If God is so good why is there so much suffering?

Question

Why must innocent people and animals suffer? Why did God create evil knowing full well what the result would be?

Answer 1

God has often tried to impress on man the crucial principle that every effect has a cause. But we have difficulty grasping this truth, so we continue to suffer the debilitating effects of our transgressions.

We can trace many tragedies and much suffering to our own all-too-human actions and decisions. In a world of freedom of choice, some choices inevitably lead to harmful and painful results.

Actions yield consequences. Many people recognize the saying "You reap what you sow," but they do not realize that it comes from the Bible (Galatians 6:6-7). Thousands of years ago one of the friends of Job—no stranger to suffering—observed that "those who plow iniquity and sow trouble reap the same" (Job 4:8).

When we analyze the phenomenon of suffering, we can learn much if we will trace the circumstances back to their cause. Proverbs 22:3 warns us to consider the long-term consequences of our actions: "A prudent man foresees evil and hides himself, but the simple pass on and are punished."

When we look for the main causes of suffering, we often need look no further than ourselves—the decisions and actions of individuals and humanity as a whole. In one way or another sin is usually the underlying cause, and suffering is the effect.

Causes of misery

Nations and individuals suffer many miseries because of ignorance of and disobedience to the same spiritual laws of God that Israel disobeyed. God's commandments are living laws, with universal application, providing benefits for obedience and punishments for disobedience. His inspired Word tells us that those who love His law have "great peace" (Psalm 119:165), but the way of the lawless and unfaithful is difficult (Proverbs 13:15).

The Bible points to many agonizing human experiences that are direct results of sin. One such example is military aggression. The apostle James wrote of the origin of armed conflict: "Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members? You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war" (James 4:1-2).

These words apply to nations as well as individuals, since nations are simply groups of people looking out for their own interests. Aggressors go to war out of a desire to enhance their power, prestige and wealth. In so doing they thrust aside law, ethics, morality and peace. They kill and maim to further their ends, putting into practice the might-makes-right principle and the maxim that to the victor belongs the spoils.

Will Durant understood this human tendency when he wrote: "The causes of war are the same as the causes of competition among individuals: acquisitiveness, pugnacity, and pride; the desire for food, land, materials, fuels, mastery" (The Lessons of History, 1968, p. 81).

Ironically, nations that freely choose violence, including warfare, often inherit a fate similar to that of the countries they crush. Jesus understood this when He said: "... All who take the sword will perish by the sword" (Matthew 26:52). History is a chronicle of the succession of empires conquering and being conquered. Mankind is doomed to repeat the cycle as long as disobedience to God remains its chosen way.

Decisions have consequences

Many forms of suffering are simply the inevitable consequences of personal decisions. For example, in many advanced nations pockets of poverty persist in spite of billions of tax dollars expended to combat the problem.

Often that poverty can be traced to individual decisions. Students drop out of school, cutting short their education and consigning themselves to lifetimes of difficult jobs, low wages, financial hardship and frustrated ambitions.

Many teenagers become sexually active, with millions of girls giving birth out of wedlock to children who may never see their fathers. Studies have shown that children abandoned by their fathers are far more likely at an early age to turn to drugs, drink and tobacco, adopt criminal behavior and become sexually promiscuous in their own turn, bringing suffering on themselves and others.

Many young mothers—often unmarried because the fathers ran from responsibility—find themselves trapped in low-paying jobs with young mouths to feed and forced to rely on handouts, usually from the government or charities, to survive. The pattern repeats itself in a cycle of poverty spanning generations—usually because of shortsighted personal choices and actions.

Health and choices

Untold health problems plague us because of our individual decisions.

We eat poorly, fail to exercise, consume harmful substances and carelessly injure ourselves and others in accidents. Many suffer from mental afflictions as a result of violating the principles governing relationships that the Bible clearly spells out.

Physical and psychological problems result from the abuse of alcohol and other drugs. Such abusers not only risk taking years off their own lives, but their habits exact a huge toll on their families and friends. Even more tragically, many abusers are involved in accidents that cripple or take the lives of innocent bystanders.

The physical harm caused by smoking is solidly documented. Smoking-related illnesses take 400,000 lives each year in the United States and millions more worldwide. Many of those deaths are excruciatingly painful and slow. We readily acknowledge that the best cure for the grief caused by smoking is simply to quit, yet many are so addicted they spurn this obvious solution.

Smoking is but one of many behaviors that cause pain. Dr. Paul Martin notes that instances of seemingly innocuous behavior can add up over time: "There are plenty of commonplace behaviour patterns that kill people gradually but in huge numbers" (The Healing Mind, 1997, p. 58).

Often when we make unwise health decisions our bodies alert us that we have made a bad choice. Paul Brand and Philip Yancey observe that "an astounding proportion of the health problems stem from behavior choices that show disregard for the body's clear signals" (The Gift Nobody Wants, 1993, p. 226).

Dr. Brand reported that, at a major national health conference, he began a list of the serious behavior-related health problems on the agenda that take a serious toll on Americans' health. They include "heart disease and hypertension exacerbated by stress, stomach ulcers, cancers associated with a toxic environment, AIDS, sexually transmitted diseases, emphysema and lung cancer caused by cigarette smoking, fetal damage stemming from maternal alcohol and drug abuse, diabetes and other diet-related disorders, violent crime, automobile accidents invoking alcohol. These were the endemic, even epidemic concerns for health experts in the United States" (Brand and Yancey, pp. 226-227).

We reap what we sow

The conclusion should be obvious. Much suffering is caused by wrong choices. The Bible offers guidance as to how we should live. Yet as far back as Adam and Eve we have repeatedly spurned God's instruction and brought enormous pain and sorrow on ourselves.

The Bible offers practical advice on virtually all aspects of life. Many of its principles reveal how to avoid—and to some extent relieve—suffering.
We cannot live substantially free from suffering until we reconcile to God and His commandments. "My son, do not forget my law, but let your heart keep my commands; for length of days and long life and peace they will add to you" (Proverbs 3:1-2, emphasis added throughout).

Were we to follow God's instruction on a national scale, we would see immediate and drastic reductions in crime, disease, hostilities between nations, pollution, accidents, mental illness, broken families, shattered relationships and many other phenomena that cause us grief. God's law is not harsh or onerously restrictive. It is a law of liberty (James 1:25) that would eliminate most of the world's pain if it were universally obeyed.

Answer 2

Why must innocent people and animals suffer?
- theres no beauty before pain
-if theyre was no such thing as suffer, there wouldnt be no such thing called 'life'
-everyone must suffer before the better
-suffering teaches u a lesson, if not, it teaches others a lesson

Why did God create evil knowing full well what the result would be?
-God didn't create evil, humans did, plain and simple.
-God gave humans free-will, there are humans who choose evil and do evil, then theres some that dont.
-God doesn't create evil. God is Good.

Answer 3

God sent his one and only son Jesus to make a way for us to enjoy a perfect world when this world comes to an end and He creates a new one. Until that time all of us have to suffer because of the sin that defiled God's original creation. While that may not seem fair there are a lot of things that don't meet our human standard of fairness.

For instance if a child is born into a family where the parents have made the choice to engage in drug use and other criminal behavior then that child is going to suffer for their parent's decisions.

We suffer because Adam and Eve broke God's law and brought his curse upon our planet. But God, who doesn't owe anyone of us a darned thing, because of his love for us sent Jesus so that we could be reunited with Him after serving our terms in this fallen world.

God didn't "create" evil. He created beings who have the choice to do good or evil. Don't blame God for our mess. Thank Him that He didn't leave us without any hope.

Revelation 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.

3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."

5 And he who was seated on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." Also he said, "Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true." 6 And he said to me, "It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son.

8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death."

Answer 4

Suffering and the corruption of this world is a result of man's sin. God created Lucifer who was a beautiful creation until Lucifer sinned with pride and wanted to take over God's Throne. Sin was a result of rebelling against God. God allows free will with consequences. Some day The Lord's children will be in a perfect world again with Jesus ruling and reigning (at His Second Coming). God bless

Answer 5

The paradox of your question is one that has been the subject of dispute for centuries. I believe that God gave man choice, and then something from which to choose, so that man could voluntarily choose Him. . . or not.

Suffering and trouble is our opportunity to demonstrate our faithfulness.

Imagine you create a race of critters, and because you are creating them, you can create them any way you want. If you made them too stupid or too robotic, and taught them to say, "I love you," it would mean quite little.

Now imagine you created them with choice, then developed some kind of critter-bait and threw it in the other direction, and placed some obstacles between you and them. When the few critters who were willing to seek you out instead of heading toward the critter-bait, fought their way through all the obstacles between you and them and finally found you, you would have something to cherish in those few, special critters.

God created us critters with a choice. He allowed sin to enter our world as critter-bait. He gave us troubles and hardships to test our faitfulness. After this test-life is over, when He takes the faithful critters to the kingdom of Heaven (the real life) and washes all the other critters away, don't you want to be among those faithful?

James 1:2-4, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

Answer 6

Suffering on earth is the result of the actions of man (and women too) on earth. God has nothing to do with that. When things go right and some suffering is ameliorated and spontaneous remission takes place that is God.

Answer 7

The bible said in:


IS 45 :5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me:

IS 45:6That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

IS 45:7 I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create EVIL: I the LORD do all these things.

God is more powerful then you think.

read Job chapter 12

Answer 8

Men created evil and cause the suffering.

Answer 9

Because of the evil we allowed to enter the world. Alot of us don't listen to Him or obey His laws/commandments. We are just reaping the rewards of our sins and disobedience...it's not His fault. We turned our backs on Him.

God didn't create evil...that was caused by a rebellion in Heaven because an angel thought he was better at running the show that God was...so he was kicked out. We all have the choice as to which one we want to follow...your final reward (and some here on earth) depends on the choices made of who you will follow.

Answer 10

Evil is everything God is not; He created it to highlight His glory-just like everything else He created. Would we have an understanding of the concept of mercy if we didn't have an understanding of the concept of cruelty?

Initially, He separated all evil and kept it out of the experience Adam and Eve had on this earth. When Adam and Eve ate of the fruit of the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, they gained the knowledge of Good and of Evil. To 'know' something, in terms of the way the word is used in the Bible means 'to experience.' Upon eating, they not only sinned against God, they experienced evil, introduced death into the world (yes, if they had never eaten of the fruit, neither they nor anyone else would have died), and incited God to just wrath that the only just and merciful punishment was to curse mankind, womankind and all the earth. All of us carry the taint of sin, passed down from our fathers, all the way back to Adam. And sin is responsible for all kinds of horrific things - when I was teenager, I actually plotted in my mind ways to kill my father. I shudder now to think of such things, but I didn't know Christ then-that is, I had not experienced Him, as my Lord and Savior, in my life.

Christ came to earth to teach us how to be with God again, and how to be for God again. His blood, sacrified by God the Father, on the cross at Calvary, is the only thing that can remove the taint of sin, wash us clean and make it possible for us to have a relationship with the Father. We are washed clean by the Holy Spirit- and when this happens, it's not something you are likely to ever forget.

Rightly, because of sin, we deserve nothing but hell (separation from God forever). Because of Christ we have hope of a future with God-who loves us more than we can imagine, if He would beat and torture His own Son in our place to satisfy His justice and His wrath. In the end, His grace in not sending us all to hell instantaneously is more than we deserve. Praise the Lord for His mercy! Holy Holy Holy is the Lord God Almighty!

Answer 11

i read a story about a man and a barber. this man goes to a barbar shop to have a hair cut. there they started talking about general things. Barber said that he doesnt believe in God existance. coz if He was there then there wont be so misery and suffering in world. Look at the people around you and you see them in pain. why God doesnt help them? the man did not say anything at that time. after the hair cut he came out of the shop and the first thing he saw was a begger, with dirty clothes on and long filthy hair and beard. he went back to the shop and said to the barbar, " I think there are no barbers in this town." barber said Why not? cannot you see me? i just did a hair cut for you." the man replied, " if there was any barbar in this town, there wont be any person here with long unshapped hair and unshaved beard." Barber said, "What i can do if they do not come to me for shave or hair cut."

so this is the point, we people have forgot Him. we are too busy in our lives that we hardly get time to talk to Him, to think about Him. we are busy to make up our this life but ignored the life that we will have after this. where we will be questioned for the deeds that we have been doing here. the bottom line is God is definitely there and He is seeing all thats happening on His this earth but the need is to contact Him. just think by yourself that how many of the people around you look at Him daily for their minor as well as major problems/matters? how many of them say Thanks to Him when they achieve something, they were longing for so long time? how many of them ask for His forgiveness even a single time in whole day? How many of them ask for His guidence in whatever they do? its so clear that until you dont show your demand, you wont be granted that. there is a saying that, even a mother feeds her baby only when he cries. if he is silent and quite throught the day, she wont even feed him, thinking that he is full stomch and not hungry.

hope i was able to clear my point.