Why does God allow suffering?

Question

Why does God allow suffering when He loves so love us that He gave His one and only son as a ransom to free us from sin and death?

Answer 1

Because god doesn't exist, except in the minds of many people.

Answer 2

How can heaven be blissful if life was not a hell? God cannot be loving yet mindless of our suffering. Life is less than a dot when compared to infinity. Wonders await far beyond our many fear-based notions of what God is. You cannot believe a loving God exists when pain is all we see, unless you believe that pain is needed to know what heaven will be like. Perhaps that was why we left heaven in the first place. If a singular human life is all there is, than a loving God cannot be said to exist. But if God exists at all, and suffering does too, it must mean either that He respects our decision to suffer (knowing full well that we will get home in the end) or perhaps suffering is a man-made matter of perception which is part of a cosmic arrangement rendered insignificant only at death. I believe God exists but not necessarily in religion. Suffering after all diminishes our egos and brings out the true attributes in humans - like Humility, Wisdom and Love. Not too unlike God. Can you think of another way to get those??? The survival of all humanity depends on this realisation. How can that not be allowed? He who allows it is God.

Answer 3

The reason that Our Lord allows suffering is because He knows that not everyone would accept everything that He taught us in the New Testament . Look at the political parties in His day they argued over the sound of a dipthong or in english what is called a syllable ; so how could he allow everyone into heaven if they could not be of one mind and one accord here how could they do that simple task here on earth then how could they even remotely attempt that task there in Glory ? the answer if you really desire one is found in Romans 8:28-31 KJV. It says that all things work together fot the greater good of God ' s plan and our salvation. May this answer help you find piece of mind over this matter.

Answer 4

You must understand that everything in this life is a blessing, even when it does not seem to be so. One could write whole dissertations on the subject, but in view of the lateness of the hour, I'll just make one point.

When Adam and Eve were cast out of Paradise, one might argue that this was one of the most significant "sufferings" of all time - I mean, Paradise lost... - and yet why did God allow them to be exiled from Paradise? Lest they should eat of the tree of life and live eternally in their sin and delusion, becoming the eternal living dead. So what seemed like the greatest suffering to them was actually a blessing from God, to prevent a worse disaster from befalling them and to give them an opportunity to repent.

Likewise, all the forms of suffering that human beings endure even today - while not caused or created by God, but caused by sin and death and the wiles of the enemy of mankind, the devil - are allowed by God because if we turn towards Him in love and repentance, He will use those sufferings as medicines to heal our souls.

As it says in the Book of Psalms of the saints: "The whole of their confinement on their bed of pain hast thou turned to the better."

So what seems like suffering to us, who have a limited understanding of the true life and the true nature of things, is actually blessings from God - if we only accept it and cooperate with Him for our healing and salvation.

God bless...

Answer 5

Well, if you believe what the Torah (Old Test.) tells you, its this:

Man took part in the original sin of...get this...KNOWLEDGE OF GOOD & EVIL. I guess God just wanted us to be ingnorant beasts in his garden or something like that...who knows he's so scizo in His books. And you know, Woman made Man do it...

He sent Ishua (Jesus) to wash away our sins with His Blood.

That is if you believe what has been passed down from "learned elders". However, the Gnostics believed that God resided within all of us, that only we can find Him, and it requires no outside sources besides living a fruitful life finding Him in everything. It can be found in the Aprocrapha and the Gospel of Judas.

Answer 6

Isn't it funny that people complain about having a government controlling them and not giving them free will ,but when God gives them free will to make choices they say 'why wasn't he there to guide them to the right choice instead of the wrong one'?I just thought i would point that out.Look,if someone goes through any type of suffering it is a way for them to learn and become closer to God in a way they wouldn't have been if they just lived and let live.When somebody suffers they learn,they teach,and they become one with themselves and God,hopefully!

Answer 7

This is a question that lies on so many minds and hearts. God allows things in life to happen to us for a few reasons. First: We are to call upon HIM to help us through each and everyday. When we are suffering HE wants us to rely on Him. Sometimes the trials and tribulations of life are to get our attention to upon Him.
Second: Sometime the trials and tribulations are to see "How we react." Do you just call on HIM in time of need or all the time? Do you get mad and throw a fit?
We're all human and we all wonder why bad things continue to happen to us. It's called growth...spiritual growth. It's a tough time sometimes too.
I hope this has helped to some degree. I am not a theologian but just someone who has has been there, done that and still going through it.
God Bless,

Answer 8

God has given us free-will. People allow for suffering. This world has kicked God out as its ruler and guider, being the gentleman that he is, im sure when people tell him to get out of their lives he may take a step back. He always protects those who has faith in him, and even those who dont. But people make mistakes, and cause pain and suffering, again, God has given us free-will, its up to us to make peace and follow his guidelines.

Answer 9

Humans are to blame for much of the suffering. They fight wars, commit crimes, pollute the environment, often carry on business in a manner motivated by greed rather than concern for their fellowman, and sometimes indulge in habits that they know can be harmful to their health. When they do these things, they hurt others and themselves. Should it be expected that humans would be immune to the consequences of what they do? (Gal. 6:7; Prov. 1:30-33) Is it reasonable to blame God for these things that humans themselves do?

Satan and his demons also share responsibility. The Bible discloses that much suffering is because of the influence of wicked spirits. The suffering for which so many people blame God does not come from him at all.—Rev. 12:12; Acts 10:38;

How did suffering get started? Examination of the causes focuses attention on our first human parents, Adam and Eve. Jehovah God created them perfect and put them in paradise surroundings. If they had obeyed God, they would never have got sick or died. They could have enjoyed perfect human life forever. Suffering was not part of Jehovah’s purpose for mankind. But Jehovah clearly told Adam that continued enjoyment of what He had given them depended on obedience. Obviously, they had to breathe, eat, drink, and sleep in order to continue living. And they had to keep God’s moral requirements in order to enjoy life fully and to be favored with such life forever. But they chose to go their own way, to set their own standards of good and bad, and thus they turned away from God, the Life-Giver. (Gen. 2:16, 17; 3:1-6) Sin led to death. It was as sinners that Adam and Eve produced children, and they could not pass on to their children what they no longer had. All were born in sin, with inclinations toward wrongdoing, weaknesses that could lead to illness, a sinful inheritance that would eventually result in death. Because everyone on earth today was born in sin, all of us experience suffering in various ways.—Gen. 8:21; Rom. 5:12.

Ecclesiastes 9:11 says that “time and unforeseen occurrence” also have a bearing on what happens to us. We may get hurt, not because the Devil directly causes it or because any human does it, but because by chance we are in a place at the wrong moment

Answer 10

Because without Suffering there could be no JOY,It's a balanceing act 1 needs the other, We All get our bit of Karma Everybody

Answer 11

We live in a fallen world, and bad things just happen. Paul gives us a bit of insight in this:

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! He is the Father of mercies and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our suffering, so that we may be able to comfort others in all their suffering, since we ourselves are being comforted by God. For just as Christ's sufferings overflow to us, so our comfort overflows through Christ."

By having suffered something ourselves, we may be the very person someone who goes through something similar needs. I know that people who have suffered in a way like mine are able to provide me comfort in a way others who never did can.

Another thing to consider is this: when we are going through suffering, we tend to draw close to God in prayer. In some cases, that's the only time people go to God. And after all, he wants us to have fellowship with Him, and sometimes that's how He gets our attention. Some of my best times with God were during some trial or tragedy in my life. The trial wasn't pleasant, but my times with God were.

I hope that gives you some insight! God bless!