The Rev. We deserve nothing, and cannot demand anything from God. Why does God allow suffering? On this conception, a ‘defense’ merely seeks to give a possible reason for how evil and God could both coexist and a theodicy seeks to give the specific reason for why God does allow evil. Yet, We live in a world filled with injustice, Untold suffering and pain. Suffering drives us to lean on God like nothing else can, and it allows us to see that God is enough. They believe that if God was a loving God, then He wouldn't allow all the sin and suffering to continue in this world. We may not know what the answer is, BUT We know what it is not. Definition. Is he neither able nor willing? Suffering/Theodicy. Whether our sufferings come from the consequence of sin, the curse of sin, or are a chastening for sin, we view them all through the lens of the cross, and rejoice: “ there is now no CONDEMNATION for those who are in Christ Jesus ” (Romans 8:1). Why Does God Allow Suffering Bible Verses. His clothing was rumpled, his necktie was all askew, he had bright red lipstick marks on his cheek and collar. It is not only since the Holocaust, in which millions of the Jewish population were annihilated, but rather from time immemorial that people have asked themselves: "Why does God allow suffering?" Why does God allow abuse and torture of innocent children? Why Does God Allow Suffering? If he did he would have brought an end to suffering. The presence of evil and suffering in the universe is certainly consistent with there not being an omnipotent, omniscience, and omnibenevolent god. A man stumbled onto a subway car, just as the doors were closing. 3. Why Does God allow Evil and Suffering? But as a Christian, what do you think is the reason God allows suffering? God knew that sin would lead to suffering. On Nov. 21, 1980, when the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas burned, survivors were brought into the Convention Center, where our Crusade meetings were being held. And as for hope that suffering is not "in vain" - we have the resurrection. Several have stumbled because of it. Keller uses literature, philosophy, real-life conversations, and reasoning to explain how faith in a Christian God is a soundly rational belief, held by thoughtful people of intellectual integrity with a deep compassion for those who truly want to know the truth. Why does he allow suffering? Suffering reminds us that this world is not our home. My suspicion is that the best answer to this question is that your god probably doesn't exist. Share: Our pain is real. There were so many good points you proved not just why if God exist, but why he allows evil and suffering to continue, sometimes prosper. For the Christian, then, there is one final reason why God allows our suffering: to point us back to the sufferings of Christ. Suffering and death in this corrupted world are guaranteed for each of us. Why is God not doing something about it. 1. Why Does God Allow So Much Suffering in the World? It’s the most powerful argument out there. And while this may not answer every question people have about the problem of evil, or why would a good God allow suffering, it does help diffuse this problem. My child is suffering. Share 2K. But why does God allow suffering? Why does God allow such suffering in the world? We have sympathy for those who suffer greatly and want to do what we can to help. It’s God’s great reminder that this world is not our real home. In order to understand some of the big questions that surround this topic we have to look at God’s plan as a whole. We can trust God for strength in our suffering, for we know that he has overcome the world. James 1:2-4 Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. Is he both able and willing? Why does God allow suffering? In the name of the risen Christ, Amen. so God in his wisdom does permit and even ordain some suffering and much good comes as a result allow me to share with you Four ways God uses suffering … Posted on October 24, 2018 October 24, 2018 by Ryan Leasure. If God is a good God, then why does he allow the bad? Why does God allow humans to suffer? In the same way we sometimes can’t see the reason for God’s discipline. The primary reason that there is suffering in the world is that Adam and Eve disobeyed God, and thus, broke the command to not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Tweet. That’s not an easy question to answer, but certain Bible passages tell us that God may display his works or deepen our belief in him during times of suffering. I think it is reasonable to believe that if God exists, that He has a morally permissible reason for allowing evil and suffering to … This is a question that has baffled people for generations and I am going to give you a great theological answer right now: I don’t know. The Problem of Suffering. Or, why they believe in another God or religion such as Buddhism which explains this away as "karma". That's not good, God doesn't want a person to live a carefree comfortable life only to wake up on the other side of death still in his sins. It's our choice whether to accept God's free ticket to eternal life in paradise (Acts 4:12). Why can we be sure that Jehovah has a good reason for allowing suffering to continue? Even a quick look at the Bible bears witness to the fact that we aren’t the first to walk down the difficult roads of disappointment, persecution, and bitterness. He took it on Himself. Dear Ryan, thank you so much for publishing this article. 9. Why does your god allow suffering? My background is Catholic, Agnostic then Catholic again. I think He doesn't care. A man who was very aggressive about his atheistic beliefs once asked me, “Why does God allow all this suffering in the world if He is God?” For one thing, God gave us the freewill to choose what to do, and if He stopped evil, He would be destroying freewill in most cases. I was raped twice. 3: Character Building. Here are sixteen Bible passages that help us understand why God allows the presence of evil and suffering in the world: God has a purpose in everything he allows. How can a good God allow a teen girl to be sexually violated by multiple men multiple times? Why Does God Allow Suffering? Sin is the reason that we have afflictions, including death. Is there a purpose behind pain? If God is a God of love, why is there so much evil and suffering in the world? 2K Shares. Just how and why? by Dr. David Jeremiah. Exploring the question, “why does God allow suffering” will help us gain a new perspective and will arrive at the right conclusion. Why does God allow suffering? The loss of mystery Our culture lost something vital through the Enlightenment, and that is a love of mystery, or the acceptance of concepts that are difficult to understand or explain. To start off with, God did create a world without suffering. The Bible talks a lot about suffering. One reason may be that God knows that life continues for eternity after this present age. Pin 11. On the other hand, they say, if God is truly great, then he must not be good, because he could stop the evil and suffering but doesn’t. And it cost Him an unthinkable price. Suffering and adversity remind us not to allow ourselves to become overly comfortable here. Why does God allow evil? It can't be that He doesn't love us. In God’s Word, we find hope for stormy times. Suffering and pain cause us to long for our heavenly home and live more fully for eternity. The only way to begin answering this question is to view our fallen world from God's perspective. Does Satan have authority over the world? All of our problems and our suffering are a result of man’s rebellion against God. God … Satan is the author of sin. God sometimes prioritize our character building over our own comfort. Because He is God, and because He knows best, He can see the whole picture while we only see the suffering. Suffering makes us remember that, if we know the Lord Jesus, we’re citizens of a far better, future world, where every tear will be wiped away, and all pain and sorrow will be removed. A defense might argue that there’s a morally sufficient reason for God to permit evil, a theodicy seeks to give that morally sufficient reason. Why does God allow us to suffer in this world? John Bedingfield. And in the New York Times bestselling The Reason for God, he addresses each doubt and explains each reason. The bible claims God is all powerful, All knowing, Just, Love and the virtues goes on and on. The problem goes something like this: God … He is not responsible for the wars, the crimes, the oppression, or even the natural disasters that cause people to suffer. Yet if the afterlife is real, God may allow evil and suffering to stir us up to think about eternal life. It can't be that he is detached or unconcerned about our condition. They decided for themselves what is good and what is evil. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing. It’s the problem of evil. God has the power to prevent suffering and calamity--so why does He allow it? This is the BIG question on many peoples minds today, and it is one that keeps many in the world from accepting Christ Jesus as their saviour. God does not cause evil. We can rejoice, too, when we run into problems and trials, for we know that they help us develop endurance. I was impregnated as a teen and had a miscarriage . Why would a good God allow His children and others to suffer? Is it because I have sinned? Why Does God Allow Suffering? It allows us to see that we have something worth far more than anything this earth can afford. RELATED: Sex Addiction . I’d like to answer the question partly from a scientific point of view but the rest will have a philosophical or religious underpinnings. Even a quick look at the Bible bears witness to the fact that we aren’t the first to walk down the difficult roads of disappointment, persecution, and bitterness. Then why call him God?” This is one of the most common arguments used against God’s existence. God is still there despite any tragedy you may be experiencing. Our pain is real. Read these Top 9 Bible Verses-Why Does God Allow Suffering? Then why does evil exist? 9 It is comforting for us to know that God does not cause suffering. The problem of suffering. Many argue, "Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God allow pain and suffering?" Dr. Charles Stanley offers a biblical answer to this question. But there are still lessons for us to uncover how we can approach suffering. In God’s Word, we find hope for stormy times. This is a difficult question and also a very common one. Like many others right now, I am going through a tough time as we near the end of 2020. So why does God allow evil and suffering? Why does God make people suffer? But He does allow it. This is a popular question among non-believers and a reason why many claim there is no God. Why do bad things happen to good people? Reason no. It’s the skeptics’ go-to reason for rejecting Christianity. It is easy to get distracted by the desires and needs of the moment. A Fallen World. Why Does God Allow Suffering? 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