Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not an atheist or satanist. I really do believe in God. What I don't understand is the suffering people go through. It is said that God feels our pain. If he feels it why doesn't he stop the suffering. Is it to make us stronger?
2006-10-04 05:50:12 · 10 answers · asked by mystique 2 in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
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)
“Either God wants to abolish evil, and cannot; or he can, but does not want to... If he wants to, but cannot, he is impotent. If he can, but does not want to, he is wicked... If, as they say, God can abolish evil, and God really wants to do it, why is there evil in the world?”
- Epicurus
2006-10-04 05:53:48 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
To answer this question we need to go back to the garden of Eden.Our first parents were created perfect,designed to live forever and they were placed in a garden paradise.Jehovah told them to multiply and fill the earth.That was God's plan - the garden like earth to be filled with perfect righteous humans who had eternal life.However,Satan challenged Jehovahs right to rule when he questioned Jehovahs instruction regarding the tree in the middle of the garden.Satan not only called God a liar,but he also tricked Adam and Eve into believing they didnt need God.They could decide for themselves how best to live.
So the challenge was made and we need to keep in mind although Jehovah could have destroyed Adam and Eve then and there,doing so would not have answered the questions Satan raised and there were millions of angels watching from heaven who could have begun doubting God's sovereignity as well.
So Jehovah in his wisdom needed to allow sufficient time for man to try out every sort of government he could think of.All of which have so far proved Satan a liar.Jer.10:23 states "It does not belong to man,who is walking even to direct his step"Man has not been able to govern himself independently of his Creator
As far as the suffering,that was not Jehovahs intention for mankind either.When Adam and Eve deliberately sinned they lost the mark of perfection and started to age and eventually died.As their offspring we too all are born sinful,we age,we get sick and eventually die.It does pain our Heavenly Father to see his human creaton in so much pain and disharmony.The Bible assures us that in His due time Jehovah is going to put an end to all wickedness and suffering and paradise will be restored and obedient mankind will again be able to live without pain and death in peace and harmony.
Ps.37:9-11,29;Pr.2:21;
2006-10-05 21:44:37 · answer #2 · answered by lillie 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
God allowed us to become what we are because He loves us and wanted to show us the Love through the gift if Christ. To to this He had to allow sin to enter the world. It's because of this sin that suffering has come to us. When Jesus comes back and the world is judged all that will be put down... Jim
2006-10-04 06:05:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is not Heaven. This earth is filled with sin. Just look at the questions being asked here.
Keep your faith, the struggles should make you stronger. When your in Heaven, it will all be over. Smile, God Loves You.
2006-10-04 05:55:11 · answer #4 · answered by Casey M 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You should read the Adam and Eve story. Whether you believe in it literally or not, it's the story of God giving us the chance to live in peace and happiness with Him, by His rules or by our own rules. Adam and Eve (and all of us) chose to live by our own rules. Therefore He gave over control of this world to us, and some say over to the devil. God can help us here. God asnwers prayer. But, we chose this world. We've made it what it is. We're dealing with the consequences. If He stopped the suffering He'd be interfering with our free will.
2006-10-04 05:55:03 · answer #5 · answered by luvwinz 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
these are learning experiences as we are spirits having an earthly experience not earthly being having a spiritual one. without pain and suffering we would not be able to grow understand and evolve into a higher form of being with compassion, empathy and understanding for those who are suffering.
2006-10-04 06:00:09 · answer #6 · answered by Marvin R 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This is a very good question and one that all of Christendom has struggled with for ages. One book that helps to understand this is by C. S. Lewis: The Problem of Pain. I suspect that you may find it at your local library.
2006-10-04 06:01:08 · answer #7 · answered by Bruce 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It's easy. If god loves his children he wouldn't let them suffer. But they are suffering a lot , so they are not the children of god, they are humans, children of Adam and Eve.
2006-10-04 05:59:43 · answer #8 · answered by MagicWand 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
When you are at your weakest, he is at his strongest.. Are you any better than Christ? No you are not, he suffered didn't he? So if he suffered so much for us until it killed him,,, don't you think we can handle what little we have to go through? we will not have to go through so much as he did, he did it for us, on the cross.. think about it!!
2006-10-04 06:02:54 · answer #9 · answered by littlecwoman 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
http://www.wrbs.com/podcast/mp3/Zacharias.mp3
2006-10-04 07:03:26 · answer #10 · answered by Chris P 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋