why did God allow suffering?

Answer 1

Mother Teresa even had a hard time understanding that one. She once remarked "When I get to Heaven, God has a lot of explainig to do". Billy Graham has made similar comments.

A Rabbi once said, a person who has no faith will have more answers than questions, but a person with faith will have more questions than answers.

Answer 2

It is also the fact that the element of good is more in the creation than the element of evil. We all see that there are more people who are healthy than those who are sick. There are more that eat well then those who starve. There are more that live decent life then those who commit crimes. Goodness is the rule and evil is the exception. Virtue is the norm and sin is the aberration. Generally trees bear fruits, the flowers bloom, the winds move smoothly. .

This is a temporary world and every thing here has a time limit. When its times comes it will die, come to an end and finish. Neither the good things of this world are forever, nor the bad things eternal. We are here for a short time and we are being tested. Those who will pass this test they will find an eternal world that is perfect and permanent. Those who will fail this test they shall see the evil consequences of their sins and corruption.



How many times it happens that we are not careful and still we reach safely to our destinations. The way people drive in some cities, it is a miracle that more accidents do not happen and more people do not suffer. Allah says: (Allah) Most Gracious! 2- It is He Who has taught the Qur'an. 3- He has created man: 4- He has taught him speech (and Intelligence). 5- The sun and the moon follow courses (exactly) computed; 6- And the herbs and the trees both (alike) bow in adoration. 7- And the Firmament has He raised high, and He has set up the Balance (of Justice), 8- In order that you may not transgress (due) balance. 9- So establish weight with justice and fall not short in the balance. 10- It is He Who has spread out the earth for (His) creatures. (al-Rahman 55:1-10)

Abu Yahya Suhaib bin Sinan (May Allah be pleased with him) reported that: The Messenger of Allah (PBUH) said, "How wonderful is the case of a believer; there is good for him in everything and this applies only to a believer. If prosperity attends him, he expresses gratitude to Allah and that is good for him; and if adversity befalls him, he endures it patiently and that is better for him".

[Muslim].

Answer 3

Suffering is the ultimate built-in self correcting mechanism in mankind.

You touch something hot, and you automatically pull your hand away from it. If you don't, it hurts.

Unfortunately, instinct can be overridden by conditioning (which would include sin), or by the force of will.

Hence, we have the sordid human condition, with massive amounts of needless suffering, and no one willing to do what it takes to eliminate it.

Occassionally, suffering is acute enough to cause man look for God, or to God, in an effort to obtain relief.

When this happens the end result of what first appeared to be evil becomes good, and the apparent curse of suffering becomes a true blessing.

Many who have endured extraordinary suffering and managed to successfully overcome it will tell you that suffering is really a gift from God.

God works in mysterious ways.

Answer 4

Because "god" does not exist. And it's not only humans who suffer - animals can't possibly be guilty of malice, and yet they've been suffering far longer than humans!

Religion is a simple-minded, anthropocentric conceit from ancient times that has outlived whatever usefulness it might once have had.

The oh-so-earnest replies to this question are making me despair for humanity and the planet, by the way. People, don't get ready - get *real*. How much good could be done if no one wasted so much time and energy on unprovable and absurd religious dogma?!

Answer 5

To proceed further with blessings, not everyone may understand but life history shows that Prophets have suffered maximum then any one.

Every suffering either brings us up one level, or down.

Those who has not tasted any suffering or never comes out from it positively, has tasted nothing in life.

Sufferings are test and every step ahead is a new test, a new suffering.

Answer 6

God allowed free will to choose. When man chooses to sin, he dies spiritually. When one dies in the spirit its like saying everything that defines God in spirit we choose against. If God is love, joy, peace. patience, kindess gentlenss, goodness, faithfulness and self-control, then to sin and choose against God's ways would mean to automatically choose the opposite and that is, hate, distress, unrest, impatience, unkindness and so on. And with all these within us how can there be no suffering? So why is it that we still suffer even after we ve become christians? Because its like us when we get ill and see the doctor, even tough Jesus has given us our medicaltion we still need time and lots of rest to fully recover. Cheers!

Answer 7

He did not allow suffering to happen but it was because of Adam and Eve's disobedience that gave us generations of suffering. God allows suffering because no that we know the difference between right and wrong and we also have free will. So because other people chose to do wrong instead of right, the world will suffer.

Answer 8

Before man fell from grace (the apple incident in the garden) there was no suffering, was no death, was no isolation from God.
Man stuffed up because of Satan
As a result death and suffering entered creation.
Jesus paid the price to fix this once and for all on the cross

Answer 9

God has allowed alot of things to happen becasue He has given us free will and doesn't want to interfere with it.
if corrupt leaders in africa stop squandering natinoal resources and invest that money in medication for people living wiht HIV, or for medical personel, illness would be reduced greatly - just example to show that people who are advantaged can help theose who are suffering but don't. if God were to pick up for us in every mess that we make, people (especially non-crhistians) would then argue that God doesn't give us free will.
i belive the world is suffering and in a total mess becasue of human selfishness. those who turn to God - he will warmly embrass them.but those who reject him shouldn't start blaming him for things he hasn't influenced or force to chip into human life when things go bad.it doens't work like that

Answer 10

In general one might say that evil people suffer because they deserve to suffer and that good people suffer because they are being tested. God is said to allow this for the sake of general justice.

Another general answer is that when Adam and Eve sinned, that they brought suffering into this world, and God allows it to give us a hint of what life means without Him in our life.

Another general answer is that people suffer because people are sinful, so they bring suffering upon themselves. God is said to allow this to permit freewill (as in free to chose Him or not). Otherwise, God would not allow someone to sin, presumably imposing His will on everyone.

This is my favorite general answer, I will try to sum it up: Since we all have offended God in our sin and wickedness, all of us will go through a trial by fire (which is God's wrath on us). For the good, this shows up in this life as suffering, but the Holy Ghost will be with them. Since their debt to God is paid by Jesus, they will not have to forfeit their lives in the judgement, and they will be saved from this fire because of the Holy Ghost (see 1Co 3:15 and Eph 1:12 & 13 for instance). For the wicked, they are tried with the same fire, but without the Holy Ghost, they will suffer and eventually die. After death, there is Judgement, a trial for the good and for the wicked. The good shall suffer no more, for their debt has been paid, and the righteousness of Jesus Christ shall be counted on their behalf, for this was the gift in which everyone was offered, but only the good people accepted. Therefore, any good works that they did will be rewarded. The evil people will be sentenced according to their works too. Some will be sentenced to hotter and deeper places, but all will suffer for eternity in the Lake of Fire. Why does God allow all this? Because it is the only way which allows Him to be a Good, Just, Loving, Merciful God. A Just God must sentence evil and reward good. A Merciful God must make a Way for all to escape their punishment, if they repent, and turn from their wicked ways. A Good God is going to give His own Life to pay for the wickedness of those who come to Him. A Loving God is going to give those, who have been saved, their rewards, and take them to Himself, that where He is, they might be there too, forever.

The last one answers all the questions about this, but it might be hard to see. In fact, in many cases, it will be impossible for us to see exactly what is going on until the judgement. In the judgement, we will see why all of the hard cases had to be the way they had to be. God will show us why He had to do it, and we will see that He is Good and Just for this. Believe it or not, we will all agree because everything is going to be revealed to all. I honestly believe that no one is going to ask God anything really on the matter, at the end we will all simply admit and confess that Jesus Christ is LORD (Philippians 2:5-11)

Answer 11

we have to accept the fact of suffering.
either God exist or not.. either we believe in God or not.. suffering/disatisfactions will always there..
In Buddhism, it is called Dukkha.