Why do horrible things happen to innocent children?

Question

Ever read about Albert Fish the serial killer? He killed a few kids, but there was one where he kidnapped a four-year-old boy, took him to an abandoned house at a dump, left him there all night, then came back the next day and tortured him to death. Four years old! My question is, where was the all-Loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God? That poor little boy went through hell, and the only being that could have done anything to stop it didn't. And that's just one example. Every day, children all over the world are subjected to horrors most of us will never know, and it breaks my heart to think about it. Please don't tell me that God "allows" things to happen, or they happen because He's punishing us, because those are cop-outs. He knew before He created the world that Albert Fish was going to kill innocent kids, so who's responsible? Spare me the religious rhetoric. I'm just a guy with a young son of my own who honestly wants to know how God could allow such things to happen.

Answer 1

I spent some time today asking God that same question - even thought of posting it on Answers - but decided I didna't want to give people an opportunity of saying ridiculous things.
Not to sound trite, - if you ever find out the answer, I would very much like to know!
In the meantime, I still continue to believe in an all-loving, all-knowing, all-powerful God. Satan has been mentioned in soome answers, man's free will as well. What has been said there is largely true, but I don't find that really answers it. Perhaps, like Job, we have to say: One day I will see Him face to face, and I hope He will answer me! (paraphrase). Your question is good, I despair of finding an answer that will really satisfy me in this life.
I am a father, I know what it is like to have a child suffer terribly, seemingly needlessly.
One thing I am sure of: God weeps with us. I know that's not an answer.

Answer 2

The innosence of concsiousness. When a shark attacts a swimmer it does so out of the need to eat and out of its natural hunting state. If it had any understanding of the grief,or pain it was causing, it would go and eat a seal or something. Humans are too boney and not enough fat to sustain a shark. Some humans are less conscious than animals. They are phycologically damaged with no understanding of the impact they cause or of the unity people share. Some people have to experience certain things in order to evolve. Life is just a stepping stone to ever increasing consciousness, which will eventually lead us to become one with God- which is pure consciousness. This is what some call Karma. Suffering happens, but doesnt have to. It just depends on where your at in the bigger picture of things

Answer 3

Is it not typical of us to always throw blame? My Fish committed a horrible crime, no blame. A four year old boy kidnapped - his parents, no blame for lack of supervision. As a serial killer, this man running rampant, killing people one after another - the police, no blame. God, yes blame Him for every wrong doings just because He is God. I don't think that God could make us more free than He has - if we were a people without the right to choose and no free will, God would still be blamed.

Answer 4

God has nothing to do with it.

We are cruel humane beings. Sickness takes many forms. A person like Albert Fish was not created in a day. If you look into his psychological profile and exam his neurological brain waves scientist could determine that his brain does not function normally. I know this sounds strange. But just read on. When someone develops a terminal illness like cancer, there are signs before hand or/and possible DNA predisposition. The brain is an organ which can suffer from many disorders many are being understand more today then ever. For example, children who are beaten, degraded, tortured, sexually abused and so on, suffer from trauma to the brain. This in combination with DNA predisposition may create a psychotic human being. So who created the person, society for not helping this child, the environment for creating the man or the man?

The brain is the most sensitive organ in the body. It receives stimulation from all areas (environmental, sensory, visual, ..) We just need to remember to always treat our children like gold.

Before the 1940's animals had more rights then children. Children were treated like property. Our society is changing but as society changes so do our children. We as healthy adults most have hope that with our children we can promote all the good things in life like love, respect, and honestly.

I believe that sickness in all forms will always exist. It is up to us as parents to protect our children and try to keep them as innocent as possible for as long as possible.

We are able protect our children from some of the scraps and this gives us all the joy in the world. Seeing the gleam in their eyes and the smile on their faces fills our hearts with joy beyond belief. Maybe this is our god, to have the love for someone so strong.

Have faith.

Answer 5

How can you ask about God and not want a religious answer?Everything we know about God is in the Bible.Why is it God's fault ? Is He our personal Genie?Why do people get sick and die? Is that God's fault ,or car accidents,or on the battlefield?
The fact is ,we live in a fallen world,people die ,young and old,some peacefully some in the most horrible ways.You must hold that guy responsible for his damnable actions,not the Lord.The child is in such joy and peace now."Their angels(spirits ) are always at my Fathers throne"Jesus said,but Jesus also said"See that you hurt not one of these,"He said with a kid on His lap,"He who does it would be better if he tied a stone around his neck and cast himself into the sea than to face Me at judgment".Jesus was not kidding ,there is a special place in Hell for those scum.The kids get an eternity of joy and the scum,an eternity of punishment.

Answer 6

God created angels to worship Him - they don't have a say-so in that matter. He created man with mind and a free-will. He wants each and every one of us to choose to accept Him and love Him. The acts that you describe happen because we unfortunately live in a world that for the most part has completely turned their back on God. The Bible says that Satan is roaming about the earth seeking whom he may devour. He is very real and so are his demons. People who refuse God are leaving themselves wide open to be used by the forces of evil. I think things happen like this to wake us up and to make us call on God for help. Instead we choose to see it as God abandoning us and accuse Him of "letting" this happen.

As a mother with young children myself I pray for them daily. I ask God to keep His angels around them at all times to protect them from the evil one. Besides teaching them about God and making every effort to make sure they don't grow up to be an Albert Fish I know that the most I can do is pray.

Answer 7

This may help, try not to think of God as an active participant in daily life, like the Christians would have you believe. Think of God more as a clock maker. The earth is his clock, he designed the parts to work together, and then swung the pendulum and let the world play out as it may. God knows he created the parts of the clock that will kill each other, he also created parts of the clock to suppress the parts that kill each other. You will have many Judeo-centric answers telling you many different answers here, but you will find the most peace in my explanation. I genuinely hope this helps you.

Answer 8

There is only one honest answer to this question. We don't know.

But what we do know is that we all live in a broken, fallen world. Satan is indeed the ruler of this world, he is called such throughout the Bible. It is important to remember that. Where was God? He was right there. Yes He saw it all. But He loves us so much that He sent His only Son to pay the price FOR us--to get us out of this darkness. This world is a rotten place, and it will be until Christ comes back here and casts Satan out.

But those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior are no longer citizens of this world. Our citizenship is in Heaven, where there is no more suffering, no more sickness, no more sadness. Until we get to Heaven, we are subject to Satan's world and all the ugliness of it.

Christ paid for us all -- when we accept Him, we can rest in the knowledge that we are only here in this dark and broken world for a short time, but our lives are forever in paradise....where Satan cannot touch us.

Answer 9

Unfortunately we still live where Satan has his influence here on earth, that child may have been tortured for a short time on earth but I believe that kidnapper will be tortured for all eternity, That child went on to be with the Lord. God does not like what He is seeing on earth either, His judgment will come

Answer 10

Horrible things happen to children because people do things that are horrific.

We...all of us....as a society, turn a blind eye to the pain and horror of the small lives that are ruined, at the hands of disturbed individuals.

God, gave each of us freewill, and if we choose to use our freewill to ignore the horrors of life....then we have used our freewill to allow another to abuse a child.

It is good that people like yourself, choose to educate others, so that we can learn to pay more attention, and do more to prevent these atrocities from re-occurring.