Why does God allow so much pain?

[Guest Aussielady]

I believe that God feels pain when His creation is in pain. We were never created to be sick, or to be hit by a drunk driver, or to be killed or hurt in a tornado. These things have come on us since the fall of Adam. We are under a curse of eternal damnation and the earth is cursed with weed, drought, pestilence until redeemed by God. The Deut. 28 blessings and curses happen when a nation is following or disobeying God. He will say enough one day and come and redeem the earth restoring it to what it was originally planned to be. He has to allow us to have free will and thus man's inhumanity to man occurs. Man's flesh nature is continually having to be subdued by Christ in us. We die to self. The world is being lead by the god of this world who is doing his best to destroy man and his relationship with God and each other. He is gradually manipulating man to accept things that a generation ago would not have been accepted. Sin has entered the world and as the generations progressed from Adam, our life span was shorter. Diseases and discord have increased. God has given man an amazing brain to cure some diseases and find solutions to problems, but we were never meant to be sick or have those problems. God has to allow so much pain until He can change it when He returns to claim back the earth. When we pray we bring God into the problem to change something such as in a miracle of healing.

[SaintKolbe]

I believe that God feels pain when His creation is in pain. We were never created to be sick, or to be hit by a drunk driver, or to be killed or hurt in a tornado. These things have come on us since the fall of Adam. We are under a curse of eternal damnation and the earth is cursed with weed, drought, pestilence until redeemed by God. The Deut. 28 blessings and curses happen when a nation is following or disobeying God. He will say enough one day and come and redeem the earth restoring it to what it was originally planned to be. He has to allow us to have free will and thus man's inhumanity to man occurs. Man's flesh nature is continually having to be subdued by Christ in us. We die to self. The world is being lead by the god of this world who is doing his best to destroy man and his relationship with God and each other. He is gradually manipulating man to accept things that a generation ago would not have been accepted. Sin has entered the world and as the generations progressed from Adam, our life span was shorter. Diseases and discord have increased. God has given man an amazing brain to cure some diseases and find solutions to problems, but we were never meant to be sick or have those problems. God has to allow so much pain until He can change it when He returns to claim back the earth. When we pray we bring God into the problem to change something such as in a miracle of healing.

I'm not much of a Manicheeist (philosophy of Good versus Evil, as the sum total of human experience), but I do believe Evil holds sway in certain circles in human society. True enough -- it's a mystery, isn't it? We know God is all powerful and all good, but nonetheless, Evil triumphs from time to time. We simply cannot discern for sure what the Lord has in mind.

[ashleelove5]

Why does God allow so much pain? Is God strong enough to stop some of it? I don't understand.

I have no idea and I ask this question a lot. His will and way is hard for us to understand but I just have to have faith that there is a reason for it. My 10yr old little boy suffers from RAD and it is not something he asked for BUT through his issues I have learned a great deal that I wouldn't have learned had he been a 'normal' little boy.

So maybe God allows pain so we can learn, and without pain/saddness/suffering how would we ever learn to appreciate the good things? We would take it for granted and it should never be taken for granted so God gives us 'a little reminder' so we will appreicate the good times more?

[Grungekid]

Why does God allow so much pain? Is God strong enough to stop some of it? I don't understand.

Hi Angelique,

Nice to chat with you. The argument from evil (and pain and suffering of the innocent is evil) is a long standing argument for atheism.

Three hundred years ago, maybe. Then, once upon a time came the three theodicies. I'm surprised atheists have never quite gotten past this one.

[~~ angelique ~~]

The topic of why God allows so much pain was easier when I thought it balanced out. The ying/yang or dark/light balance thing.

[Guest zoe-girl]

From my own personal walk I have found that God has NEVER given me more than I could truly handle and it forced me to grow in Him and have belief in myself for what God can do through me~

[Jonny_NZ]

A lot of people give this subject a lot of deep thought...it's not something easy to tackle.

This is a pretty deep read, sort of a debate between two perspectives on the issue. It's worthwhile taking a look at it:

http://blog.beliefnet.com/blogalogue/is_ou...n_gods_problem/

[MorningGlory]

My point was that God allows our pain to teach us about His faithfulness and mercy. He will not give us more than we can bare.

Stacey, what about the thousands who commit suicide every year? Would you not say they have been handed more than they can bare? We have a fellow here in Ontario named Paul Bernardo who is now behind bars, but when he was loose he was responsible for untold numbers of sexual attacks and murders including that of teenage girls lured by his wife for use as sex slaves. Over a period of weeks they were abused, tortured and murdered (cut into pieces I believe), all filmed on video for his later viewing pleasure. You don't think those girls were tortured beyond endurance? You don't think that the millions of Jews who died at the hands of their Nazi captors were handed more than they could bare? On one of the bunks in the Auschwitz concentration camp are carved the words, 'If there is a God he needs to beg me to forgive him.' Where does the love of God go?

Your statements make no sense to me. God is doing us a favour by allowing monsters to abuse and torture innocent victims? The more a person is tortured, the more pain they experience, somehow teaches them more about God's mercy? I don't follow. It is because of acts like these that the problem of evil is for many people an obstacle to belief in God.

You really are in the dark here, Cycel. God doesn't create evil. Man has free will and most choose to follow satan. The Lord offers every one of us salvation and eternity with Him; this is His mercy to unworthy mankind. Most reject that offer. That's the whole mystery solved right there. The world belongs to man and the devil for an allotted period of time....after that, the Lord will judge His creations and destroy this world. We all choose how we live our lives, what we believe, and where we end up. The horrible things you described are man's doing; not God's.

[ps127v1]

Pain is but a trying of our faith to strengthen us to receive God's manifold blessings in our lives. I was robbed and beat up pretty badly just two months ago. I could barely walk because of the pain and couldn't understand why me. God had a plan for it and I believe that I was being tried to strengthen my faith. I admit that at first I was big time mad, then I became indifferent as to what would happen to the two that did it to me. Just a couple of days ago I had court for one of the two that robbed me. After court was over, I went up to the young man that participated in the hitting and kicking and told him that from the bottom of my heart I forgive him and that I hold nothing against him. I extended my hand to him and with a little hesitation he extended his to me. I told his mother that I hold nothing against her family. You see, pain is just a temporary part of what our eternity is made up of. After this life is joy unspeakable that we cannot even image. What is a little pain when it is compared to a lot of joy?

[~~ angelique ~~]

My point was that God allows our pain to teach us about His faithfulness and mercy. He will not give us more than we can bare.

Stacey, what about the thousands who commit suicide every year? Would you not say they have been handed more than they can bare? We have a fellow here in Ontario named Paul Bernardo who is now behind bars, but when he was loose he was responsible for untold numbers of sexual attacks and murders including that of teenage girls lured by his wife for use as sex slaves. Over a period of weeks they were abused, tortured and murdered (cut into pieces I believe), all filmed on video for his later viewing pleasure. You don't think those girls were tortured beyond endurance? You don't think that the millions of Jews who died at the hands of their Nazi captors were handed more than they could bare? On one of the bunks in the Auschwitz concentration camp are carved the words, 'If there is a God he needs to beg me to forgive him.' Where does the love of God go?

Your statements make no sense to me. God is doing us a favour by allowing monsters to abuse and torture innocent victims? The more a person is tortured, the more pain they experience, somehow teaches them more about God's mercy? I don't follow. It is because of acts like these that the problem of evil is for many people an obstacle to belief in God.

You really are in the dark here, Cycel. God doesn't create evil. Man has free will and most choose to follow satan. The Lord offers every one of us salvation and eternity with Him; this is His mercy to unworthy mankind. Most reject that offer. That's the whole mystery solved right there. The world belongs to man and the devil for an allotted period of time....after that, the Lord will judge His creations and destroy this world. We all choose how we live our lives, what we believe, and where we end up. The horrible things you described are man's doing; not God's.

I'm a bit confused about something...... If God created satan, then in a sense, didn't He create evil and suffering?

I found a scripture which has perplexed me concerning this topic

Heb 4:3

For we who have believed do enter that rest, as He has said: "So I swore in My wrath, 'They shall not enter My rest,' " although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

This seems to imply that Christ was crucified before the foundation of the world. Then God knew Satan would fall????? If that's true then didn't he allow the pain and suffering????

:24: :)