Why do people have to suffer when they're sick and dying?

Question

When your relative is deathly ill and constrained to the bed, why does God let he or she continue to suffer and pain? Why doesn't He just end the life quickly and painlessly? If God knows when we're going to die, why does he decide to let someone die a certain painful way as opposed to another way? What if that someone is a Christian? Why still the painful way? Why can't we just die without suffering pain? Like peacefully in our sleep? Is it God's last punishment before we go to Heaven? Does he want us to suffer so we can inspire others? Can our faith in Him increase even as we are lying there sick, in pain, and dying?

Please be serious...

Any Bible verses?

Answer 1

You'll find great insight here. We ruined our perfect world with sin. Suffering can serve a greater good at times - not always for the one who suffers (though sometimes that's true) but sometimes for those close to the one suffering, or those who may be inspired by their strength and faith. God bless you. ~Nisa

http://www.rbc.org/uploadedFiles/Bible_Study/Discovery_Series/PDFs/Does_God_Want_Me_Well.pdf

Answer 2

I'm in no position to speak for GOD, but I think that He never gives us more than we can handle. With every flicker of pain our minds may tell us that we can't but in actuality we can, until that final moment where death comes to re leave us of our trials. I lost my grandmother to a slow death, but the last time I saw her alive she told me it felt like she could beat any thing. On the other hand when my wife's grand mother was ill, she seemed to get weaker with every passing minute, of every passing day, and still she didn't just give up. You may think someone is suffering but its just another turning point in their life, and I think death is a major turning point.

I now some bible verses that would be good for this situation, but I formulated this from years of losing people and not understanding why GOD allowed suffering, and I want you to form your own opinion as well. Remember to remain open- minded and stay as positive as possible.

Answer 3

What you're asking for is a theodicy. A theodicy is a 'vindication of God's goodness and justice in the face of the existence of evil.' There is no satisfying answer to your question because there is no theodicy that works, not even the popular "free will" one.

God is supposed to be all powerful and all knowing. This means he could have created a world with absolutely no evil, suffering, pain, or harm whatsoever. Because suffering obviously exists, we can come to one of the following conclusions:

1. God is evil/immoral/doesn't care
2. God doesn't exist
3. God does not have the power to stop evil (which means he's not god, which means god doesn't exist)


"God's just a mean kid with a magnifying glass. And we're the ants."
- Bruce Nolan

Answer 4

Jesus suffered more than any of us and we dont have all the answers right now. My Mom suffered four years with cancer. We are supposed to learn something here so the same mistakes wont be made in the new world. I could go on but it would take too long. We would all rather die instantly but dont take drugs for cancer and then she could have died faster actually...why drag it out like that? some day we can ask God...

Answer 5

If something happens it happens cos of reason. Suffer & pains have cos people collect reasons to them. dont have people die without any pains? HAVE! If you want to die withourt pains, help & care sick people. Give foods to poor people. If some thing help to remove suffer & pain of others do it as help. Then you will lost your pains & suffer also. In Buddhism action & result theory slove this problem. Gods also can't get rid from suffer & pains, so how gods help to people? Your mind is main power. You can remove your pains & suffer yourself. Not god or other person.

Answer 6

because the asshole government will not legalize assisted suicide. Do they not realize that when you are terminally ill and suffering in pain that it isn't pleasant to lay in constant agony while you waste waiting to die. Would it be so wrong to help someone out in there most desperate hour. I think that the Lord would agree with me. This is all a test from God to see if we're smart enough to figure it out.

Answer 7

Why does God allow suffering?
1st God is not the cause of suffering -Job 34:10. The world is actually being ruled by Satan-1John 5:19. God cast Satan and his demons out of heaven to the vicinity of the earth. Satan has a limited amount of time left, he is trying to get people to worship him instead of God. God is seeing if people will remain faithful inspite of being tried by Satan. The world's attitude reflects the qualities of Satan, because he's misleading it- Revelation 12:9. He is the cause of all the suffering and cruelty.
Mankind is also imperfect. They inherited imperfection through their original parents Adam and Eve. If Adam and Eve had children before they had sinned we wouldnt have imperfection. But sadly since they disobeyed God, and their punishment was imperfection aging and eventual death their children inherited these also.
Adam and Eve thought they would be better off independant from God, because Satan lied to them and told them they would fare better this way. Well makind has been independant from God's rule for quite sometime, are they better off? No. They cause more problems for themselves. Wars and conflicts have been a result for makinds struggle for rule. In a society with out God's rule, unforseen events will take place- Ecclesiastes 9:11 people sometimes are in the wrong place at the wrong time.
But again God does not cause the suffering.He does have the power to stop it. But why does he refrain if he is a God of love 1ohn 4:8?
To settle the issue raised by Satan and the 1st couple (Are humans better off ruling themselves?) God allowed time to pass to see if humans could truly rule themselves and do a better job without him.(Remember God's angels were looking to see what God would do in this situation) So Satan and Humans have controll of world society, has God proven his point? Yes! Without his help, with Satan's misleadings the world is full of badness, sufferings, and pain. Soon God will step in and reclaim his sovereign right to rule. But only those who listen to his commands and prove themselves faithful inspite of the sufferings that occur will be able to enjoy the benefits of his comming government. Jeremiah 10:23 show that man has tried again and again with new governments, kingdoms and rules to direct his step. But mankind cannot direct his steps, he causes more problems then solutions.
Why has God waited so long? First he has allowed Satan and the rebelious humans to present their case,and their cases conclusion is that it is a failure. 2nd if God stopped the badness and sufferings he would be tampering with evidence, it may seem like Satan and makinds rule was not so bad after all.3rd he is allowing humans to pick whom they will side with. He is looking for those who will faithfuly serve him no matter what.
Soon though God will destroy the governments and will take back his rule. Daniel 2:44, The benefits of his kingdom can be found in Revelation 21:4, Isaiah 2:4, Isaiah 65:21-24, Pslams 37:10-11 and 29..... But what does God require of those who truly want to serve? Contact Jehovah's witnesses!

Answer 8

No Bible verses, sorry, but everyone has free will, sometimes choices lead up to that moment... it's a horrible thing but many go through it. some people cannot die right away, maybe they have never heard the word of God or are not christians and God is giving them one last chance. Something to think about.

good question!

Answer 9

Well that is one of those great questions that philosophers love to use when they are tearing strips off God; Why would an all loving, all powerful God let us suffer and experience unnecessary pain? Perhaps it is a test to those around but for the person who is experiencing it, it does seem pointless indeed. No verses, just experience.

Answer 10

This is where faith comes in. I wish I did, but I just don't know. That's why He's God and I'm not. All I can do is trust Him and that He loves me (and them) and has a purpose in all that He does or allows. I know exactly what you're talking about, as I am currently watching my Mother die of cancer.

Answer 11

Makes you start to wonder. Doesn't it. Stop searching for someone to blame. God doesn't give a crap about you, or anyone else for that matter. If he/she even exists. If there is a God, he sure does take some sadistic pleasure in making people suffer, destroying thousands of people in hurricanes, earthquakes, etc... Causing total Pandemonium.