Why God Would Allow Suffering in the World

Ok, Christians, this one's for you.

So many ask this question, 'Why does God allow suffering in the world?' It's a common theme in debate between theists and anti-theists. I used to use it myself, saying things like 'Well, maybe when God stops the 3 million children per year who die from drinking bad water, I'll support him', but after much thought, I think I can see why God would allow so much horror and suffering to occur in the world (if there is indeed a God).

My thoughts led me to something called Deism, or the belief that we should act as though we are alone, because in the grand scheme of things, that is how we will obtain Utopia (or our main goal as a species/society), through our selves.

If there is a God, he would allow suffering because he is leaving it up to US to fix it and learn and evolve from the experiences. The same would go for any off-the-wall faith about aliens coming to save us from ourselves as well.

So it might sound cold, suffering now to save us from more suffering later.

reply to post by bigbert81

If there is a God, he would allow suffering because he is leaving it up to US to fix it and learn and evolve from the experiences.

That's what I think too.

People ask why doesn't God fix this or that problem?

And, God asks: I gave the earth to you, how come you don't fix the problem?

What merit is there in giving away our responsibilities?

Well in my belief God isnt atall what everyone perceives him to be because everyone hads this vision of God as a incredible being all powerful and someone who loves us all i belief that he is in another dimention and he couldve created this one bhut maybe he doesnt havbe much more control that that or maybe he just isnt as powerful as we[the bible] say he is

lets face the facts now the bible has lied ALOT definitely alot in the past and they have altered stories to make God sound divine and all conquouring also they left alot of stuff out of the bible that really shouldve beenin their so that itself says that God isnt atall what we think he is

Now you ask why does God allow suffering in this world or dimention well the answer i have for you is maybe he cant do anything bout it maybe he doesnt have control or as much control as we think he does and although i do believe in him i cant rule out that he doesnt exist because i havnt seen or or atleast i dont think i have anyway but for all i know we ourselves are God we have control as a whole over what happens.

i am an atheist but ill type up a littale excerpt from angels & demons (a book) as best as i remember

guy: why does god let people die?
pope: if you had a kid would you let him skateboard even though he could get hurt?
guys: yes but i would tell him to be careful.
pope: exactly

yea so i figure if we all are gods children, he lets us ride the skateboard to teach us how it feels to fall and get back up

Originally posted by bigbert81
Ok, Christians, this one's for you.

So many ask this question, 'Why does God allow suffering in the world?' It's a common theme in debate between theists and anti-theists. I used to use it myself, saying things like 'Well, maybe when God stops the 3 million children per year who die from drinking bad water, I'll support him', but after much thought, I think I can see why God would allow so much horror and suffering to occur in the world (if there is indeed a God).

My thoughts led me to something called Deism, or the belief that we should act as though we are alone, because in the grand scheme of things, that is how we will obtain Utopia (or our main goal as a species/society), through our selves.

If there is a God, he would allow suffering because he is leaving it up to US to fix it and learn and evolve from the experiences. The same would go for any off-the-wall faith about aliens coming to save us from ourselves as well.

So it might sound cold, suffering now to save us from more suffering later.

It's simple.

He allows suffering to take place because he has endowed mankind with will power. In the grand scheme of things you have to EARN your way into heaven or hell. If he allowed no suffering then this life would not be considered a 'test' and judgement day... well there wouldn't be one.

Sufferring must exist so people who cause the suffering dig themselves deeper in the hell to come, and the suffering of people provides opportunities for other good-willed people to do something about it (so they can set themselves up in heaven).

What is the meaning of life? It's a test of man's god-given powers which are to some degree microcosims of his own! The Compassionate, The Merciful, The Creator etc...

It's all an exam the end result is a pass or fail with degrees.

This is commensurate with the teachings of Moses, Jesus and Mohammad.

In heaven there will be no suffering in hell and earth there will be.

[edit on 14-12-2008 by Jinni]

[edit on 14-12-2008 by Jinni]

Maybe he's just a jerk?

Or criminally insane?

Working in health care, I have seen a lot of suffering. Hell is here on earth in many ways.

One night as a fellow nursing assistant and I entered a patients room who was dying of AIDS... that thought was strongly on our minds. We had just discussed what a kind and courageous young mother she was... what point was there to this horrible suffering she was enduring? One of the most amazing things I've ever experienced happened as we stood on either side of her bed, as she lay there with her head thrown back and her entire thin body tense from pain........ suddenly...... the other c.n.a. and I were out of our bodies, up towards the ceiling, looking down on all three of us. An extremely bright light shown from behind us... but we were immobile and could not turn..... and from behind us a voice/telepathy simply said, "Everything is exactly how it's supposed to be.". Then we were back in our bodies beside the bed.

I don't blame anyone for not believing this story... but I can assure you it happened. Two people sharing one Out Of Body Experience at the same time while fully awake. Or, a near death experience when the death was not even our own?

Of course, this does not answer the OPs question. It did not answer our questions either.... but somehow... it has helped me to understand suffering and that perhaps much knowledge is reserved deliberately until after we die.

"Everything is exactly how it's supposed to be.".

Originally posted by bigbert81
So it might sound cold, suffering now to save us from more suffering later.

There were two men. One man was rich, had everything he could physically need and want while the other man was pool lacking in almost every physical confert. One day the world in which the men were living was distroyed but the men were saved by an alien space craft. The alien's took the men to a planet where there were no physical things to be had.

Who suffered more there?

reply to post by Incarnated

There were two men. One man was rich, had everything he could physically need and want while the other man was pool lacking in almost every physical confert. One day the world in which the men were living was distroyed but the men were saved by an alien space craft. The alien's took the men to a planet where there were no physical things to be had.

Who suffered more there?

I LUV that story!!!

I will have to remember it.

reply to post by Incarnated


Youd be surprised just how much truth there is to your statement.
Soon..

When we watch drama and other various scenarios as if 'gods' with a remote control etc., many of us still watch and don't do much if anything else about it except to comment and possibly compare how these are related to us or alternate endings. Since many of us aren't typically ever aware of alternate realities that have been part of our own lives, we focus on what we now know. "It's a Wonderful Life."

These movies are and can be broken down in some way mathematically in the visual world of this technology. A god like being that is 'as if' interdemensional time travelers, would 'as if' be watching these from the future and or already seen these way too many times before like our old reruns

Michio Kaku campares us to ants from a much higher evolved species view. If god is than that much higher than these, than he's basically only interested in our eventual evolution and we're still just a slow work in process that much more. We are 'as if' still the beasts of the field.

God is as if watching a much different channel at this point or channel surfing other worlds and creations.

What would you be like if you were eternal?

Otherwise if we truly are in control of our own lives without any godlike entity, than why are still where we are? Someone or something seems to be dumbing us down. I guess we've yet to know the cheating codes in this game.

reply to post by bigbert81


when your child wants to ride a bike, you let hi dont you. you know very well that he will fall and scrape his knee a few times, but you let him do it anyway. you know very well where i am going with this so ill stop here.

you get my point.

ROMANS 5:
Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access be faith into this grace in which we now stand. And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. NOT ONLY so, but we, also REJOICE in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, perseverance, character, and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts but the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.

ROMANS 8:18
I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.

ROMANS 8:38
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor ANYTHING else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

1 PETER 4:12
Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But REJOICE that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name.

So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God's mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast ALL your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion LOOKING for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

My own personal feeling is that the heavenly Father never wanted us to suffer and have all these bad things happen in our world. But we must remember, he did create a perfect place and man caused sin to enter into there and it was not perfect any longer. Satan is the prince of this world and causes a lot of suffering and pain to be part of the world.

However, God did not leave us without hope. He sent his Son to help us fight Satan and give us a way back to our perfect home again.

We have suffering in this world because this world is evil. But we have spiritual help to endure the hardships and pain if we remain in the Spirit of the Lord his Spirit will shield us and lift us up.

I don't mean to make light of someone's suffering. I have gone through and still endure much pain everyday, but I have the grace of God and his mercy to help be make it one more day.

PSALM 121
I lift my eyes to the hills - where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let my foot slip - he who watches over me will not slumber; indeed he who wathces over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep, The Lord watches over me - the Lord is my shade at my right hand; the sun will not harm me by day, not the moon by night. The Lord will keep me from all harm - he will watch over my life; the Lord will watch over my coming and going both now and forevermore.

Peace,
Grandma

why does pamela bellala want to hurt me so much

I have suffered alot in my life ..at the hands of others ...and because of my own stupidity ....
The suffering I did at the hands of others ...made me humble...made me learn forgiveness...taught me what unconditional love was ...taught me to love the UNLOVABLE (which is what the Lord does) ...and the most important thing is it taught me how precious life really is (since I was on the edge of death every minute of every day) ...I was taking advantage of this life and not careing about it at all ..I just wanted out of here (death) I learned to appreciate THIS LIFE which I wrote a poem called Life is a Gift to Thee...I was ungrateful for the life that the Lord God had given me ...
And the things I suffered due to my own stupidity ..taught me the same things...
Seriously I do not believe I would be who I am today inside my heart and mind if I did not go through all that I did .and I would not care so much for others ...(the lost the hurting the ungrateful unlovable people) ..and I know its not even over yet ..I have more suffering to go ...(I am aging ) .....I actually look forward to it ...because I KNOW I am going to be learning more ....some people are really hard headed (thats me lol) and I had to learn the hard way or I would not have learned anything at all ....(now I am not so hardheaded and rebellious so I will learn the rest without it being the hard way lol)

PS>>by the way awesome scriptures Grandma ....


[edit on 14-12-2008 by Simplynoone]