for us to make it right but what does that leave us?
He gave us the mind to make the choice.
If you were to lose all suffering you would lose the ability to empathize.

Answer 9

Four views of suffering:

satans view: People believe in God only when they are prospering and not suffering. (This is wrong).

Job's three friends view: Suffering is God's judgment for sin. (This is also not always true).

Elihu's view: Suffering is God's way to teach, discipline, and refine. (This is true, but an incomplete explanation).

God's view: Suffering causes us to trust God for who He is, not what He does. (Truth).

Because we have free will to make choices, sometimes unhealthy, we must suffer the consequences of those choices. Sometimes others will suffer because of our choices. Choose carefully.

Answer 10

Sometimes the suffering is for a reason. Maybe for the person suffering...maybe for someone else. We may never know the reason. "The rain falls on the just and the unjust"