From the very start of human suffering, not a single teardrop has gone unnoticed by Jehovah, * whose “watchful eyes” see everything. Imagine the chaos if every time a carpenter was about to accidentally smash his thumb, his hammer turned into a rubber ducky. Its a book for everyone, and it releases tomorrow from Dutton. I don’t know why the world is in such a state. God is omnicompetent (conjunction of I-III) In the survey that Mark [Mittelberg] did more recently where he asked Christians 'What are you afraid of being asked?' Join over 250,000 others to get the top stories curated daily, plus special offers! There are other people that bring up the question because it is a legitimate intellectual question to ask, he said. God has a purpose even for evil and suffering. "To know that we really do have, by God's grace, truth that stands up to scrutiny," Mittelberg said. Each of these problems pop up differently in different theological systems. Or, put more strongly, perhaps this purposeless evil can be used in a deductive gratuitous problem of evil to show that since there is purposeless evil, God does not exist. C.S. This answers the question, 'Why didn't God create a world where people don't suffer?'. "The first thing is this. Healing is Promised, Not Pain and Suffering from Diseases. Moral Agent: a self-conscious person capable of moral and immoral action. Many argue, "Why would an all-powerful, all-loving God allow pain and suffering?" We are not God," Strobel continued. Strobel spoke about the results of that survey at an apologetics conference Saturday from Cherry Hills Community Church in Highlands Ranch, Colo., and simulcast to more than 75 churches throughout the U.S., Canada, and Australia. Now if God could intend the greatest evil for the greatest good, then of course He has a morally sufficient reason for the evil He allows in our lives. Suffering brings faithful believers into deeper understanding and relationship with Him (Job). God continually uses evil to destroy itself, and so we remember the cross, where God publicly displayed the death of death and the beginning of the end for evil. The Character-Building/Soul-Making Defense: God created mankind good, but incomplete, not perfect, immature. 2 – Can God Make A Dog Too Big For Him to Walk? God is omnipotent (all-powerful) ( Log Out /  We can also understand that peace can be found when we question why does God allow pain and suffering too. As we set out to defend against the problem of evil from a Christian-theistic worldview, it’s important for us to consider what philosopher-theologian, John Feinberg, notes in his book The Many Faces of Evil, namely that there is no single “problem of evil”. Through His sacrifice on the cross, we have been offered peace and salvation. Although a good Christian defense to various problems of evil ought to pull from several of the defenses given above, at the end of the day, every Christian defense ought to point to the cross and God’s mercy towards sinners, God’s hatred for sin and evil, God’s willingness to endure the greatest evil and indignation Himself in the person of Jesus Christ on the cross, and God’s own sovereignty over sin. Strobel said the question is raised by two different types of people. The first kind of person is one that is presently going through pain and suffering. He understands it all. We all go through challenges, and you are not alone. https://parkersettecase.com/2020/04/17/why-does-god-allow-pain-and-suffering Genesis 1:31 says God saw all that He had made and it was very good," he continued. Pain and suffering can only be questioned in the light of the existence of GOD. When we expect God to deal with pain and suffering by taking it away every time, we set ourselves up for anxiety and resentment and disappointment and unhappiness, and even depression and despair. So, one’s theology will shape one’s response to the specific problem of evil which they uniquely face. In order for us to operate properly, there have to be laws which govern nature and make reality stable and predictable. C.S. No pain, no gain! Take my opinion for what it is and ask God about it one day when you see Him face-to-face. Please click here to learn how. You are going to have trouble. His newest Walking with God through Pain and Suffering is a wise, Christ-centered, comforting book for readers who hurt, and offers counsel to readers who anticipate future suffering. Then there’s the problem of gratuitous evil which focuses in on “purposeless” evil. God has existed from eternity past as the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit in perfect harmony in relationship, the relationship of love that has gone on for eternity. The question of why there is pain and suffering in the world has confounded every generation; yet there has not been a major book from a Christian perspective exploring why they exist for many years. A redeemed humanity needs a redeemed world to live in. The archetypal example of our suffering was Jesus Christ, who was persecuted and crucified by the Roman officials. this was one of the top questions as well," Strobel said during the conference. Take heed of these words. Maybe a theist, might be able to argue that God has a purpose for allowing certain instances of evil in the world, but aren’t there are some examples of evil that are just pure brute evil, evil for which there is no justifying purpose? For theists, moral evil is called “sin” and natural evil is still within the purview of God’s “providence” (guiding control). 5. The book of Job shows us there can be two ways to respond to suffering: one that curses God because of suffering and one that praises God, even in the midst of suffering (Job 2:9–10). … What about evils that have no purpose, no greater goods to justify them, no subsequent or antecedent good which make them necessary? 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. One day when you see Him face-to-face Mexico church responds to $ fine... To mature our faith accomplish His threefold purpose to Him., Ohio Gov not alone prompted by moral... `` there are numerous stories of pain and suffering perhaps there is a corruption of the years most important (! Even pleasure poor random deer are looking for someone to love you and help take care of you and... 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