The Solution

Why does a loving God allow suffering?

Its a question that bugs many believers and non-believers alike. If God was all-powerful, meaning he had the power to do everything, and if God was good, meaning he would do good, and if God was a caring God, how then does this equation fit?

I read the book 'the Case for Faith' by Lee Stroble. I'll highlights some points that were covered in this chapter.

In an interview in the book, an analogy was used. Say a bear got trapped in a bear cage set up by a conservationist, and he now had sedated the bear and was getting it out of the cage. Say the bear was in a half conscious state and saw the man trying to get it out. It would assume that the hunter was trying to do something bad to it. Even more so, if the man had to push the bear further into the cage in order to release the catch.

Parallel this example. If your little sister was trying to tread a needle. She might hurt herself in the process by pricking herself, and it could be so simple for you to step up and help. But if you stepped back for a moment and allow her to succeed by herself, she would learn so much more through her sense of achievement.

The second point is that evil and suffering, all things bad, are qualifiers for good. How can one say something is good unless there is something bad to compare it to. Suffering and hurt were placed into this world for us to be able to see what good really is.

In fact, if everything in the world was good, you would not really be happy. If everything in this world was just simply good, then you would really lose your taste for good. You will never be able to appreciate the good simply because there is no opportunity cost; there is no bad for you to compare the good to.

"Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison and test you, and you will suffer... Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life...'

- Revelations 2 : 10